<p>Shareholders equity does not include intangible assets per se. This is mainly bookkeeping not economics but generally in most double-entry bookkeeping systems all accounts will have two sides one is asset side and second is liability and equity. An aggregate of all these entries will end up in the balance sheet which will again have asset side and liabilities and stockholders equity side. The asset side of balance sheet tells you what firm owns and and liabilities and stockholders equity side where the sources to obtain those assets came from. An example of balance sheet would be:</p>
<pre><code>Assets                              Liabilities &amp; Stockholders equity
Cash              <span class="math-container">$100                     Stockholders Equity      $</span>50
Intangible assets <span class="math-container">$100                     Bank Loan               $</span>150
</code></pre>
<p>The formula for book value per common share is according to <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bvps.asp" rel="nofollow noreferrer">investopedia</a> given by:</p>
<p><span class="math-container">$$BV = \frac{\text{total equity} - \text{preferred equity}}{\text{Total Shares Outstanding}}$$</span></p>
<p>Note that neither the total equity or the book value in itself gives you any information what the amount of intangible assets is or they are included in calculation. The total equity can be calculated as Assets minus Liabilities but again you cant generally tell from total assets or liabilities what the intangible assets are.  In this case the total equity is <span class="math-container">$\\\$50$</span> but amount of intangible assets is <span class="math-container">$\\\$100$</span>. The book value also does not give you any information or contain the intangible assets either.  To see what they are you would have to go back to balance sheet or some ratio that includes them.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-03T14:33:58.463Z
2020-08-03T14:33:58.463Z
1muflon1
<p>Yes. Intangible assets are part of equity. Book value is sometimes used as a synonym for equity.</p>
<p>Intangible assets are part of equity until it is reduced by amortization or impairment.</p>
<p>One interesting example is software. Development costs might be capitalized as equity or it might be an expense so it never becomes capital. The decision depends upon technological feasibility.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-02T20:54:54.017Z
2020-09-02T21:08:36.120Z
2020-09-02T21:08:36.120Z
H2ONaCl
<p>Does book value per common share include intangible assets?</p>
<p>As far as I know, its formula is common stockholder's equity divided by shares outstanding? If shareholder's equity includes intangible assets, then book value per common share should also, right?</p>

<stock-market>
Book Value per Common Share
Rhythm Bhatia
# Book Value per Common Share

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-03)

Does book value per common share include intangible assets?

As far as I know, its formula is common stockholder's equity divided by shares outstanding? If shareholder's equity includes intangible assets, then book value per common share should also, right?

**Tags:** stock-market

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-08-03. Score: 1

Shareholders equity does not include intangible assets per se. This is mainly bookkeeping not economics but generally in most double-entry bookkeeping systems all accounts will have two sides one is asset side and second is liability and equity. An aggregate of all these entries will end up in the balance sheet which will again have asset side and liabilities and stockholders equity side. The asset side of balance sheet tells you what firm owns and and liabilities and stockholders equity side where the sources to obtain those assets came from. An example of balance sheet would be:
Assets                              Liabilities & Stockholders equity
Cash              $100                     Stockholders Equity      $50
Intangible assets $100                     Bank Loan               $150

The formula for book value per common share is according to investopedia given by:
$$BV = \frac{\text{total equity} - \text{preferred equity}}{\text{Total Shares Outstanding}}$$
Note that neither the total equity or the book value in itself gives you any information what the amount of intangible assets is or they are included in calculation. The total equity can be calculated as Assets minus Liabilities but again you cant generally tell from total assets or liabilities what the intangible assets are.  In this case the total equity is $\\\$50$ but amount of intangible assets is $\\\$100$. The book value also does not give you any information or contain the intangible assets either.  To see what they are you would have to go back to balance sheet or some ratio that includes them.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2020-09-02. Score: 0

Yes. Intangible assets are part of equity. Book value is sometimes used as a synonym for equity.

Intangible assets are part of equity until it is reduced by amortization or impairment.

One interesting example is software. Development costs might be capitalized as equity or it might be an expense so it never becomes capital. The decision depends upon technological feasibility.


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