A Public Company is a type of corporation that has shares which are traded on public stock exchanges such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) or Nasdaq. This type of company offers its shares to the general public in a process known as an Initial Public Offering (IPO), after which these shares can be bought and sold by any investor in the public market. Public companies must adhere to strict regulations and reporting requirements to maintain transparency and protect investors. They are often required to publish quarterly and annual financial statements, audited by independent auditors.

Public companies have a Board of Directors that makes major policy and oversight decisions, while the execution of these policies is managed by the company's executive team. An example of a public company is Apple Inc. (stock symbol AAPL), traded on Nasdaq. Investing in public companies allows individual and institutional investors to own a part of the company and potentially benefit from its growth and profits in the form of dividends and increasing share value.

Key attributes of public companies include a high degree of liquidity of their shares, wide access to capital through the stock market, and exposure to market dynamics and regulatory scrutiny. Examples of usage: "Amazon is a public company, and its shares are traded on the Nasdaq." "As a public company, they are required to comply with SEC regulations."