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common stock

common stock

8 4.0
Shares that give part ownership of a company and usually voting rights
  • noun
  • /ˈkɑːmən stɑːk/
  • US
translation icon : acciones ordinarias
  • Now there are a couple of key characteristics of common stock that are distinct from bonds.
  • common stock returns

So if you're Bill Gates and you own common stock and Microsoft, you know you're like the richest guy in the world.

Examples

  • Many retirees receive dividends from their investments in common stock held in pension funds.

  • BRIAN: Brown, Thomas is proud to announce the public offering of 27 million shares of class A common stock and the initial listing of Washoe Mining on the New York Stock Exchange!

  • If you own a share of common stock, then you are a partial owner of the company.

    Blog text (18)
  • Some companies have different "classes" of common stock that vary based on how many votes are attached to them.

    Blog text (18)
  • Investors can purchase common stocks or other financial assets at very low transaction costs, so this assumption is reasonable.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Investing in our Class A common stock is highly speculative and involves risk.

  • The company expects its common stock to begin trading at the split-adjusted price on Dec. 26.

    Blog text (1)
  • In April 2008, it issued Class A common stock on NASDAQ and continued to grow through mergers and acquisitions and to expand internationally.

    Academic text (2016)
  • According to Yahoo Finance, Jim Walton owns 10,496,480 shares of Walmart common stock.

    Blog text (2)
  • After researching the company's performance, he decided to buy common stock to become a partial owner.

Synonyms

stock
vscommon stock
3.5

A part of a company that people buy and sell

is the specific type that includes voting and profit claims
share
vscommon stock
  • Specialized
416 3.7

One equal part of a company that you can buy

is the broader category focusing on corporate ownership with rights
common shares
vscommon stock
  • Canadian
3 3.8

A part of a company you can buy that gives part of the profit and the right to vote

is the collective term used instead of naming individual units
voting stock
vscommon stock
  • Specialized
1 6.4

Shares that give the owner the right to vote on company decisions

also grants profit rights in addition to voting power
ordinary shares
vscommon stock
  • UK
5.2

A form of stock giving part of profits and voting rights but no priority for dividends or assets

is the standard ownership term contrasted with forms having preference rights

How Senior

preferred stock
  • Specialized
4 5.5
common stock
  • US
8 4.0

Surface Forms

common stock singular
common stocks plural

Morphology

common + stock

The meaning 'shares representing ordinary/typical ownership' is directly derivable from combining 'stock' (a share in a corporation) with 'common' (ordinary/shared); the modifier simply specifies the usual type of stock. This compositional pattern is standard and cross-linguistically similar, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would reliably infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Common stock comes from old business talk where stock meant a company's store of value and common meant owned by ordinary people, not special owners. So owning common stock means 'ownership' of part of the company, with a 'share of profits' and often a 'right to vote'.