For purposes of applying this Directive: (a) "collective investment undertakings other than the closed-end type" shall mean unit trusts and investment companies: - the object of which is the collective investment of capital provided by the public, and which operate on the principle of risk spreading, and
- the units of which are, at the holders' request, repurchased or redeemed, directly or indirectly, out of the assets of these undertakings. Action taken by such undertakings to ensure that the stock exchange value of its units does not significantly vary from their net asset value shall be regarded as equivalent to such repurchase or redemption;
(b) "units of a collective investment undertaking" shall mean securities issued by a collective investment undertaking as representing the rights of participants in the assets of such an undertaking;
(c) "issuers" shall mean companies and other legal persons and any undertaking whose securities are the subject of an application for admission to official listing on a stock exchange;
(d) "net turnover" shall comprise the amounts derived from the sale of products and the provision of services falling within the undertaking's ordinary activities, after deduction of sales rebates and of value added tax and other taxes directly linked to the turnover;
(e) "credit institution" shall mean an undertaking whose business is to receive deposits or other repayable funds from the public and to grant credits for its own account;
(f) "participating interest" shall mean rights in the capital of other undertakings, whether or not represented by certificates, which, by creating a durable link with those undertakings, are intended to contribute to the activities of the undertaking which holds these rights;
(g) "annual accounts" shall comprise the balance sheet, the profit and loss account and the notes on the accounts. These documents shall constitute a composite whole.