What type of investment involves operations with shared ownership by several companies?

The correct answer is joint ventures. A joint venture is a business arrangement in which two or more parties agree to pool their resources for the purpose of accomplishing a specific task or project while maintaining their distinct identities. This often involves shared ownership and risk, where each company contributes capital, assets, and expertise to the venture. This collaborative effort allows companies to leverage each other's strengths, share in profits and losses, and enter new markets more efficiently than they might be able to on their own.

In contrast, options that are not correct each represent different forms of investment. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) refers to a company investing directly in facilities to produce or market a product in a foreign country, usually involving full ownership or significant control rather than shared ownership. Foreign portfolio investment (FPI) relates to investments in financial assets such as stocks and bonds in foreign countries, without direct control over the companies. Equity joint stock, while it might imply shared ownership, is generally associated with a broader concept and does not specifically denote the collaboration aspect that is inherent in joint ventures.