The Top 6000 Public Limited Companies in The United Kingdom

<p><strong>This study looks at all public limited companies (PLC) registered in the United Kingdom.</strong></p><p>The aim of this study is to provide an overview of the key movers and shakers of PLCs.<br />Only key data has been isolated particularly the company’s net worth and total assets but<br />also their full name date incorporated registered office activities shareholders directors<br />(with date of birth occupation and nationality) and number of employees.</p><p>Two indicators of size are used: <strong>net worth</strong> and <strong>total assets</strong>. These are preferable to<br />turnover which is influenced by profit margins and whether the companies are capital or<br />labour intensive.</p><p>A short summary of the PLCs in the United Kingdom:</p><p>A PLC can be either an unlisted or listed company on the stock exchange. Companies<br />must include the words ’public limited company’ ’PLC’ or ’plc’ as part of its name. Welsh<br />companies may choose ’cwmni cyfyngedig cyhoeddus’ ’CCC’ or ’ccc’.</p><p>The PLC form was introduced in the Companies Act 1980; prior to this all limited<br />companies had the suffix ’Limited’ or ’Ltd’.</p><p>A PLC must have a minimum allotted share capital of £50000 a quarter of which £12500<br />to be paid up.</p><p>The main advantage of a PLC is the ability to raise capital by issuing public shares.</p><p>The main disadvantages are more regulation higher accounting transparency and<br />vulnerability to takeovers.</p><p>The Unlisted Securities Market (USM) which ran from 1980 to 1996 was a stock exchange<br />set up by the London Stock Exchange to cater for companies too small to qualify for a full<br />listing. The USM allowed companies to be traded which did not have the full three year<br />trading history required by the main market or which wished to float less than 25% of their<br />share capital.</p><p>The Alternative Investment Market (AIM) was set up in June 1995 and USM companies<br />could move their quotation to AIM or delist. Since 1995 over 3000 companies have joined<br />AIM raising more than £60 billion in new and further capital.</p><p>JP Jenkins provides a matched bargain dealing facility for unlisted companies such as<br />Millwall Holdings PLC and Rangers International Football Club PLC.</p><p>The London Stock Exchange (LSE) has <strong>1450 </strong>companies listed and AIM <strong>1150 </strong>companies.</p>