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What Is a Share of a Stock?

By Matthew Frankel, CFPUpdated Apr 17, 2025 at 12:34 AM EST

Key Points

  • Owning a share means holding an ownership unit in a company, impacting dividends and voting rights.
  • Investors can access shares of public companies via the stock market or participate in private IPOs.
  • Common stock grants equity with potential voting rights; preferred stock offers fixed dividends without them.

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What is a Share of Stock? Definition, Types, Fractional Shares | The Motley Fool