A preferred share is a class of ownership in a corporation with a stated dividend thatmust be paid before dividends to common stock holders. preferred stock does notusually have voting rights. preferred shareholders have priority over commonstockholders on earnings and assets in the event of liquidation.a common share is a security that represents ownership in a corporation. holders ofcommon stock exercise control by electing a board of directors and voting on corporatepolicy. common stockholders are on the bottom of the priority ladder for ownershipstructure. in the event of liquidation or bankruptcy, common shareholders have rightsto a companys assets only after debt holders and preferred shareholders have beenpaid in full. this makes common stock riskier than debt or preferred shares. theupside to common shares is that they usually outperform bonds and preferred sharesin the long run.