An asset sale is the purchase of individual assets and liabilities, whereas a stock sale is the purchase of the owner's shares of a corporation. In an asset sale, the buyer selects specific assets and typically avoids inheriting liabilities.In a stock sale, the buyer acquires equity from the target company's shareholders. One of our more popular blog posts focused on asset deal vs. One major difference between a stock sale and asset sale is that the buyer typically does not acquire the existing liabilities of the selling company. An asset sale otherwise known as an asset deal or asset purchase is a special type of business sale that only deals with assets and liabilities. Asset sales are types of business transaction where buyers purchase assets from a business, and the sellers retain legal ownership of the company. An asset sale allows the transfer of specific assets and liabilities while the seller remains being owner of the legal entity. Generally, a stock sale is better for the seller and an asset sale is better for the buyer.