In the event of the liquidation of a corporation, the common stockholders:

In the context of a corporation's liquidation, common stockholders indeed have the last claim on any proceeds. This means that after all debts have been settled, including payments to secured creditors, bondholders, and preferred stockholders, any remaining assets are distributed to the common stockholders. Given that they hold a residual claim on the corporation's assets, this places them at the end of the priority line when it comes to recovering funds.

This hierarchy is crucial as it highlights the risk assumed by common stockholders; in a liquidation scenario, if the company's assets are insufficient to cover its liabilities, there may be little or nothing left for those stockholders. They stand to lose their entire investment, but this only occurs after the claims of all higher-priority stakeholders have been satisfied. Understanding this structure of claims is essential for evaluating the level of risk associated with investing in common stock.