Related Words

Shares Issued (Shares Outstanding): The number of shares a company has issued to shareholders.

Preference Shares: This is a type of share issued by a limited company. It carries a medium risk but has the advantage over ordinary shares in that preference shareholders get the first slice of the dividend ' . . . View Full Definition

Performance Shares: Shares of stock given to managers on the basis of performance as measured by earnings per share and similar criteria. A control device shareholders sometimes use to tie management to the sel . . . View Full Definition

Paired Shares: Stock of two companies under the same management that are sold as one unit with one certificate.

Outstanding Shares: The shares of stock that a corporation has issued and not reacquired are described as its outstanding shares. Some but not all of these shares are available for trading in the marketplace. A . . . View Full Definition

Preferred Shares: Preferred shares give investors a fixed dividend from the company's earnings and entitle them to be paid before common shareholders. See: Preferred stock.

Shares Authorized: The maximum number of shares of stock of a company allowed in the articles of incorporation, which may be changed only by a shareholder vote. See: Issued and outstanding.

When Issued (WI): Refers to a transaction made conditionally, because a security, although authorized, has not yet been issued. Treasury securities, new issues of stocks and bonds, stocks that have split, and . . . View Full Definition

Unissued Stock: Also called unsystematic risk or idiosyncratic risk. Specific company risk that can be eliminated through diversification. See: Diversifiable risk and unsystematic risk.

Total Common Shares: The total long-term debt and all types of equity of a company that constitutes its capital structure.