Financial securities, each granting part ownership of a company. In return for risking their capital by giving it to the company’s management to develop the business, shareholders get the right to a slice of whatever is left of the firm’s revenue after it has met all its other obligations. This money is paid as a dividend, although most companies retain some of their residual revenue for investment purposes. Shareholders have voting rights, including the right to vote in the election of the company’s board of directors. Shares are also known as equities. They can be traded in the public financial markets or held as private equity.