What is market capitalization?

Market capitalization refers to the total market value of a company's outstanding shares of stock. This valuation is calculated by multiplying the current share price by the total number of outstanding shares. It serves as a measure of a company's size and is often used by investors to assess the relative size of a company within the market.

Understanding market capitalization is crucial as it provides insights into the company's financial health and investor perception. It helps in categorizing companies into different segments, such as large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap, which can influence investment strategy and risk assessment.

The other options do not accurately describe market capitalization. The number of shares sold in the last year focuses on trading volume rather than market value. Revenue generation pertains to the income a company earns and does not reflect its market value. Valuation of a company's potential growth is more subjective and does not represent a concrete calculation like market capitalization does. Therefore, the total market value of a company’s outstanding shares is the accurate definition of market capitalization.