// definition
Free float
Shares available in public markets
Short definition
The portion of outstanding shares considered available for purchase in public markets. The estimate excludes holdings classified as strategic under the provider’s rules. MSCI assesses availability to international investors and takes foreign ownership restrictions into account. Its estimate relies on public shareholder information, whose quality affects the result.
risk atlas
Knowledge map
Intuition
Shareholder classifications shape how much capital investors can access.
Related analyses
Primary sources
- MSCI, Free Float Data Methodology, March 2023Sections 1.1–1.3: definition, strategic holdings, foreign ownership limits and public-data quality.