Which term describes the ownership stake in a corporation that can be bought and sold by investors?

• A. Short-Term Debt
• B. Shares
• C. Resources
• D. Revenues

Answer: (B)

The ownership stake that can be bought and sold by investors is described by shares. Shares are units of ownership in a company, so owning shares means you hold a portion of the business. They are traded on stock markets, which is what makes them a liquid form of equity—you can buy or sell them relatively easily as investors’ interests in the company change. This concept is central in equity financing, where a company raises money by selling ownership to investors, who may benefit from dividends and potential increases in share price as the company grows. In contrast, short-term debt refers to borrowed money that must be repaid, resources (assets) are what the company owns, and revenues are the income the company earns. None of those describe an ownership stake that investors can trade; shares specifically capture that idea.