Stats › Listings, IPOs and corporate actions › Stock compensation

US companies paid $386.7bn in shares, 10.3% of cash flow

Alphabet: 24.95bn24.95bnAlphabetMeta: 20.43bn20.43bnMetaAmazon: 19.47bn19.47bnAmazonApple: 12.86bn12.86bnAppleMicrosoft: 11.97bn11.97bnMicrosoftNVIDIA: 6.39bn6.39bnNVIDIATesla: 2.83bn2.83bnTesla

These seven companies account for roughly a quarter of the entire US listed total. Source: company filings via SEC XBRL data.

US listed companies pay part of employee compensation in shares rather than cash. Across 1,588 of them the most recent fiscal year total was $386.7 billion, equal to 10.3% of the cash they generate. Record buybacks mostly replace those shares rather than shrinking the company.

$386.7bnStock compensation total
10.3%Of operating cash flow
584 companiesExceeded net income at
0.7% a yearS&P 500 share count fall

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