[ars]

> The number of shares is arbitrary and can be adjusted up or down by a split/reverse split or dilution.

The number of shares you own is not arbitrary - it's actually a very important number to you. So you multiply how many shares you own, with EPS, and you know your personal profit.

In particular your profit per how much that share cost.

Obviously investing in stocks has other ways that you can make money, but EPS is pretty core to the whole thing.