Equity in Accounting

• What is equity?
• How shareholder equity works
• Components of shareholder equity
• Formula and calculation for shareholder equity
• Example of shareholder equity
• Equity vs. return on equity
• What is equity in finance?
• How is equity used by investors?

When shareholders have a stake in a company, they hold equity. Equity refers to the amount of value that is returnable to the shareholders if the company was liquidated (after paying debts). The value of equity indicates the ownership value that the shareholders retain after adjusting for the debts owed by the company. It is usually indicated on the balance sheet of the company. Investors and financial institutions pay close attention to the company's equity value to determine the actual value of the company as opposed to the money they are investing. Understanding what is equity in accounting is essential to assess a company’s financials completely.

What is equity?

Equity or shareholder's equity is the value of the shareholder's ownership of the company after subtracting the debts. In a privately owned company, equity can also be called owner’s equity. It is the value that would be paid to the shareholders after paying off liabilities in the case of the company’s liquidation. If the company were to be sold, equity would be the company's value after subtracting the liabilities that are not transferred to the buyer with the sale. One can also define equity as the company’s book value. This can be calculated as the difference in the values of the assets and liabilities on the balance sheet. The value of equity also changes based on the company's share price, which is referred to as the stockholder's or shareholder’s equity.

How shareholder equity works

Shareholder equity indicates the value of the money that is owed to the shareholders in case the company is liquidated. But it is a useful metric to study the health of a company. Since it provides the difference between the assets and liabilities of the company, it helps investors understand the status of the company’s ratio between assets and liabilities. Companies can raise capital through equity by issuing bonds or selling equity. Investors prefer equity investments as a chance to back a promising company and generate profits from their investments.

Equity is also vital because it tells you the value of the investment made in a company. By owning stocks, shareholders can gain through dividends and capital gains. Certain equity also gives the shareholder the right to vote on important decisions. If the value of equity is positive, the company has enough money to settle its liabilities. If it is low, it indicates that the company could be in trouble. A prolonged negative equity value indicates that the company could be headed toward insolvency. Though this is not the only indicator of a company’s health, investors study the equity value and other indicators to assess the risk of investments.

Components of shareholder equity

By comparing concrete numbers reflecting everything the company owns and everything it owes, the "assets-minus-liabilities" shareholder equity equation paints a clear picture of a company's finances, easily interpreted by investors and analysts. Equity is used as capital raised by a company, which is then used to purchase assets, invest in projects, and fund operations. A firm typically can raise capital by issuing debt (as a loan or via bonds) or equity (by selling stock). Investors usually seek out equity investments as it provides a greater opportunity to share in the profits and growth of a firm.

Equity is significant because it represents the value of an investor's stake in a company, represented by the proportion of its shares. Owning stock in a company gives shareholders the potential for capital gains and dividends. Owning equity will also give shareholders the right to vote on corporate actions and elections for the board of directors. These equity ownership benefits promote shareholders' ongoing interest in the company.

Shareholder equity can be either negative or positive. If positive, the company has enough assets to cover its liabilities. If negative, the company's liabilities exceed its assets; if prolonged, this is considered balance sheet insolvency. Typically, investors view companies with negative shareholder equity as risky or unsafe investments. Shareholder equity alone is not a definitive indicator of a company's financial health; used in conjunction with other tools and metrics, the investor can accurately analyze the health of an organization.

Formula and calculation for shareholder equity

To define what is equity in accounting, we should be aware that there are two main types of equity, as follows:

Book value: The book value of equity is calculated from the financial statements of the company. The company's balance sheet lists the company’s total assets and liabilities. The equity can be calculated using this formula:

Shareholder’s Equity = Total assets – Total liabilities

We take assets as the sum of both the non-current and current assets for this calculation. This includes all the company's assets such as cash, inventory, the premises, land, plant, equipment, accounts receivable, intangible assets, etc.

The current and non-current liabilities are also added and used in the equation as total liabilities. This would include credit, deferred revenue, accounts payable, leases, short-term debt, long-term debt, etc.

Market value: The market value of equity could be different from the book value, and this is because the value of the shares determines the market value of the company. For a private company, professionals such as accountants, valuation firms, or investment bankers should determine the market value. If the company’s shares are publicly traded the formula for determining the market value is:

Market value= Share price x Shares outstanding

This formula determines the actual market value of the equity as the value of the shares that are outstanding. Since that value is constantly changing based on the market trends, the market value of equity can be different from the book value of equity. Equity is this value after subtracting the value of the outstanding values. It is also called market capitalization.

The factors that affect the market value of equity include:

Market contenders: Changes in the number of analysts, investors, and traders affect the value of the shares.

Information and news: Any information about the company can directly affect its market value. Positive news, such as company expansion or a promising new product, can increase the value, and negative news reports, on the other hand, can severely impact the value.

Market factors: the general market trends affect the value of shares, and a recession market implies that the value of the entire market goes down.

Government policies: The policies or changes in the local government's policy can affect the company's market value.

Example of shareholder equity

We can take the example of a company with the total assets valued at $300,000 and liabilities at $160,000.

Total assets = $300,000

Total liabilities = $160,000

Shareholder’s equity = Total assets – Total liabilities

Shareholder’s equity = $300,000 - $160,000 = $140,000

Equity vs. return on equity

Equity is the shareholder’s or owner's value in the business as explained above. It amounts to the value of the company’s assets minus the value of its liabilities. In a publicly-traded company, the value of the outstanding shares is calculated based on the market value of the shares.

ROE or Return On Equity tells you how much the income is for the invested equity. It is calculated as follows:

ROE= Net Income / Shareholder Equity

So, ROE could also be described as the effective use of assets to generate profits by the company's management, i.e., return on assets. ROE tells you how much profit the company generates from the shareholder’s equity. This is why most investors should be aware of what is equity in accounting and be able to calculate how much potential any investment in that company offers.

What is equity in finance?

In finance, the meaning of the word equity can be interpreted based on its context. Shareholder’s equity is the difference between the company’s assets and liabilities. It is theoretically the money that the shareholders would receive after liquidating the company and paying off its liabilities. Since the company's liquidation is at most times merely a hypothetical conjecture, shareholders’ equity is, therefore, essentially the net worth of a company. If the company were to liquidate, shareholders’ equity is the amount of money that its shareholders would theoretically receive.

How is equity used by investors?

There are many ways in which potential investors assess a company and decide on whether they are willing to invest in it. The shareholder's equity is one of the key numbers studied to determine if the asking price for the purchase of the shares or the company itself is too high. It tells the investor the company's actual worth as per its book value or share value as opposed to the price based on its desirability. However, some investors try to buy a promising company when its value is low to make a profit when the equity value improves.

Read More:

• How do you Choose the Right Type of Accounting Software for your Businesses in Kenya?
• The Importance of Making Budgets & Managing your Expenses