Glossary
Public float
The shares held by outside investors, valued on every 10-K cover page.
Public float is the part of a company’s stock held by outside investors, leaving out shares held by officers, directors and large holders the company treats as affiliates.
Every 10-K cover page states the market value of that float as of the last business day of the company’s second fiscal quarter. Apple put it at about $3.65T as of Mar 27, 2026. The SEC uses this figure to sort companies into filer categories, which set their deadlines.
Traders also use “float” to mean the number of shares available to trade. The idea is the same: insider shares are left out.
Longer explainer: Market cap and enterprise value
Related terms: Shares outstanding, Market cap
All glossary terms · Learn · Methodology & Disclosures
Disclosures
- Editor holdings
- The editor holds no position in any company named on this page. As of Nov 11, 2026.
- Compensation
- Nobody paid for this page. No affiliate links on this page.
- Sources
- The SEC filings linked next to each figure.
- Last updated
- Nov 11, 2026
General education, the same for every reader. Not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security, and it doesn’t consider your situation.