capital stock

American  

noun

1. the total stock authorized or issued by a corporation.

2. the book value of the outstanding shares of a corporation, including retained earnings and amounts paid in by stockholders.

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capital stock British  

noun

1. the par value of the total share capital that a company is authorized to issue

2. the total physical capital existing in an economy at any moment of time

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Etymology

Origin of capital stock

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

But displacing truck drivers requires replacing an enormous physical capital stock: the trucks themselves.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

A larger capital stock will support productivity gains and boost wages and employment over time.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

“This shift, coupled with reduced short-term investment due to increased economic uncertainty, leads to a decline in the capital stock of 0.6% in 2030 and nearly 10% in 2054,” Wharton’s team noted.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

One reason is what he called "capital stock turnover."

From Scientific American • Mar. 21, 2023

In 1697, the bank was allowed to enlarge its capital stock, by an ingraftment of L.1,001,171 : 10s.

From An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Garnier, Germain