When a Company Calculates Its Earnings Per Common Share for Its

question 300

Short Answer

When a company calculates its earnings per common share for its financial statements, it uses the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the year. Suppose Enertec Corp. began its fiscal year (January 1 to December 31) with 5 million shares outstanding. On March 1, it sold a new public offering of 1 million shares. On June 1, employees and officers exercised stock options resulting in the issue of 500,000 common shares. On November 1, another 750,000 shares were issued when holders of convertible bonds chose to exercise the conversion privilege. What was the average number of common shares outstanding during the year? (Assume that each month has the same length.)

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Definitions:

Dividends Paid

The actual cash distributed to shareholders out of the corporation’s earnings in a particular period.

Stockholder Investments

Funds provided by investors to a corporation in exchange for ownership stakes, typically in the form of shares of equity.

Total Assets

The sum of all assets owned by a company, including both current and non-current assets, reflected on a company's balance sheet.

Revenues

The total income generated by a company from its normal business activities, typically from the sale of goods and services to customers.