The Probert Encyclopaedia of Money

A SHARES

A shares are ordinary shares in a company that usually do not carry voting rights. Non-voting shares are issued by a company when it wishes to raise additional capital without committing itself to a fixed dividend and without diluting control of the company. They are, however, unpopular with institutional investors (who like to have a measure of control with their investments) and are therefore now rarely issued.
Research A Shares