Joint stock company

A joint stock company (JSC) is a type of business entity: it is a type of corporation or partnership involving two or more legal persons. Certificates of ownership (or stocks) are issued by the company in return for each financial contribution, and the shareholders are free to transfer their ownership interest at any time by selling their stockholding to others.
In most countries, a joint stock company offers the protection of limited liability; a shareholder is not liable for any of the company's debt beyond the face value of their shareholding.
There are two kinds of joint stock company: private and public companies. The shares of the former are usually only held by the directors and Company Secretary. The shares of the latter are bought and sold on the open market.