Public limited company
The initials plc after a British or Irish company name indicate that it is a public limited company whose shares may be offered for sale to the public. The designation plc or PLC (either form is acceptable) was introduced by the Companies Act 1980.
When a new company is incorporated in England, Wales or Scotland, it must be registered with Companies House, which is an Executive Agency of the Department of Trade and Industry. Other types of company are the private limited company and unlimited company; the latest form of company introduced in 2001 is the Limited liability partnership (LLP).
When forming (or creating) a PLC there must be at least £50,000 worth of share capital of which at least 25% must have been paid for. While it is not compulsory for a PLC to "float" its shares (some PLCs retain ownership of all their shares, maintaining the PLC designation for the extra financial status) many do and their shares are usually traded on either the London Stock Exchange or the Alternative Investments Market (AIM). Public limited companies are able to obtain more capital than other firms due to the share sales and also banks are more likely to give out loans to them as they have better credit.
The designation "plc" (public limited company) is also used in the Republic of Ireland, and was introduced shortly after its introduction in the UK.
List of PLCs
This list is incomplete
