Issued share capital / shares on issue

The total number of a company's shares in existence, the denominator of every percentage on this site.

UK and EU disclosures are expressed as a percentage of issued share capital, Australian ones as a percentage of the product on issue, and our US figures as a percentage of shares outstanding from each company's SEC filings. All three describe the whole company rather than the tradable float, which keeps the markets comparable with one another.

Related terms

Shares outstanding vs free float: Shares outstanding is every share in existence; the float excludes shares held by insiders and long-term holders. Percentages differ depending on which is used.

Educational only; nothing here is investment advice. Every term: glossary.