When this takes place, a company’s outstanding shares increase, and a higher degree of liquidity results. By contrast, a reverse stock split occurs when a company seeks to elevate its share price. Often, a company does this to meet listing requirements, which often require a minimum share price. The number of shares outstanding increases whenever a company undertakes a stock split.

The inputs you’ll need for this calculation are located on the balance sheet.

Outstanding shares are one of three classifications of the share count. Issued shares refer to those shares issued by the company over time — yet, unlike outstanding shares, the number of issued shares includes shares repurchased by the company and held as treasury stock. No, float—short for floating stock or floating shares—can’t be higher than shares outstanding.

• Floating shares indicate the number of shares actually available for trading.
• Issued shares may be contrasted with unissued shares, which have been authorized for future offering but have not been issued yet.
• Though newer, smaller companies are more likely to go under than their giant counterparts, they also have exponentially more room to grow.

Although they both refer to all classes of a company’s common stock (as opposed to preferred stock), these two metrics are inherently different. Shares outstanding (or outstanding shares) are any shares that are held by shareholders and company insiders. Floating shares indicate the number of shares actually available for trading. For starters, a company’s market capitalization is determined by multiplying the current market price of one share of the corporation by the total number of outstanding shares. Market capitalization is used to compare company sizes, which helps investors evaluate risk and potential growth. Typically, a stock split occurs when a company is aiming to reduce the price of its shares.

Stock Splits and Reverse Stock Splits: Share Count Effect

Larger market caps tend to be far more liquid and less volatile than smaller ones. You can usually find the number of shares outstanding in the stock details section of your charting software. Shares outstanding can never be more than the number of authorized shares. Authorized shares are the maximum number of shares a company can issue according to its articles of incorporation. They’re simply the total amount of shares currently owned by a company’s shareholders. When a company files articles of incorporation, it must describe its share structure in the filing.

The shares available to investors on the open market are commonly called the float. In general, stocks with low floats will experience more volatility than those with large floats. Companies issue different types accounting cycle steps explained of shares of equity, the largest and most common type being common shares. Common shares represent ownership interest in a company, and they typically come with voting rights and cash flow (dividend) rights.

• And so, for a loss-making company, potentially dilutive shares can be excluded if they are “anti-dilutive”.
• There are several useful public sources to find the number of shares outstanding of a given corporation.
• All board members must use the same calculation when making decisions or plans for the business.
• The formula for calculating the shares outstanding consists of subtracting the shares repurchased from the total shares issued to date.

Companies with diluting securities could increase the number of shares outstanding in the future, i.e. they could issue more shares one day. Stock consolidations let a firm increase its share price without affecting existing shareholders or its market capitalization. This can help a firm avoid the appearance of its stock being a penny stock, a class of stocks that are known for higher volatility. Many stock exchanges also have minimum prices for shares to trade on the exchange, which consolidation can help a company reach. Shares outstanding does not include shares held by the business, also called treasury stock. If the company later decides to sell the shares, the number of shares outstanding increases.

Shares Outstanding vs. Floating Shares

This includes the different classes of shares that exist as well as the number of shares it can make available. A publicly-traded company can directly influence how many shares it has outstanding. However, due to the fluctuations in share counts between reporting periods, the figure is typically expressed as a weighted average. The number of shares outstanding of a company can be found in its quarterly or annual filings (10-Qs or 10-Ks). Floating stock, which is also known as a company’s float, refers to the number of shares a company actually has available to trade in the open market.

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Issued shares include the stock a company sells publicly to generate capital and the stock given to insiders as part of their compensation packages. Outstanding shares are the total number of shares of a public company that are traded on the secondary market. This includes shares held by institutional investors (mutual funds, commercial banks, hedge funds, etc.), as well as any restricted shares that are issued to a company’s executives and public insiders. A company’s outstanding shares decrease when there is a reverse stock split. A company generally embarks on a reverse split or share consolidation to bring its share price into the minimum range necessary to satisfy exchange listing requirements. While the lower number of outstanding shares often hampers liquidity, it could also deter short sellers since it becomes more difficult to borrow shares for short sales.

Outstanding Shares vs. Treasury Shares

Smaller companies that do not plan to expand or that have a set number of shareholders are limited to the number of authorized shares that they designate. For a company that does not have an authorized shares restriction, the articles of incorporation may authorize one share or millions of shares. Large lot trades by investors of closely held shares could significantly affect the stock’s price and the stock’s volatility. Heavy trading by closely held shareholders could also affect the stock’s weighting impact in free float capitalization indexes. The number of outstanding shares is calculated by subtracting treasury stock from the shares issued.

Over 1.8 million professionals use CFI to learn accounting, financial analysis, modeling and more. Start with a free account to explore 20+ always-free courses and hundreds of finance templates and cheat sheets. The larger stock market is made up of multiple sectors you may want to invest in. These statements are available on companies’ investor relations pages or the SEC website.

The information is also available on stock data websites like Stock Analysis. Explore the world of blue-chip stocks, known for their stability, reliable dividends, and lower volatility. Learn about their characteristics, advantages, and how to invest in these well-established, industry-leading companies. A buyback announcement usually gives stocks a boost because traders tend to view buybacks as bullish catalysts. Companies usually do this because they’re struggling and want to prevent delisting. This tells you how much of that stock was issued but not how much there currently is.

Shares outstanding are the stock that is held by a company’s shareholders on the open market. Along with individual shareholders, this includes restricted shares that are held by a company’s officers and institutional investors. Of course, merely increasing the number of outstanding shares is no guarantee of success; the company has to deliver consistent earnings growth as well. The total number of shares that can be issued is set when the corporation is formed.

Like a company’s outstanding shares, a company’s float also changes on a consistent basis. A reverse stock split exchanges existing shares for a proportionately smaller number of new shares. Companies may do this to increase their share price, such as if they need to satisfy exchange listing requirements or want to deter short sellers.

Note that as the number of outstanding stock decreases by 1,000, the company’s EPS increases by 6.54%. StocksToTrade in no way warrants the solvency, financial condition, or investment advisability ofany of the securities mentioned in communications or websites. In addition,StocksToTrade accepts no liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from any useof this information.