Hello Helen!!!

Your question is really interesting, because it would take a whole day (or more!) to explain the somehow big differences between the Anglo-Saxon system and the Italian system regarding company law!

Anyway, the correct translation depends on the destination place:

In America you will hear of INCORPORATED COMPANIES, and a CORPORATION is pretty much like an Italian "Societa' per Azioni". So the correct translation is XXX Inc./Incorporated.

In Great Britain, on the other hand, they prefer the word COMPANY (LIMITED BY SHARES), implying that the liability of the shareholders is LIMITED to the shares owned by each shareholder.

Unlimited companies also exist, which is quite odd in Italy, because if you are incorporated your liability as a shareholder (stockholder in America) is automatically LIMITED. Therefore there isn't a corresponding word in Italian.....As for your translation, anyway, the right way to say it in British English is certainly LIMITED/LTD.

As regards JOINT STOCK COMPANY, a clarification is needed.
This is either the name that designated the actual COMPANY in the 18th century in Britain, or a kind of business that only exists in America, where the shareholders have a limited access to the Company books, but still have UNLIMITED LIABILITY. Therefore I would not use it as a synonimous of S.p.A....

Hope to have cleared some of your uncertainties, and anyway, if you need, have a look at my ProZ legal glossary for further explanation...My thesis was on COMPANY LAW!!!

Kisses,
Giulia
xxxxxx

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Note added at 2004-01-23 01:39:41 (GMT)
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The meaning of Joint Stock Company has been clearly explained by Science 451!!!

BRAVOOO!!!