The Analyst's Path

Glossary

Face value

M1.09 · M0.02

Also called par value, nominal value.

The nominal value printed on a share, set at incorporation and changed only by a split or a consolidation. Indian companies commonly use ₹10, ₹5, ₹2 or ₹1.

It carries almost no economic information. A share with ₹2 face value is not cheaper than one with ₹10 face value; the price is set by what the business earns, not by the denomination.

Two places where it still matters. Dividends in India are sometimes declared as a percentage of face value, so a "200% dividend" on a ₹2 share is ₹4, and reading that as 200% of the share price would be badly wrong. And a stock split changes face value, which is what distinguishes it from a bonus issue in the accounts even though the effect on the holder looks similar.

Convert any percentage dividend into rupees per share before comparing anything.

Face value is a label, not a price.