what s the difference between a preliminary and a final prospectus 
the preliminary prospectus is the first offering document provided by a security issuer and includes most of the details of the business and transaction however the preliminary prospectus doesn t contain the number of shares to be issued or price information typically the preliminary prospectus is used to gauge interest in the market for the security being proposed the final prospectus contains the complete details of the investment offering to the public the final prospectus includes any finalized background information as well as the number of shares or certificates to be issued and the offering price 3the bottom linein general a prospectus is a document that provides details about an offering made available to the public more commonly a prospectus is a formal document required by and filed with the securities and exchange commission sec that provides details about an investment offering to the public investors use a prospectus to learn details about a company and its stock much like an employer uses a resume to learn details about a candidate for a job topics covered in a prospectus include risk financial history a description of the management team the security s value and amount whether the offering is public or private number of shares offered and how investment proceeds will be used 