However, there are cases where high-growth companies may constantly have a higher market value per share compared to the book value per share. The market value accounts for future growth prospects, and if the market anticipates high future earnings, the share price can be higher. A high book value per share often indicates that a company has more tangible assets relative to its outstanding shares. This could suggest the company has robust financial health because it owns valuable assets such as property, equipment, or other resources.

Using Book Value Per Share to Assess Company Value

• It helps illustrate how book value represents a snapshot in time, not allowing for future growth or profitability.
• There is a difference between outstanding and issued shares, but some companies might refer to outstanding common shares as issued shares in their reports.
• To use the formula, first find the total book value and the number of outstanding shares.
• Of course, we use book value per share to help us determine the value of those assets relative to the number of outstanding shares.
• In such cases, other valuation techniques such as discounted cash flow or multiples of earnings may serve as a better indicator of value.
• This infrequency means that BVPS may not always reflect the most up-to-date value of a company’s assets and liabilities.

Some investors may use the book value per share to estimate a company’s equity-based on its market value, which is the price of its shares. If a business is presently trading at $20 but has a book value of $10, it is being sold for double its equity. Of course, we use book value per share to help us determine the value of those assets how to compute overhead variances relative to the number of outstanding shares. The value relates to the net asset value if you remember from the post on return on assets. Graham created a straightforward, yet comprehensive, stock selection model so that investors could determine a business’s underlying worth and choose undervalued stocks with room to expand.

BVPS: How Valuable is it to Know the True Value of a Stock?

If a firm consistently increases its book value per share, it might signify prudent management and a financially healthy company. On the contrary, a decreasing book value per share might indicate poor investment decisions or difficulties in maintaining the profitability of the company. Companies with a low book value could be undervalued, making them potentially attractive for investors seeking profitable investments. These companies might be in a growth phase, reinvesting profits into expansion rather than accumulating assets. If a company acquires substantial new assets using its profits, the book value will potentially rise, assuming no change in the number of outstanding shares.

Methods to Increase the Book Value Per Share

The ratio may not serve as a valid valuation basis when comparing companies from different sectors and industries because companies in other industries may record their assets differently. If the market price for a share is higher than the BVPS, then the stock may be seen as overvalued. There is also a book value used by accountants to value the assets owned by a company. This differs from the book value for investors because it is only used internally for managerial accounting purposes.

In addition to stock repurchases, a business may raise BVPS by increasing the asset balance and decreasing liabilities. The denominator is book value per share, and the example is known as the price to book value (P/B). The market price, as opposed to book value, indicates the company’s future growth potential. When computing ROE on a per-share basis, book value per share is also utilized in the calculation.

If a company’s book value per share exceeds its current stock price, the stock is considered undervalued. The stock price will also rise in the market if a company’s share price goes below its book value per share, giving rise to an opportunity for making risk-free profits. But if the stock holds negative book value, then it represents a company’s liabilities are more than its assets, resulting in balance sheet insolvency. It may not include intangible assets such as patents, intellectual property, brand value, and goodwill. It also may not fully account for workers’ skills, human capital, and future profits and growth. The book value per share (BVPS) ratio compares the equity held by common stockholders to the total number of outstanding shares.

Another way to increase BVPS is for a company to repurchase common stock from shareholders. Assume XYZ repurchases 200,000 shares of stock, and 800,000 shares remain outstanding. Specifically, it doesn’t factor in intangible assets such as a company’s brand value or intellectual property. These elements can far exceed the value of tangible assets, particularly in tech or creative industries. In such cases, other valuation techniques such as discounted cash flow or multiples of earnings may serve as a better indicator of value. However, in combination with these other methods, the book value per share is still a powerful tool, playing a vital role in the evaluation of potential M&A deals.

Anyone familiar with Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger will recognize the name and the assets within the conglomerate, i.e., Berkshire Energy, BNSF, GEICO, and many more. Only 18 companies can qualify for Dividend King status, so they are special indeed. And chances are you have never heard of them, and they are certainly not in a sexy business.

The book value per share (BVPS) ratio compares stockholders’ equity to the total number of outstanding shares. In other words, this calculates a company’s per-share total assets less total liabilities. Book value per share is a financial metric that represents a company’s total tangible assets minus total liabilities, divided by the number of shares outstanding.