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Core Topics for the Everyday Investor

Definitions: Equity

Definitions: Equity

The term Equity represents any ownership rights over an asset’s cash flow generation potential. As an asset class, there is no guarantee of a return on your investment, it is the most speculative of assets classes and is the only asset class that can have its intrinsic value brought to zero. But because it is ownership without end, and a right to the value in perpetuity, it is also the source of the greatest returns. The math looks like this:

\[Equity = Total Assets-Total Liabilities\]

The most common sources of Equity are stocks, your home, and other real estate assets. But equities can also include ownership in a business through your own formation, or as the result of a private placement and they also include art, royalty agreements, or leasing agreements. 

Other terms for Equity are shareholder value, book value, or stake.

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