Book value per share

What would be left for owners if a company sold everything at the values on its books and paid every debt, divided by its shares.

Book values are what the company paid for things, not what they would sell for, so a real sale could fetch more or less. Companies whose value is in brands or software often trade far above book value; some companies have negative book value after years of buying back shares.

Examples from real companies

More investing words

For education only, not investment advice.