Calculate earnings per share
Express profit for the year for each issued ordinary share using the appendix formula.
Exam scope and assessment notes
Cambridge International AS & A Level Accounting 9706, 2026–2028 syllabus, Version 2. Use the ratio formulae in the syllabus appendix exactly; Cambridge states these are the only formulae accepted. Use year-end balances where appropriate unless the question specifies averages, and round to the requested number of decimal places. Practice is self-checked, not an official Cambridge grade. Full timed Papers 1–4 and human subject-teacher review remain outstanding.
Before you begin
- Use the AS Topic 1.6 ratio, financial-statement and stakeholder skills. These lessons add only the A Level ratios and interpretation required by Topic 3.5.
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
Profit for the year is $120,000 and 400,000 shares are issued. What is EPS?
What you will learn
- Calculate earnings per share from profit for the year and issued ordinary shares
- Keep currency units consistent
- Explain what EPS does and does not show to an investor
Calculate profit per issued ordinary share
Earnings per share (EPS) = profit for the year ÷ number of issued ordinary shares. If profit is in dollars and share count is in shares, the result is dollars per share; convert to cents only if useful and clearly label the unit.
Use the issued ordinary shares given in the question and the stated profit for the year. Do not use market price, dividends or total equity as the denominator. If share counts change during a period, follow the data and treatment specified by the question rather than inventing a weighted figure.
Read EPS as an accounting measure
EPS indicates profit for the year per issued ordinary share in the figures provided. It is not a cash dividend and does not by itself show the market's valuation or the whole return earned by a shareholder.
Compare EPS over time with profit quality, share issues, one-off items and dividend policy. A rise may reflect stronger profit, fewer shares, or both; explain the cause before recommending an investment decision.
Pause and explain
Is EPS the dividend paid to each shareholder?
Worked example
Profit for the year is $180,000 and 600,000 ordinary shares are issued. Calculate EPS in dollars and cents per share.
Show the worked solution
- $180,000 ÷ 600,000 = $0.30 per share.
- $0.30 × 100 cents per dollar = 30 cents.
- Label the result as 30 cents per issued ordinary share.
Answer EPS is $0.30, or 30 cents, per share.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
Profit for the year is $225,000 and 750,000 ordinary shares are issued. Calculate EPS.
Give me a hint
Divide the profit amount by the share count.
Compare my reasoning
- $225,000 ÷ 750,000 = $0.30.
- The unit is dollars per share.
- If expressed in cents, $0.30 = 30 cents per share.
EPS is $0.30 or 30 cents per share.
Look for these in your work
- Use profit for the year.
- Divide by 750,000 issued ordinary shares.
- Label the result per share.
Profit for the year rises from $96,000 to $110,000 while issued shares rise from 400,000 to 500,000. Calculate EPS for both years and compare.
Give me a hint
Calculate each year's profit per share instead of comparing total profit only.
Compare my reasoning
- Earlier EPS = $96,000 ÷ 400,000 = $0.24.
- Current EPS = $110,000 ÷ 500,000 = $0.22.
- Total profit increased but EPS fell by $0.02 per share because the share count grew proportionately more.
EPS falls from $0.24 to $0.22 even though total profit rises; explain the share-issue effect.
Look for these in your work
- Calculate each EPS separately.
- Identify the $0.02 decline.
- Relate the change to profit and share-count growth.
An investor sees EPS rise after a company sells a business and reports a one-off gain. What should the investor ask before treating the rise as improved recurring performance?
Give me a hint
Separate the reported figure from the source and repeatability of earnings.
Compare my reasoning
- Identify the gain and whether it arose from ongoing operations or a one-off disposal.
- Compare recurring profit and issued shares with the earlier period.
- Assess future operating prospects and other investor ratios before concluding the business's earning power improved.
Check the one-off gain, recurring profit and share-count changes. A single reported EPS increase does not establish sustained improvement.
Look for these in your work
- Identify one-off profit effects.
- Compare recurring profit and shares issued.
- Use broader evidence before advising.
Common mistakes
- Using total share capital dollars instead of the number of shares
- Confusing EPS with dividends per share
- Comparing EPS across companies without considering share counts and profit quality
What can you explain now?
What is the denominator in the syllabus EPS formula?
Compare with the explanation
Number of issued ordinary shares
The appendix defines EPS as profit for the year divided by issued ordinary shares.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
Your review choice appears on Today. Sign in to sync it across devices.
Make it stick
State the EPS formula and explain how it differs from dividend per share.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.