What do u mean by holding company?
Isabella Turner
Updated on January 18, 2026
A holding company is a parent company, limited liability company, or limited partnership that holds ample voting shares in another company. The shareholding is arranged in a way that the holding company can control the policies of its subsidiary company and oversee its management decisions.
What is the legal definition of a holding company?
A holding company is a company that owns part, a majority, or all of another company’s stock with the sole purpose of owning other companies’ stock. A parent holding company refers to a company that owns enough stock in another company to control the election of its board of directors.
What is a holding company and how does it come into existence?
Parent holding company: It comes into existence when an organization in existence acquires controlling stake in existing companies or starts new companies under its control. For e.g. Tata Tea has acquired controlling stake in Tetley, a UK tea company. In this case, Tata Tea is the parent holding company.
What kind of company is a holding company?
A holding company is a type of company that holds the outstanding shares of other companies. A holding company usually does not provide any other services—such as producing goods or services—or engage in business directly. Rather, a holding company only serves as an ownership vehicle of other companies or investments.
Can a holding company have control of an operating company?
For your holding company to have control of the operating company, the holding company must: hold more than 50% of the issued share capital of the operating company. Your operating company will be responsible for entering into all agreements with clients.
Why is it important to set up a holding company?
Succession Planning A holding company, with a centralised board of directors, can ensure continuity of the business when key people from the operating companies leave. Setting up a holding company can help your business grow while minimising some of the risks that come with this growth. You can gain benefits in: financial advantages.
What makes an intermediate holding company a holding company?
An intermediate holding is a firm that is both a holding company of another entity and a subsidiary of a larger corporation. An intermediate holding firm might be exempted from publishing financial records as a holding company of the smaller group. 1. Greater control for a smaller investment