Prospectus . . .

refers to the offering memorandum used by a company to offer its securities for sale in a public offering. It contains a detailed description of the offering, the company making the offering and the risks associated with investing in the company's securities. The prospectus is typically prepared by the offering company and its counsel but is extensively reviewed and revised with input from the offering's underwriters, underwriters' counsel and the company's accountants. Once it is completed, the prospectus is filed with the SEC for further review and comment. Most initial public offerings use the SEC's Form S-1 as the outline for their prospectus. See: Going Public, IPO (Initial Public Offerings), Offering Memos, Public Offering.