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Per-share & capital returns

Book Value Per Share BVPS

BVPS is the company's net assets attributable to common shareholders divided by common shares outstanding, the per-share accounting value of the business.

Part of the Growth & Capital Returns course · Lesson 10 of 26
Formula
(Total Shareholders' Equity - Preferred Equity) / Common Shares Outstanding

What it is

Book value per share is the accounting net worth of a company on a per-share basis. It is what would theoretically be left for each common share if the company sold all assets at their balance-sheet value and paid off all liabilities and preferred claims. It reflects historical cost, not market price.

Why it matters

BVPS is the denominator of the price-to-book (P/B) ratio and is useful for asset-heavy businesses like banks and insurers. A pitfall is that it understates companies whose value sits in brands, software, or research, which often aren't fully captured on the balance sheet.

How it's calculated

Take total shareholders' equity, subtract preferred equity, then divide by the common shares outstanding.

How Quintarthai uses it

Price-to-book appears in the Summary Key-metrics grid, and book value per share is listed among per-share metrics on the Ratios tab. Open a company page in the app to view it.

Cross-border note. IFRS (used by Canadian filers on SEDAR+) allows some assets like property to be revalued upward, while US GAAP (EDGAR) generally holds them at cost, so book values aren't always measured the same way across the border.

FAQ

Is book value the same as market value?
No. Book value is an accounting figure based on historical cost, while market value is the share price set by investors; the two can differ widely, especially for asset-light companies.
Can book value per share be negative?
Yes. If accumulated losses or large buybacks push shareholders' equity below zero, BVPS turns negative, which makes the price-to-book ratio meaningless.
Related terms
See Book Value Per Share on a real company
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