Outstanding Shares

Outstanding Shares are the shares of a company that have been issued and are currently held by shareholders (excluding any shares repurchased and held as treasury, if applicable). In cap table and valuation work, Outstanding Shares are used to compute market capitalization and ownership percentages, and Outstanding Shares differ from authorized shares and fully diluted shares.

author avatar
Ryan Roberts Startup Lawyer
Ryan Roberts is a startup lawyer with more than two decades of experience advising on venture financings and M&A transactions totaling more than $1 billion. He is the author of the Amazon bestselling startup law book Acceleration.