Stocks and ETFs
Shares Outstanding
The total number of a company’s shares that currently exist and are held by investors.
Also called: outstanding shares
What it means
Shares outstanding refers to all shares of a company that have been issued and are currently held by investors, including institutions, insiders, and the public. This figure is used in several important calculations such as market capitalization and earnings per share.
Why it matters
It helps users understand ownership size, dilution, and how company metrics are calculated.