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What a share of stock is

Part-ownership of a company, priced by trades between people

Ownership

A share is a small slice of ownership in a company. If a company has 1 billion shares outstanding and you hold 100, you own 0.00001% of it, with the same rights per share as every other holder of that share class.

Where the price comes from

The price on a stock page is the last price at which one person traded with another on an exchange. The company doesn't set it. It moves as people revise what they think the business is worth and as orders arrive.

Market value

Multiply the share price by the number of shares outstanding and you get market capitalization, the market's total price tag for the company. A $10 share isn't 'cheaper' than a $500 share; the share count matters as much as the price.

What can happen to a holding

A share can rise, fall, pay dividends or pay nothing. If a company fails, shareholders are paid last, after lenders, and can lose everything they put in.

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Independent research · Not investment advice · Hypothetical unless marked Live · Data: Yahoo Finance (15-min delayed), SEC EDGAR, House Clerk · Important disclosures · Contact desk@coteau.app

Beta 0.9 · Oct 21, 2026