An asset sale occurs when a business sells all or a portion of its assets. When selling a business, the transaction can be structured as an asset sale or as a stock sale.There are two common ways of transferring the business to new ownership, share sale or asset sale. This article discusses the pros and cons of each. The sale of a business usually is not a sale of one asset. Instead, all the assets of the business are sold. We thought we would set out comprehensive guidance on whether selling your company shares or selling the assets of the business is the right option for you. 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. Asset sales are generally more favorable to buyers, and stock sales are more advantageous to sellers because of the way each is treated for tax purposes. Download Forms and Publications.