What term is used to describe stock that has been reacquired by a corporation?

The term used to describe stock that has been reacquired by a corporation is treasury stock. When a company buys back its own shares from the market, those shares are classified as treasury stock. This practice can occur for various reasons, such as to reduce the number of shares in circulation, increase earnings per share, provide shares for employee compensation plans, or to prevent hostile takeovers.

Treasury stock does not have voting rights and does not earn dividends, and the company can later reissue these shares or retire them. This distinct classification helps investors and analysts understand the number of shares that are actively in the market versus those held by the corporation itself.

Other types of stock, such as preferred stock and common stock, represent different ownership rights and financial securities, while authorized stock refers to the total number of shares a company is legally allowed to issue, not necessarily to the shares that have been reacquired. Understanding these classifications helps in analyzing a company's financial strategies and market position.