Final answer:
The statement is true, as ownership in a corporation is represented by shares of stock, which grant the owner a right to the firm's profits, often through dividends. Shareholders thus have a stake in the company proportional to the shares they own.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that ownership in a corporation is divided into shares of stock, which carry rights to a share in the profits of the firm through future dividend payments is true. Those who buy stock become the firm's owners, or shareholders. A person who owns 100% of a company's stock owns the entire company, but typically in large firms like IBM or Microsoft, numerous shareholders each have only a small portion of the company's overall ownership. These corporations may raise funds to finance operations or investments by selling stock or issuing bonds. The sale of stock equates to selling a piece of the company's ownership, and shareholders may be entitled to dividends which are a distribution of the company's profits.