Understanding shareholder equity

Equity has different meanings depending on the context. Shareholder's equity is the most common type of equity - it represents the amount of money that a company's shareholders will get if all of the assets were liquidated and all the debt was paid off.

Equity can be found...

An equity market is a market in which shares of companies are issued and traded, either through exchanges or over-the-counter markets. Also known as the stock market, it is one of the most vital areas of a market economy. It gives companies access to capital to grow their business, and investors ...

A single share of a company represents a small, but real, ownership stake in a corporation.

One stock's percentage of ownership is determined by dividing it by the total number of shares outstanding.

Stock ownership generally entitles the owner to corporate voting rights and to any di...