Free calculator
Earnings per share calculator
Compute basic EPS for common stock from your own numbers: (net income − preferred dividends) ÷ weighted average common shares you choose for the period. We also show earnings to common = net income − preferred before dividing. Loss periods are shown as negative EPS. Not a filing fetcher, not diluted EPS with option schedules, not buy/sell advice—illustration only.
When to use this calculator
Turn line items from a P&L and diluted (or basic) share count into a per‑share number before you add price in a P/E or comparables sheet.
- Reconcile net income and preferred dividends to earnings to common, then see basic EPS for the same period you used for shares.
- Model a loss quarter: enter negative net income and get loss per share (negative EPS).
- Copy =(NI−pref)/shares into Google Sheets or Excel next to your own NI, pref, and shares cells—match this tool for a sanity check.
- Open the P/E calculator when you also have a price and want a multiple, not an EPS line by itself.
We use the standard textbook form: basic EPS = (net income − preferred dividends) ÷ (weighted average common shares you enter). Diluted EPS with a full options/warrants build-out is out of scope—if you have fully diluted shares, you can type them in as shares for a one-line diluted-style readout (no antidilution or if‑converted detail here).
Earnings to common
Earnings to common = net income − preferred dividends for the period (or 0 if no preferred). This is the numerator for common EPS; if you leave dividends for common in net income as presented, you still use this form for the classical EPS teaching line.
Divide by common shares
Basic EPS = (earnings to common) ÷ common shares (must be > 0). If net income is below preferred dividends in rare cases, earnings to common can be negative; the tool still shows the arithmetic—not a solvency or sustainability call.
What we are not
No live quotes or SEC fetch, no SEC-style diluted EPS table with each warrant tranche, no “adjusted EPS” as a judge—you define the line items and period labels.
When you need a price-based multiple or implied EPS with P ÷ EPS, open the P/E ratio calculatorWhen you need dividend ÷ price for cash payouts, use the dividend yield calculator.
Google Sheets & Excel
English function names. Put net income in NI2, preferred dividends in PREF2 (0 if none), common shares in SH2 (same period and currency as NI).
=(NI2-PREF2)/SH2Use PREF2=0 if there is no preferred; align NI and shares to the same period and unit of shares.
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Frequently asked questions
What does this earnings per share calculator do?
It computes basic EPS = (net income − preferred dividends) ÷ common shares and shows earnings to common and per‑share result. You type all inputs; we do not pull live data.
What is the exact formula for basic EPS?
Basic EPS = (NI − PREF) ÷ S where NI is net income for the period, PREF is dividends (or other classical claim) on preferred for that period (0 if none), and S is > 0 common shares (your weighted average or ending—be consistent with your source).
Is this diluted EPS?
No—this page is a short basic EPS line. Diluted EPS usually uses a higher (fully diluted) share count; you may type that count as shares to match a reported diluted line, but we do not build an if‑converted or options treasury table here.
Can EPS be negative?
Yes. If net income is a net loss for the period, earnings to common is negative (or if it is less than required preferred in rare edge cases) and EPS is a loss per share (negative). This differs from the P/E calculator on this site, which does not use headline P/E when EPS ≤ 0.
How is this different from the P/E ratio calculator?
P/E needs a price and EPS; this page is only the per‑share earnings from P&L-style inputs and shares—no cours requis. Use the P/E tool for Kurs ÷ EPS when you have both.
How do I show this in Google Sheets or Excel?
With NI2 = net income, PREF2 = preferred (0 if none), SH2 = shares: =(NI2−PREF2)/SH2 for EPS in currency per share; use the same period and thousands of shares convention as the filing you are mimicking.
Is this investment advice?
No—a free educational arithmetic aide; not a recommendation, not a filing or broker interface.