what is the difference between a parent company and a holding company?
A parent company does not have to be the larger or more powerful entity; it is possible for the parent company to be smaller than a subsidiary, such as DanJaq, a closely held family company, which controls Eon Productions, the large corporation which manages the James Bond franchise.
A holding company is an entity formed to buy and hold the majority of stock of other companies; a subsidiary is a business whose majority of stock is owned by a holding company.