common stock

American  

noun

1. stock that ordinarily has no preference in the matter of dividends or assets and represents the residual ownership of a corporate business.

2. Animal Husbandry. stock that is not purebred.

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common stock British  

noun

1. the US name for ordinary shares

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Etymology

Origin of common stock

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

Globalstar stockholders will choose to receive either $90 a share in cash or 0.3210 of a share of Amazon common stock per Globalstar share with a value capped at $90 a share.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Leggett & Platt shareholders will receive 0.1455 share of Somnigroup common stock per share, owning about 9% of the combined company.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

The big blow came last September, when the company said the debt restructuring included the issuance of up to 326.2 million shares, as well as new notes that could be converted into common stock.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 12, 2026

So far this year, he’s converted a total of 1.65 million shares into common stock at a weighted average price of $9.63, and sold 1.65 million shares at a weighted-average price of $92.07.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

For interesting lists of money and goods put into common stock by Busch see also pp.

From Medieval English Nunneries c. 1275 to 1535 by Power, Eileen

Related Words

• common shares
• ordinary shares