It is shown that a shearing stress σ applied to an amorphous ferromagnetic sample magnetized along a longitudinal direction x, gives rise to a transverse magnetization component M
y. A square sheet (25 × 25 mm
2) of Metglas 2826 (Fe
40Ni
40P
14B
6) was clamped so as to apply a shear stress, while the material was magnetized by a field H
xparallel to the clamps. The M
xcomponent is almost unaffected by the stress, while a transverse component M
yappears, which depends on H
xand σ. At constant stress M
yincreases with H
xup to a maximum, which reaches about 15% of the saturation M
sfor

kg/mm
2. By minimizing the sum of magnetostatic and magnetoelastic energies, M
ycan be calculated as a function of H
x, σ and λ, the magnetostrictive relative elongation, determined by conventional methods. A good fit is found between the M
yvs. H
xexperimental and calculated curves, limited to the high field region. Alternatively, the M
ymeasurements can be used to calculate λ as a function of H
x. Values of λ vs. H
xconsistent for most of the measured curves are found in this way, which agree with the 11.5 × 10
-6saturation value, but deviate from low fields data obtained with conventional magnetostriction measurements. This discrepancy is probably due to the different stress conditions under which λ\´s are calculated or directly measured, or to some distribution of magnetoelastic anisotropy due to frozen-in stresses.