Determine the Valuing Equity Securities

Unlike debt and money market instruments, equity instruments represent ownership interest in the company. As owners should put in their money in the venture before anybody would lend to them, equity is always issued before debt is released by institutions. Actually incorporation of the company requires that promoters should pick up some shares in company, only then company can be incorporated.   As equity represents the owners it is though logical that all the debt holders should be paid off before owners can claim any returns from company. So the equity has the lowest priority claim on earnings.  Equity also has the last claim on the assets in case company is liquidated (closed down).