What is "aktiengesellschaft"

Aktiengesellschaft (; abbreviated AG ) is a German word for a corporation limited by share ownership (i.e. is owned by its shareholders) and may be traded on a stock market. The term is used in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, South Tyrol and for companies incorporated in the German-speaking region of Belgium. It is also used in Luxembourg, though the French-language equivalent, Société Anonyme, is more common.