A shelf corporation is a corporation in which (in Germany) ownership is embodied in the ownership of shares. As a rule, each shareholder holds an equal share in the company, as evidenced by the listing of their shares. The shares can be transferred to other shareholders without affecting the continued existence of the company. The capital structure of the company is determined by the articles of association, which set out each shareholder's ownership interest in the company. When people colloquially talk about buying an AG, they are referring to the acquisition and transfer of the shares.