Shares outstanding & float
Shares outstanding is the total number of a company’s shares in existence; the float is the portion actually available for the public to trade.
Shares outstanding is the total count of a company’s shares held by everyone — institutions, insiders, and the public. Multiplying it by the share price gives market capitalization. The float is the subset of those shares available for public trading, excluding shares locked up by insiders, founders, or the company itself.
The distinction matters for liquidity and volatility. A company with a large share count but a small float can trade in a jumpy, thin market, because relatively few shares change hands. Buybacks reduce shares outstanding (and can lift earnings per share); new share issuance increases it and dilutes existing holders.
stocks-llm computes market cap from shares outstanding and the delayed daily-close price. It does not present a separate free-float figure, so treat float as background context rather than a stored metric.
See more terms in the stocks-llm glossary.
Informational only — NOT financial advice. This is an educational definition, not a recommendation to buy or sell anything. Metrics on stocks-llm are delayed data and may be missing or stale. Always verify information independently and consult a qualified financial professional before making any investment decision.