subsidiary company

Subsidiary

A company that is publicly-traded but has more than half its stock owned by another company, known as the parent company. As long as the parent company owns more than half the stock, it maintains control of the subsidiary, though its other stock is still traded. Some subsidiaries belong to the same industry as the parent company, while others do not, and are part of a diversification effort on the part of the parent company. See also: Wholly owned subsidiary.

subsidiary company

a JOINT STOCK COMPANY that is owned by another company (the HOLDING COMPANY). Specifically a subsidiary company is one in which the holding company owns between 50% and 100% of the voting shares. The accounting results of subsidiary companies are consolidated (see CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNTS) in the annual accounts of the holding company. A subsidiary company is regarded as different from an ASSOCIATED COMPANY (where the holding company owns between 20% and 50% of its shares) which is less subject to the influence of the holding company and continues to produce its own annual accounts. A subsidiary company may continue to trade under its own name, but it is subject to control by the parent company.