Understanding Diluted Shares Outstanding and Their Impact on Earnings Per Share
A company can post good profits, but the investors want to find out how much of the company's profit goes to each investor. This is one of the reasons why earnings per share (EPS) is a key financial indicator to closely watch. But the number of shares a company has at the moment, doesn't necessarily mean it will have in the future. Others can provide stock options, convertible bonds or any other security that can result in more shares being issued. If these potential shares are taken into account, then the earnings per share will be reduced. This is where the diluted shares outstanding and diluted EPS come into play since they give a more conservative estimate of the earnings of the shareholders. Diluted Shares Outstanding Diluted shares outstanding are the number of shares which would be outstanding in the event that all convertible securities were exercised and converted into ordinary shares. These potential shares could be through employee stock options, convertible prefe...