Price & Value

Market Capitalization: Definition

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Simple Definition

The total value of all shares of a company. Same as market cap.

Why It Matters

Market cap tells you a company's size in the stock market. Apple at $3 trillion is the world's most valuable company - bigger than the GDP of most countries. Market cap = share price × shares outstanding. It's a better measure of size than stock price alone: a $500 stock isn't necessarily 'bigger' than a $50 stock.

Key Points

  • Calculate: Stock Price × Total Shares Outstanding = Market Cap
  • Size categories: Large cap ($10B+), Mid cap ($2B-$10B), Small cap ($300M-$2B), Micro cap (<$300M)
  • Market cap changes constantly as stock prices move - Apple has gained and lost $300B+ in single days

Related Terms

Common Questions

The total value of all shares of a company. Same as market cap. Market cap tells you a company's size in the stock market. Apple at $3 trillion is the world's most valuable company - bigger than the GDP of most countries.

Market cap tells you a company's size in the stock market. Apple at $3 trillion is the world's most valuable company - bigger than the GDP of most countries. Market cap = share price × shares outstanding. It's a better measure of size than stock price alone: a $500 stock isn't necessarily 'bigger' than a $50 stock.

Calculate: Stock Price × Total Shares Outstanding = Market Cap

Size categories: Large cap ($10B+), Mid cap ($2B-$10B), Small cap ($300M-$2B), Micro cap (<$300M)

Market cap changes constantly as stock prices move - Apple has gained and lost $300B+ in single days