What is Dilution %?
Dilution Rate shows the annual percentage increase in shares outstanding due to new stock issuance (employee compensation, acquisitions, offerings). It directly measures how fast your ownership stake is being watered down.
Think of it like this
You own 10% of a pizza (100 slices, you have 10). Next year there are 105 slices total - they made 5 more for employees. Your 10 slices are now 9.5% of the pizza. That's 5% dilution. Your slice of the pie literally got smaller!
Formula
Dilution Rate = ((Current Shares - Prior Shares) / Prior Shares) × 100%- Net New Shares: New shares issued minus buybacks
- Prior Year Shares: Shares outstanding last year
Why it matters
- Shows how fast ownership is being diluted
- Dilution directly reduces your ownership %
- High dilution erodes shareholder value
- Common in high-growth tech companies
What's a good value?
< 0% (buybacks)
Excellent
Share count decreasing, good for shareholders
0-2%
Good
Low dilution, manageable
2-5%
Moderate
Typical for growth companies
> 5%
High
Significant dilution, concerning
Real-world example
Zoom 2020-2021: 6% dilution from employee stock. Apple: -2% (buybacks exceed dilution) - shareholder friendly. Spotify: 3-4% annually - typical growth company. Palantir 2021: 10% - concerningly high.
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