Definition

Shares authorized, issued and outstanding

The term “authorized, issued and outstanding” refers to shares in a company that have been sold publicly.

  • They are “authorized” because they fall within the maximum number of shares a company can sell according to its corporate charter.
  • They are “issued” because they have been sold.
  • They are “outstanding” because they have been sold to the public (not to the owners or managers of the company).

Related definitions

Didn’t find what you were looking for? Back to glossary