Editing Public limited company (section)

=== Share types ===
A company may have as many different types of shares as it wishes, all with different conditions attached to them. Generally, share types are divided into the following categories:
*'''Ordinary''' – As the name suggests these are the ordinary shares of the company with no special rights or restrictions. They may be divided into classes of different value.
*'''Preference''' – These shares normally carry a right that any annual dividends available for distribution will be paid preferentially on these shares before other classes.
*'''Cumulative preference''' – These shares carry a right that, if the dividend cannot be paid in one year, it will be carried forward to successive years.
*'''Redeemable''' – These shares are issued with an agreement that the company will buy them back at the option of the company or the shareholder after a certain period, or on a fixed date. A company cannot have redeemable shares only.

[[Bearer shares#Bearer shares|Bearer shares]] are no longer possible, as they were abolished in the UK by the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015. Any existing bearer shares had to be converted to registered shares before February 2016, or face cancellation.

A PLC has access to capital markets and can offer its shares for sale to the public through a recognised stock exchange. It can also issue advertisements offering any of its securities for sale to the public. In contrast, a private company may not offer to the public any shares in itself.