Economics question

[Karl Marx's Camel]

Since there seems to be no economics forum here, I thought this place would do.

I've talked to a few people who have invested in shares, it seems things went quite bad for that person. This person even claims the stocks have pretty much "dissapeared", but do they ever "dissapear" unless the company gets broke?
I mean, if you have 20 stocks in coca cola and there is an economic depression and you keep those stocks, will they go to such a low point that they will "dissapear", as this person claims? Or will they just lose the current superficial value that the market sets but keep the 20 stocks, no matter what?

[pusher robot]

Originally posted by [email protected] 16, 2007 09:22 pm
Since there seems to be no economics forum here, I thought this place would do.

I've talked to a few people who have invested in shares, it seems things went quite bad for that person. This person even claims the stocks have pretty much "dissapeared", but do they ever "dissapear" unless the company gets broke?
I mean, if you have 20 stocks in coca cola and there is an economic depression and you keep those stocks, will they go to such a low point that they will "dissapear", as this person claims? Or will they just lose the current superficial value that the market sets but keep the 20 stocks, no matter what?
Well, if you own shares in a company that ceases to exist, then you now own a share of a non-existent entity, otherwise known as nothing. You are of course entitled to whatever assets are left over from the liquidation, but generally only after all the employees and creditors have been satisfied.

He might only have meant that it was de-listed from the exchanges, in which case it exists but is so low in value that it isn't worthwhile to track or list it.

You could also say, I suppose, that shares that become so low in value as to be practically worthless even though the company still exists have had their value "disappear." It could come back, or not.