Issuing Stock Journal Entry
Company stock, also known as equity, is a security that represents ownership in a company. When you buy company stock, you are essentially buying a piece of the company. This means that you have a claim on the company’s assets and earnings.
There are two main types of company stock: common stock and preferred stock. Common stock is the most basic type of stock. It gives you voting rights at the company’s shareholder meetings and the right to receive dividends, if any, that the company pays out. Preferred stock, on the other hand, does not give you voting rights, but it typically has a higher dividend yield than common stock.
There are a few reasons why companies issue stock. One reason is to raise capital. When a company issues stock, it is selling a piece of itself to investors in exchange for money. This money can be used to fund the company’s growth or to pay for new projects. Another reason why companies issue stock is to provide liquidity to their shareholders. When shareholders sell their stock, they are able to convert their investment into cash. This can be helpful if they need to raise money for other purposes.
It is important to note that issuing stock can dilute the ownership of existing shareholders. This is because when a company issues new stock, it is diluting the ownership of the existing shares. For example, if a company has 100 shares outstanding and issues 100 new shares, the existing shareholders will now own 50% of the company, instead of 100%.
However, there are also some risks associated with going public. For example, the company will be subject to more scrutiny from regulators and investors. It will also be more difficult for the company to keep its financial information confidential.
Issuing Stock Journal Entry
The company issues stock to raise the capital for any use. The company will record cash and equity items.
The journal entry include the following:
- The debit to Cash represents the amount of cash received from the issuance of the stock.
- The credit to Common Stock represents the par value of the stock issued.
- The credit to Additional Paid-In Capital represents the amount of money received above par value.
Account | Debit | Credit |
---|---|---|
Cash | XXX | |
Common Stock | XXX | |
Additional Paid In Capital | XXX |
Issue of common stock at par value
When a company issues common stock at par value, it is simply selling a piece of itself to investors in exchange for money. The par value of the stock is the minimum amount that the company is legally allowed to sell the stock for.
The par value of the stock is not necessarily the same as the market value of the stock. The market value of the stock is determined by supply and demand. If the company is doing well and its stock is in high demand, the market value of the stock may be higher than the par value.
When a company issues common stock at par value, it does not receive any additional paid-in capital. This is because the par value of the stock represents the minimum amount that the company is legally allowed to sell the stock for.
The journal entry is:
- Debit cash
- Credit Common Stock
Account | Debit | Credit |
---|---|---|
Cash | XXX | |
Common Stock | XXX |
Example
In this example, the company issued 10,000 shares of common stock with a par value of $5 per share. The shareholders paid $12 per share for the stock, so the company received $120,000 in cash and $70,000 in additional paid-in capital.
Account | Debit | Credit |
---|---|---|
Cash | 120,000 | |
Common Stock | 50,000 | |
Additional Paid-In Capital | 70,000 |
The Additional Paid-In Capital account is a catch-all account for any amount received for stock that is above par value. This can happen for a number of reasons, such as if the company is issuing stock to investors who are willing to pay a premium for the stock, or if the company is issuing stock in exchange for assets or services that have a fair value that is greater than the par value of the stock.
The Additional Paid-In Capital account is an important part of a company’s equity. It represents the amount of money that the company has raised from investors that is in excess of the par value of the stock. This money can be used by the company for a variety of purposes, such as funding growth, paying off debt, or returning money to shareholders.
Benefits of Owning Company Stock
There are a number of benefits to owning company stock. One benefit is that you can potentially earn a return on your investment if the company’s stock price goes up. You can also earn dividends, which are a portion of the company’s profits that are paid out to shareholders.
Another benefit of owning company stock is that you can participate in the company’s growth. If the company does well, the value of your stock will go up. This can be a great way to build wealth over time.
Finally, owning company stock can give you a sense of ownership in the company. You will be a part of the company’s success and you will have a say in how it is run.
Common Stock Vs Preferred Stock
Preferred stock and common stock are both types of equity securities that represent ownership in a company. However, there are some key differences between the two types of stock.
Preferred stock
- Dividends: Preferred stockholders are typically entitled to receive dividends before common stockholders. The dividend amount is fixed and does not change with the company’s profitability.
- Liquidity: Preferred stock is less liquid than common stock. This means that it may be more difficult to sell preferred stock if you need to raise cash quickly.
- Voting rights: Preferred stockholders typically have limited voting rights. This means that they have less say in how the company is run than common stockholders.
- Callability: Preferred stock may be callable, which means that the company can buy back the stock at a specified price.
- Conversion: Preferred stock may be convertible into common stock, which means that the preferred stockholders can exchange their preferred stock for common stock at a specified price.
Common stock
- Dividends: Common stockholders are not guaranteed to receive dividends. The company’s board of directors decides whether or not to pay dividends, and the amount of the dividend can change from year to year.
- Liquidity: Common stock is more liquid than preferred stock. This means that it is easier to sell common stock if you need to raise cash quickly.
- Voting rights: Common stockholders have more voting rights than preferred stockholders. This means that they have more say in how the company is run.
- Callability: Common stock is not callable. This means that the company cannot buy back the stock at a specified price.
- Conversion: Common stock is not convertible into preferred stock.