BOOK VALUE OF EQUITY PER SHARE BVPS

A financial measure that represents a per share assessment of the minimum value of a company's equity. More specifically, this value is determined by relating the original value of a firm's common stock adjusted for any outflow (dividends and stock buybacks) and inflow (retained earnings) modifiers to the amount of shares outstanding.

Calculated as:

While book value of equity per share is one factor that investors can use to determine whether a stock is undervalued, this metric should not be used by itself as it only presents a very limited view of the firm's situation. BVPS provides a snap shot of a firm's current situation, but considerations of the firm's future are not included.

For example, XYZ Corp, a widget producing company, may have a share price that is currently lower than its BVPS. This may not indicate that the XYZ is undervalued, because looking ahead, the growth opportunities for the company are vastly limited as fewer and fewer people are buying widgets.