Net Asset Value Per Share - NAVPS

An expression for net asset value that represents a fund's (mutual, exchange-traded, and closed-end) or a company's value per share. It is calculated by dividing the total net asset value of the fund or company by the number of shares outstanding.

Also referred to as "book value per share".

Calculated as:

NAVPS is the value of a single unit, or share, of a fund. This figure for a mutual fund is the price at which shares are bought and sold. Because exchange-traded and closed-end funds are listed and traded as stocks, which are subject to market forces, their NAVPS and buying/selling prices per share can be divergent.

In the context of corporate financial statements of publicly traded companies, the NAVPS, more commonly referred to as book value per share, is usually below the market price per share. The historical cost accounting principle, which tends to understate certain asset values, and the supply and demand forces of the marketplace generally push stock prices above book value per share valuations.