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Walk into the world of equities and a strange set of terms greets you. “Face value” is one of those words that sounds deceptively simple but hides more meaning than most beginners expect.
At its core, face value is just the original price tagged to a share when a company issues it. During an IPO, this number is printed on paper — nothing to do with demand or fancy market premiums.
Technically, it’s the company’s total equity share capital sliced into the number of shares issued. The math is straightforward, yet the figure matters because it anchors how dividends, interest on bonds, or accounting entries are later calculated.
Face value usually sits still, unchanged, unless a stock split happens. That’s when one share gets carved into smaller pieces, reducing face value but increasing accessibility. Every official company document reflects this tiny but important number.
Face value is determined by the company itself and remains constant unless a corporate action changes it. Investors can easily spot this number inside their demat account or printed on the digital share certificate.
Its role in equities is largely accounting-oriented. The figure has little to do with day-to-day trading. Market price moves to a different rhythm — driven by demand, supply, speculation, and investor confidence, not by the stated face value.
Face value in bonds isn’t just a number you skim past. It’s the anchor, the written promise, the one detail that doesn’t get lost even when markets behave like roller coasters.
Think about it this way — stock prices may rise, collapse, or wander sideways for months. Bonds? They can wobble too. But maturity day comes, and the issuer owes you that original figure. Not more, not less. Just that.
Though it may seem insignificant by itself, face value has some key applications.
Dividends- Companies will look at face value when figuring dividends. If face value is ₹10 and the company hard calls a 20% dividend, you will get ₹2 for every share of stock you own.
Stock Splits- When stock splits happen including to make a share more affordable, face value will certainly change. If a ₹10 share splits by 1:1 the face value will be ₹5, but you will now own double the amount of shares.
Premiums- When new shares are issued, companies will tend to include a premium on face value. The equation is straightforward: issue price= face value + premium.
Here’s the simple formula companies use to calculate it:
Face Value of a Share = Equity Share Capital / Outstanding Share Numbers
So basically, you’re just dividing the total share capital by the number of shares.
Face Value | Market Value |
Face value is the price set by a company at the time of public issuance of shares | The market value of a share is determined basis the current price of the shares at which it is trading in the stock market |
Face value remains the same and is not affected by market parameters of demand-supply | The market value of a share on the other hand keeps fluctuating as more trading happens on that share |
The face value of a share is calculated by dividing the equity share capital by the total outstanding shares | Market value is calculated by multiplying the total outstanding shares by the current stock price at which it is trading in the market |
The face value is alternatively known as the par value | Market value is alternatively or more popularly known as market cap |
When stock prices have increased, the Stock split is a corporate action that companies do when they are usually thriving, and their stock prices have increased. When the stock prices rise considerably, existing investors are delighted however, it becomes expensive for new buyers. Thus, the company may split the stocks and make them cheaper for individual investors.
Whenever a company goes through a stock split situation, the face value of its share changes. If the face value of a share is Rs. 10 and the company has gone through a stock split of 1:1, then the face value will reduce to Rs. 5 per share. However, this does not mean a loss for existing investors. It simply means that the shareholder now has 2 shares instead of 1 of that specific company.
Face value is the initial rate of a share or bond created by the company. The face value doesn't dictate market share trading for stocks; it is handy for dividends, premiums, and stock splits.
When you grasp the concept of face value, you should have a better understanding of the company's documentation and balance sheet because you can see on paper (or online) how things like stock splits or dividends announcements affect actual investments. Armed with this knowledge, you should be more comfortable making decisions in the market.
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