The balance sheet caption for common stock is:
To find the balance sheet caption for common stock, you need to look at the liability section of a company's balance sheet. Common stock represents the ownership in a company and is classified as an equity account.
Here are the steps to find the balance sheet caption for common stock:
1. Obtain a company's balance sheet: The balance sheet can typically be found in a company's annual or quarterly financial statements. These financial statements are publicly available for publicly-traded companies and can be found on the company's investor relations website or the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) website for U.S. companies.
2. Look for the "Equity" or "Stockholders' Equity" section: Once you have the balance sheet, locate the section where the company's equity accounts are listed. This section is usually found after the asset and liability sections.
3. Find the "Common Stock" line item: Within the equity section, there may be various accounts related to equity such as common stock, preferred stock, additional paid-in capital, retained earnings, and treasury stock. Look for the "Common Stock" line item, which represents the par value of the shares issued by the company.
4. Note the amount listed for common stock: The amount listed for common stock on the balance sheet represents the total value of the company's issued common shares.
Please note that the exact presentation and terminology may differ slightly between companies and jurisdictions, but the common stock line item should be identifiable within the equity section of the balance sheet.