Business Stocks : Business 101

What Are Business Stocks?

In simple terms, business stocks can be defined as shares in the control of a business. It is representative of one’s claim to the earnings and assets of a given company. As one gains more stock, their ownership stake in the company goes up. The stock may broadly be used as a term to describe equity and shares.

What Entities Issue Stocks?

When we say someone holds a corporation’s stock, this translates to them being among a list of owners, known as the shareholders, of business. With this, the stockholder has a claim, though sometimes quite small, on all the firm owns. Yes, this should be taken to mean you, the stockholder, have a say in the contracts and trademarks. Owners are entitled to their share of the firm’s profits as well as rights to vote, which are linked to the stock they hold.

Most people ask why a business would share its profits with all the stockholders when they could keep it all to themselves. The answer is that this will play a huge role when they need to raise funds. Companies may opt to ask for the money from another person or raise it on its own by letting go of a part of the business.

This is referred to as issuing stock or equity financing. On the other hand, a business may choose to instead file for a loan from a financial institution or issue bonds. Whichever option a company chooses to go with, they all fall under the debt-financing umbrella. Equity financing has its advantages, which include the company not having to pay back the funds or accrued interest fees.

What Types of Stock Can Be Issued?

There are common business stocks and preferred business stocks. The only thing the stockholders get for their investment is the belief that the stocks will at some point be worth more than what they paid initially. The first sale of a stock issued by a private company is referred to as the IPO – initial public offering. It is significant to understand the difference between a business financing via equity and debt. Buying a debt investment, for example, a bond ensures one is guaranteed of their money (the principal) back, which is usually attached to interest payment. This isn’t the position in the case of an equity financing.

How Many Stock Shares Should Be Issued When A Company Is Formed?

Becoming an owner gives one power to assume risks of the business recording losses. Just as is the case in a small enterprise, where the owner is not sure of making a profit, so is the case for the stockholder. For the proprietor, the claim on the assets is smaller than the financiers’, which means if a business goes broke and liquidates, stockholders don’t get any pay until the bank or bondholder has been paid. This is a case of absolute priority. Stockholders make a lot if a business is making profits, but they can also lose the stake if the company makes losses. Some of these decisions may have been made from a single look at the business and a quick guess on the direction it may take.

What Is Par Value?

Share Par value is the quantity declared in the corporate contract. Face value, par value or nominal value is essential since it defines its maturity value and the dollar value for coupon fees, which is typically $1,000 or $100. In many cases, shares have little or no par value, sometimes one cent for every share. The exchange price for a bond may be over or below par, which depends on interest rates and the credit status of the bond.

What Happens When Additional Stock Is Issued?

With equity, par value has limited connection to the share exchange price. Why do bonds trade below or above nominal value? This is determined by the economy’s interest rate viewed in comparison to the bond coupon rates. If a business is looking to raise more resources by giving stock, the exchange price will influence an upper bound on the amount the business expects to acquire per share.

Should A Stock Have No Par Value And If It Has A Par Value, What Should It Be?

While approaching potential customers, a company cannot set the prices higher than what is listed on the market. Otherwise, buyers would opt to buy the stock on the open market, and not take part in the offering. Businesses have formed a way to entice buyers to take part in secondary offerings, where they sell shares at a discount.

Startups

In my experience, most startups issue 1,000 or 1,000,000 business stocks with no par value.

If you want to form a corporation in Texas, you’ll want to hire a lawyer.  If you need registered agent service for your corporation, we can help.