Stocks

Float

Shares available for public trading, excluding certain closely held or restricted shares.

Plain-English context

Put the definition to work.

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE

A company can have 100 million shares outstanding while only 70 million are considered freely tradable under a stated float methodology.

IMPORTANT DISTINCTION

Float methodologies differ and need not equal all shares outstanding or the weighted share count used in EPS.

Further reading and verification. Examples are hypothetical, not current quotes or recommendations. Product terms, tax treatment and market rules can change. Investor.gov — investing glossary

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