Editing Security (finance) (section)

=== Hybrid ===
Hybrid securities combine some of the characteristics of both debt and equity securities.

'''Preference shares''' form an intermediate class of security between equities and debt. If the issuer is liquidated, preference shareholders have the right to receive interest or a return of capital prior to ordinary shareholders. However, from a legal perspective, preference shares are capital stocks and therefore may entitle the holders to some degree of control depending on whether they carry voting rights.

'''Convertibles''' are bonds or [[preferred stock]]s that can be converted, at the election of the holder of the convertibles, into the ordinary shares of the issuing company. The convertibility, however, may be forced if the convertible is a [[callable bond]], and the issuer calls the bond. The bondholder has about one month to convert it, or the company will call the bond by giving the holder the call price, which may be less than the value of the converted stock. This is referred to as a forced conversion.

'''Equity warrants''' are options issued by the company that allow the holder of the warrant to purchase a specific number of shares at a specified price within a specified time. They are often issued together with bonds or existing equities, and are, sometimes, detachable from them and separately tradeable. When the holder of the warrant exercises it, he pays the money directly to the company, and the company issues new shares to the holder.

Warrants, like other convertible securities, increases the number of shares outstanding, and are always accounted for in financial reports as fully diluted earnings per share, which assumes that all warrants and convertibles will be exercised.