Par Value Stock vs No-Par Value Stock: What’s the Difference?

“Par” may also refer to scorekeeping in golf, where par is the number of strokes a player should normally require for a particular hole or course. The par or face value of shares remains the same throughout the life of the securities in question. On the contrary, the market value, which is the actual value at which the securities are sold keep changing per market fluctuations. However, the par value might not have much effect on the market as the differential amount between the par and market values is not much. Before raising capital, a corporation owner must be aware of par value though it doesn’t affect the book value of market value by much. By seeing the par value, we should never assume about the book or market value of equity since it doesn’t indicate a perfect picture of the same.

The par value of stock remains unchanged in a bonus stock issue but it changes in a stock split. Par value is also a pricing benchmark for shares of preferred stock. Corporations issue preferred stock with a dividend rate that, like a coupon rate, is a percentage of par value. Unlike common stock, preferred shareholders don’t usually have voting rights.

Par Value of Stocks and Bonds Explained

This list mainly considers equities Note that any given company may not experience the same requirements or considerations for having to set a par value. Get stock recommendations, portfolio guidance, and more from The Motley Fool’s premium services. Volatility profiles based on trailing-three-year calculations of the standard deviation of service investment returns.

While the par value of a corporate bond is usually stated as either $100 or $1,000, municipal bonds typically have par values of $5,000. If market interest rates fall to 3%, the value of the bond will rise and trade above par since the 4% coupon rate is more attractive than 3%. The principal in a bond investment may or may not be the same as the par value. Some bonds are sold at a discount, for instance, and pay back their par value at maturity. In any case, the fixed par value is used to calculate the bond’s fixed interest rate, which is referred to as its coupon.

The total value of assets reported on a company’s balance sheet only reflects the cost of the assets at the time of the transaction. To calculate the value of common stock, multiply the number of shares the company issues by the par value per share. A financial instrument’s par value is determined by the institution that issues it. Market value is the current price at which a bond or stock can be traded on the open market and constantly fluctuates as investors buy and sell bonds and shares of stock.

Par Value of Bonds

The par value is usually so low that no par value also won’t provide much difference. In other words, it is the nominal share amount ($1, $0.1, or $0.001) mentioned on the stock certificate at the time of issuance. In the case of shares of stocks, Clinton Company announces that it will offer 3000 shares of common stock and each stock will have a par value of $1. Similarly, the value of the preferred stock is calculated by multiplying the number of preferred shares issued by the par value per share. Therefore, par value is more important to a company’s stockholders’ equity calculation. Because shares of stocks will frequently have a par value near zero, the market value is nearly always higher than par.

Par Value vs. Market Value FAQs

On AT&T’s balance sheet, that number shows up as 6,495 because all figures are expressed in millions of dollars. In most cases, the par value of the stock today is little more than an accounting concern, and a relatively minor one at that. To the average investor, the par value of a bond is quite relevant, while the par value of a stock is something of an anachronism. Charlene Rhinehart is a CPA , CFE, chair of accounting software home an Illinois CPA Society committee, and has a degree in accounting and finance from DePaul University.

Why Bond Prices Fluctuate

The dollar value of bond interest and preferred-stock dividend payments are based on the par value. Knowing the par value is essential for investors to calculate and compare the returns of different bonds and preferred stocks. A bond that is trading above par is being sold at a premium and offers a coupon rate higher than the prevailing interest rates. Investors will pay more, as the yield or return is expected to be higher. On the other hand, a bond that is trading below par is on a discount trade, has a lower interest rate than the current market and it is sold at a lower price.

1. In the case of shares of stocks, Clinton Company announces that it will offer 3000 shares of common stock and each stock will have a par value of $1.
2. Par value is the value of a bond or share of stock as shown on the bond or stock certificate.
3. As the par value is often no more than a few pennies, it’s a formality to meet certain states’ legal requirements for securities or to help manage taxes for companies.
4. This penny price is because the par value of a share of stock constitutes a binding two-way contract between the company and the shareholder.

This takes the burden of research off of you and makes individual par values and interest rates less relevant as you benefit from the overall growth of a whole sector of stocks or bonds. By issuing no-par stock, the company relinquishes any determination of value for the stock. Therefore, the company will not have a future obligation to shareholders should its stock price decline. These categories are both pretty much a historical oddity and have no relevance to the stock’s price in the market. In finance and accounting, par value means stated value or face value of a financial instrument.

In modern times, the par value assigned is a minimal amount, such as one penny. That avoids any potential legal liability if the stock drops below its par value. Most individual investors buy bonds because they represent a safe haven investment.

Par value of share is the price of a share or stock initially fixed for a security. Each and every asset in the financial instrument has a par value, but the applicability of each differs. For shares, it is the minimum value at which a security is made accessible and available to investors. You can usually find par values for preferred stocks in their quotes and through your broker-dealer’s research tools. Par value for bonds is available in a prospectus, which is the offering document the company files with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The yield is paid in regular installments, providing income until the bond matures. In other words, they intend to hold on to the bond until it matures. In some jurisdictions, a security issuance may be required to have a par value. This isn’t always the case, but in some situations, a stock or bond can’t be issued without one. The terms “par value” and “face value” are interchangeable and refer to the stated value of a financial instrument at the time it is issued. Average shareholder equity is a common baseline for measuring a company’s returns over time.

Investors buy and sell bonds at prices that are above par (at a premium), below par (at a discount), or at par. Companies issue corporate bonds with a par value of up to $1,000, while par values for government and agency bonds may be higher or lower than $1,000. Treasury bonds is $100 while the par value for Ginnie Mae bonds is a minimum of $25,000. Par value is likewise important to aspiring entrepreneurs, who are starting to form a corporation.

Investors count on gains made by the changing value of a stock based on company performance and market sentiment. Common stock is issued with a par value, but it plays a negligible role in common stock trading for the average consumer. With common examples of incremental analysis stocks, the par value simply represents a legally binding agreement that the company will not sell shares below a certain price, such as $0.01. YTM factors in the market price of a bond, its par value as well as any interest you may earn along the way. The only financial effect of a no-par value issuance is that any equity funding generated by the sale of no-par value stock is credited to the common stock account.

When a company issues shares, the par value of these shares is recorded in the common stock account on the balance sheet. For instance, if you bought a newly issued share of preferred stock with a par value of $25 and a 5% coupon rate, you’d receive $1.25 per share in dividends per year. Similar to bonds, when you buy preferred stock on the secondary market, the effective interest rate changes depending on market value versus par value.