Let us discuss the concept of 'outstanding shares' - the total number of company shares that have been issued and are currently available for trading. When a company goes public, it issues a specific number of shares to investors. These shares are then listed on the stock exchange and can be bought and sold by investors. The total number of these shares is known as the outstanding shares. As a knowledgeable investor, it is important to understand this term in order to make informed decisions about a company's stock.