parent company

A company that controls other companies by owning an influential amount of voting stock.

Investopedia Says:
Companies can become parent companies by many different means. The two most common ways are through (1) acquisitions of smaller companies and (2) the spinoff or creation of subsidiaries.

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Company that owns or controls subsidiaries through the ownership of voting stock. A parent company is usually an operating company in its own right; where it has no business of its own, the term Holding Company is often preferred.

Company that owns or controls subsidiaries through the ownership of voting stock. A parent company is usually an operating company in its own right. Where it has no business of its own, the term Holding Company is often preferred.

An enterprise, which is also known as a parent corporation, that owns more than 50 percent of the voting shares of its subsidiary.