book value

American  

noun

1. the value of a business, property, etc., as stated in a book of accounts (distinguished from market value).

2. total assets minus all liabilities; net worth.

---

book value British  

noun

1. the value of an asset of a business according to its books

2. 1. the net capital value of an enterprise as shown by the excess of book assets over book liabilities

   2. the value of a share computed by dividing the net capital value of an enterprise by its issued shares Compare par value market value

---

Etymology

Origin of book value

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Bloomstran sees Berkshire stock as capable of generating around 10% annual returns over the next decade, driven by growth in book value.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

JPMorgan shares are valued at 2.8 times tangible book value and 14 times projected 2026 earnings, a premium to rivals.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

Value stocks, or shares trading at low multiples of their book value, have quietly marched toward a banner year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

The 591 million-euro price implies a valuation above book value while Banca Transilvania and Intesa Sanpaolo bought OTP Romania and First Bank respectively below book, the analysts write.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

When two partners divide up the profits of a business between them they assign a notional book value to the stock in hand.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton