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 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. Asset Sale lets buyers choose specific assets and liabilities; Stock Sale doesn't. 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. Learn the tax implications for each type of sale. A stock sale is when the owner sells off stock shares. An asset sale is a common method for transferring business ownership.