Public Float

Public Float or Public Equity Float is defined as the portion of outstanding equity shares with public investors, which is available for buying and selling. This does not include the shares held or ‘restricted’ to trade by company directors, large shareholders etc. Public Float is the portion of shares available for trading or changing hands on the stock exchanges. It also helps in understanding the ownership structure of the company. The outstanding shares and the Public Float count will vary, because the portion of restricted shares are removed for calculating Public Float.
Public Float = Outstanding shares – Restricted shares
(Outstanding Shares denote the portion of shares issued by the company, held by all its shareholders, including institutional investors, company directors, retail investors etc)