Restricted and Float When you look a little closer at the quotes for a company, you may see some obscure terms that you've never encountered before. For instance, restricted shares refer to a company's issued stock that cannot be bought or sold without special permission by the SEC. Often, this type of stock is given to insiders as part of their salaries or as additional benefits. Another term that you may encounter is 'float'. This refers to a company's shares that are freely bought and sold without restrictions in the public. Denoting the greatest proportion of stocks trading on the exchanges, the float consists of regular shares that many of us will hear or read about in the news.
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