What is stockholders' equity? Definition of Stockholders’ Equity Stockholders’ equity (also known as shareholders’ equity) is reported on a corporation’s balance sheet and its amount is the difference between the...
What is stockholders' equity? Definition of Stockholders’ Equity Stockholders’ equity (also known as shareholders’ equity) is reported on a corporation’s balance sheet and its amount is the difference between the...
What is preferred stock? Definition of Preferred Stock Preferred stock is a type of capital stock issued by some corporations in addition to its common stock. Preferred stock is also known as preference stock. The word...
Our Explanation of the Balance Sheet provides you with a basic understanding of a corporation's balance sheet (or statement of financial position). You will gain insights regarding the assets, liabilities, and...
Our Explanation of Financial Statements provides you with the highlights of each of the five external financial statements issued by U.S. corporations. Our insights will give you a good understanding of what the...
What is a stockholder? Definition of Stockholder A stockholder (also known as a shareholder) is the owner of one or more shares of a corporation’s capital stock. A stockholder is considered to be separate from the...
A stock split, such as a 2-for-1, means that every stockholder will have twice as many shares as was held previously. Accordingly, the market price per share after the split should be one-half of the market price...
The stockholders’ equity account which reports the par value of the preferred shares of stock that have been issued. Amounts received that are greater than the par value are recorded in Paid-in Capital in Excess of...
Is contributed capital a noncurrent asset or a current asset, and is it a debit or credit? Definition of Contributed Capital Contributed capital is one of the major components of a corporation’s stockholders’ equity....
How do I write off old outstanding checks? Definition of an Old Outstanding Check We will assume that an outstanding check has appeared on the outstanding check list that is part of the company’s bank reconciliation...
Where is treasury stock reported on the balance sheet? Under the cost method of recording treasury stock, the cost of treasury stock is reported at the end of the Stockholders’ Equity section of the balance sheet....
Our Explanation of Working Capital and Liquidity provides you with an in-depth look at the components of working capital and the challenges of converting current assets to cash before obligations come due. You will see...
What is the accounts receivable collection period? Definition of Accounts Receivable Collection Period The accounts receivable collection period is similar to the days sales outstanding or the days sales in accounts...
The paid-in (or contributed) capital account that is credited $100 for each share of $100 par preferred stock that is issued. If the proceeds from the issuance or sale of one of the shares is greater than $100, the...
What is the average collection period? Definition of Average Collection Period The average collection period is the average number of days between 1) the dates that credit sales were made, and 2) the dates that the money...
What is the days' sales in accounts receivable ratio? Definition of Days’ Sales in Accounts Receivable The days’ sales in accounts receivable ratio (also known as the average collection period) tells you the number...
The type of stock that is present at every corporation. (Some corporations have preferred stock in addition to their common stock.) Shares of common stock provide evidence of ownership in a corporation. Holders of common...
Also referred to as a shareholder. The owner of shares of stock in a corporation. Every corporation has common stock and those owners are known as common stockholders. Some corporations also issued preferred stock and...
How do you calculate staff turnover? To calculate staff turnover, I would use the W-2 wage statements for the most recent year. My first step would be to sort the W-2’s into meaningful groups such as full-time...
A corporation’s net income after income taxes minus the dividends pertinent to the preferred shares of stock (if any).
The day after the record date for a cash dividend on shares of stock. Theoretically, the market price of the stock should drop on this day by the amount of the dividend.
Our Explanation of Stockholders' Equity covers the unique terminology for a corporation's paid-in capital, retained earnings, treasury stock, and accumulated other comprehensive income. Included are cash dividends, stock...
Why is inventory turnover important? Definition of Inventory Turnover A company’s inventory turnover is often expressed as the company’s cost of goods sold for a year divided by the average cost of inventory during...
What is the advantage of issuing bonds instead of stock? Definition of Bonds Bonds payable are a form of long-term debt, which include a formal agreement to pay interest semiannually and the principal amount at maturity....
Do corporations issue both common stock and preferred stock? Some corporations issue both common stock and preferred stock. However, most corporations issue only common stock. In other words, it is necessary that a...
What are marketable securities? Marketable securities are unrestricted financial instruments which can be readily sold on a stock exchange or bond exchange. Marketable securities are often classified into two groups:...
What are the disclosures for a manufacturer's inventory? A manufacturer should disclose the following categories of inventory: raw materials, work-in-process, finished goods, manufacturing supplies, and packaging...
Where is a manufacturer's inventory reported in the balance sheet? A manufacturer’s inventory will be reported in the current assets section of the balance sheet and in the notes to the financial statements. In the...
What is a capital account? Definition of Capital Account In accounting and bookkeeping, a capital account is a general ledger account that is part of the balance sheet classification: Owner’s equity (in a sole...
What is callable stock? Callable stock is an ownership interest (shares) in a corporation that can be “called in” by the corporation at a specified price. For example, a corporation might issue 9% $100 Preferred...
What is the price earnings ratio? The price earnings ratio, or P/E ratio, is the market price per share of common stock divided by the earnings per share of common stock. A corporation with a high price earnings ratio is...
What is a limitation of the inventory turnover ratio? Definition of Inventory Turnover Ratio The inventory turnover ratio is often calculated by dividing a company’s cost of goods sold for a recent year by the average...
What is the days' sales in inventory ratio? Definition of Days’ Sales in Inventory The financial ratio days’ sales in inventory tells you the number of days it took a company to sell its inventory during a recent...
What is the meaning of arrears? In accounting we use the word arrears in at least two ways. One use involves the omitted dividends on cumulative preferred stock. For example, if a corporation has cumulative preferred...
Financial Statements(Quick Test #4 with Coaching) Download PDF This Quick Test with Coaching includes a “View Coaching” button to the right of each answer box. If you choose to click the button, an explanation for...
A legal entity organized under state laws that is considered separate from its owners. Ownership is evidenced by shares of stock.
The amount paid or contributed by stockholders in exchange for shares of a corporation’s stock.
What is the reorder point? Definition of Reorder Point The reorder point is the quantity of units in inventory at which time an order should be placed to purchase additional units. The reorder point is calculated by...
What is simple linear regression analysis? What is Simple Linear Regression Analysis Simple linear regression analysis is a statistical tool for quantifying the relationship between one independent variable (hence...
Our Explanation of Stockholders' Equity covers the unique terminology for a corporation's paid-in capital, retained earnings, treasury stock, and accumulated other comprehensive income. Included are cash dividends, stock...
Featured Review
"I'm setting up a small business and needed to refresh my accounting skills. The lifetime PRO Plus membership is one of the smartest purchases I've ever made. For such a low price, my work here has already yielded significant professional advancement accompanied by a higher salary. The extraordinarily clear and engaging explanations make self-study possible for anyone with an interest in accounting. I simply can't recommend it enough." - Pattie W.
Join PRO or PRO Plus and Get Lifetime Access to Our Premium Materials
Read all 2,645 reviewsWe now offer 10 Certificates of Achievement for Introductory Accounting and Bookkeeping: