Glossary

A list of common acronyms and legal terms:

ASIC

Australian Securities & Investments Commission.  ASIC regulates corporations, financial markets and financial services.

ASX

Australian Securities Exchange.  Australia's main securities exchange.

ATO

Australian Taxation Office.  The main government body for administering revenue legislation and collection.

Due Diligence

A legal phrase relating to the audit or investigation of a potential investment or transaction which serves to establish all material facts.  Generally speaking, due diligence is the care a party should take when entering into a transaction or agreement with another party.

IP

Intellectual property.  Can relate to a design, invention, trade mark or idea.

IPO

Initial public offering.  This is a company's first sale of stock to the public.  After an IPO is made, the company is no longer privately held and is owned by its shareholders.

Recapitalisation

A restructuring of a company's capital structure, by the reorganisation of equity and debt, to find new sources of capital.

Reconstruction

The division of a business's assets into separate companies that can be directly owned by individuals or shareholders.  Reconstructions are often made to increase the value of a business or meet financial arrangements with creditors.