"Authorized shares" refers to the number of shares the corporation is allowed to issue under its certificate or articles of incorporation. Outstanding shares are shares of stock that have been issued.Authorized shares are the maximum number of shares a corporation can sell, give away, etc. Shares authorized is the number of shares a corporation is allowed to issue (sell). At December 31, 2023, reported the following stockholders' equity. Guide to what are Authorized Shares. We compare them with issued and outstanding shares and explain how to calculate them. Your articles of incorporation can authorize as many shares as you think you'll need. Authorized Shares means the total (read, total ever that could be) shares a Corporation can create or "cut itself into. Every company that issues stock for trading has authorized, issued and outstanding shares.