Società per azioni (Italian: [sotʃeˈta pper atˈtsjoːni]; abbr. S.p.A. [ˌɛssepiˈa]) is a form of corporation in Italy and San Marino, meaning 'company with shares' (although often translated as 'joint-stock company', which may or may not be a limited liability entity). It is more or less equivalent to S.A. or public limited company (PLC) in other countries.
The other common form of corporation in Italy is società a responsabilità limitata (S.r.l.) ('limited liability company'). S.p.A. issued shares (Italian: azioni), while in S.r.l. the unit was quote/stock of share capital. Moreover, the articles of association of S.r.l. allowed different allocation of profit and assets, which was more comparable to a limited partnership.