a guess based on Eurodicautoms definition of scattered holdings/fields/property etc.

acc. to Große Eichborn.



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-07-25 12:26:41 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Hamblock/Wessels gives: (Aktien) diversified/scattered holdings, widely spread share holdings, widely held stock

sich im Streubesitz befinden: (Aktien) to be widely spread


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-07-25 12:58:13 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

following from Zahn Bank- und Börsenwesen

free float of stock
widely dispersed/spread shareholdings
independently held capital
broadly based (widespread) share ownership

sich im Streubesitz befinden: to be publicly held
to float freely

Usually a minority of outstanding shares in a closely held company

I agree with Sabine's answer (and believe she should get the points), except that it should definitely read "free float". This is a commonly-used technical term that defines the shares of a public company that are freely available to the investing public.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 days 7 hrs 36 mins (2003-07-28 19:45:21 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Comment regarding Yngve\'s peer-grading:
It makes a lot of sense to stress the free float - a number of major equity indices are weighted using the free float. Have a look at Deutsche Börse\'s index guidelines (URL shown above), plus these:

http://www.stoxx.com/indexes/factsheets/eurostoxx50_me.pdf
\"Within each of the 18 Dow Jones EURO STOXX market sector indexes, the component stocks are ranked by free-float market capitalization. The largest stocks are added to the selection list until the coverage is close to, but still less than, 60% of the free-float market capitalization of the corresponding Dow Jones EURO STOXX TMI market sector index.\"

http://www.msci.com/equity/index.html
\"The MSCI World IndexSM is a free float-adjusted market Capitalization index that is designed to measure global developed market equity performance.\"

http://www.msci.com/us/indexperf/index.html
\"Although the full market capitalization of companies is used as the basis for determining the various market capitalization segments and indices, MSCI free float-adjusts the market capitalization of constituents in the US Equity Indices in order to reflect the availability of shares from the perspective of US domestic investors.\"

Frankly, I don\'t get the statement that \"share don\'t float much in the US\"...

but comment, the comment column being exhausted. Why is that, by the way?

.. are in free float, seems to be a typical German phenom, that's all. Just out of curiosity, I googled it and found some 16 hits, I think they all referred to Germany. Shares in the US are for the most part freely traded, ie, non-restricted, as I understand it.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-07-29 06:21:22 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

hence you could say instead, are freely traded, rather than floating or in free float, which does not appear much in US sources.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-07-31 14:24:44 (GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Incidentally, the word implies held by many, which they usually are but need not be. Seems like a misnomer.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-07-31 20:28:32 (GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Also, if I might add facetiously, you will likely see shares in free fall 10K times more (googling) than \"in free float.\" It\'s just not a very common expression in English.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-07-31 20:51:47 (GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

I should add US English above.
Interestingly, the Hong Kong exchange provides this information: Different index providers may set different definitions for free float. For instance, MSCI defines free float as the shares outstanding, less shares held by strategic investors such as governments, corporations, controlling shareholders and management, and shares subject to foreign ownership restrictions.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-07-31 21:07:06 (GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Here is another one: public share portion, I just came across doodling of googling: public share portion aka (free) float.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-04-23 13:11:51 (GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Also, you see shares being floated, or merely the float, without the free.