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In the following context, what does "listing" mean? I couldn't find its definition online, there were a few suggestions but none of them fit.

There has been considerable external demand to buy into it but this privilege is currently exclusive to our current shareholders under their preferred OPTIONs only. On completion of the listing, any OPTIONs not exercised by our shareholders may be allocated to non-shareholders, institutional investors and investment banks. In reality, this corporation will ultimately raise more funds by selling its shares to the public prior to listing.

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Reference (sense 1c): A stock exchange listing allows shares to be traded. – Andrew Leach Jan 1 at 16:44

closed as general reference by Andrew Leach, MετάEd, Jasper Loy, cornbread ninja 麵包忍者, StoneyB Jan 2 at 2:22

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1 Answer

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This is related to the OED’s sense 3 given for the third of their seven distinct listing headwords:

  • 3. N. Amer. The placing of a property on the list of a real-estate agent; an estate agent’s register of properties that he has for sale; a property  so listed. Cf. list v.4  1 c.

So it means including it in a list of items up for sale. It was originally for the listing of real estate, but now has come to include other sorts of properties, particularly those related to shares of common stock on the open stock market.

I do not know whether the term is now used on the London Stock Exchange as well, but it wouldn’t surprise me. That is, I rather doubt whether the term is any longer a mainly North American one alone, but I do not know that for certain.

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@AndrewLeach: Have a look at this and tell me which one do you think is the right definition for the above context or try googling "define:listing". – Gigili Jan 1 at 17:08
@Gigili It's actually (3), which mentions "stock exchange listing"; but that's not clear. OAAD is good but sometimes it's necessary to use other dictionaries. I can normally find exactly what's required in ODO [see my link in the question]. I must see about getting OED access. – Andrew Leach Jan 1 at 17:14
@AndrewLeach: Right, but I think ODO is the only dictionary (or they're really rare) which mentions that definition explicitly. Thank you anyway. – Gigili Jan 1 at 17:15
@Gigili- The Free Dictionary also provides this definition (3) and also supports tchrist's assertion that it is used with the London Stock Ex as well. – Jim Jan 1 at 17:26

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