common stock business definition

A class of capital stock that has no preference to dividends or any distribution of assets. Common stock usually conveys voting rights and is often termed capital stock if it is the only class of stock that a firm has outstanding (that is, the firm has neither preferred stock nor multiple classes of common stock). Common stockholders are the residual owners of a corporation in that they have a claim to what remains after every other party has been paid. The value of their claim depends on the success of the firm. See also callable common stock, common stock equivalent, puttable common stock.