What a Stock Split Is, Why Companies Do It, and How It Works, With an Example

By catering to this psychological tendency, companies can attract more participation in lexatrade review their stock. A stock split can be interpreted as a sign that a company expects its performance to continue improving. By splitting their shares, companies often convey optimism about their financial stability and potential for future growth. High stock prices can deter retail investors, especially those with smaller portfolios. By lowering the price per share through a split, companies can attract a wider audience, making their stock more attainable for everyday investors. In the end, a stock split—or even a reverse stock split—doesn’t have a huge practical impact on a company’s current investors.

A stock split’s biggest impact is on investors who might be watching a particular stock and hoping to purchase a full share for a lower price. For those investors, a stock split can provide a powerful motivator to get off the sidelines. There’s also a risk that the positive effects of a stock split may be short-lived. While splits often lead to a brief surge in stock price and trading volume, these effects tend to diminish over time. Any gains will likely be temporary if the underlying business fundamentals don’t support the optimism generated.

FAQs about stock splits

It often generates immediate market interest and may influence the stock price. Companies may perform splits in various ratios, like 2-for-1, 3-for-1, or even more extensive splits like 10-for-1. The choice of ratio depends on the company’s goals, such as making shares accessible or aligning prices with industry peers. If a company is required to file reports with the SEC, it may notify its shareholders of a reverse stock split in a number of ways, including on Forms 8-K, 10-Q or 10-K. Currently, investing apps like Robinhood, Stash, M1 Finance and SoFi Invest, as well as legacy brokerages like Charles Schwab and Fidelity, allow clients to buy fractional shares of certain stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). If the company opts for a 2-for-1 stock split, the company would grant you an additional share, but each share would be valued at half the amount of the original.

How Does a Stock Split Affect You?

A stock split is a decision by a company’s board of directors to increase the number of shares outstanding by issuing more shares to current shareholders. Mutual funds can undergo splits, but they work differently than Cloud stocks individual stock splits and occur less frequently. Mutual fund splits typically occur when the price per share is too high, making the fund less accessible to smaller investors.

Related Terms:

  • In the end, a stock split—or even a reverse stock split—doesn’t have a huge practical impact on a company’s current investors.
  • Retail investors see the lower prices as an opportunity, while institutions benefit from increased trading flexibility and liquidity.
  • There are now 200 shares of stock and each shareholder holds twice as many shares.
  • Immediately after the split is implemented, the number of shares outstanding would double to 20 million.
  • Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on January 6, 2025 and on Cyngn’s Investor Relations website at
  • The split will increase the number of outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock from approximately 22.4 million to 33.6 million.
  • They have no impact on the value of your investment or the value of the company.

While theoretically neutral events, stock splits often generate a positive market reaction because of increased accessibility, perceived growth signals, and behavioral factors. Companies typically carry out splits to keep share prices within a preferred range, potentially boosting liquidity and broadening their investor base. Meanwhile, reverse splits are often used to avoid delisting or improve institutional appeal.

What is a reverse stock split?

First, a company often decides on a split when the stock price is relatively high, making it expensive for investors to acquire a standard board lot of 100 shares. “We remain focused on maximizing shareholder value through the successful execution of our strategic growth initiatives across our end markets.” The most standard stock splits are traditional stock splits, such as 2-for-1 and 3-for-1. For example, in a 2-for-1 stock split, a shareholder receives two shares after the split for every share they owned before the split.

  • While stock splits don’t change the intrinsic value of a company, they can significantly influence investor behavior, market activity, and portfolio management.
  • Stock split encourages the comfortable and convenient trading of the company’s shares and increasing the number of investors, thus making the stock price volatile in the market.
  • The strength of a company’s stock comes from its earnings, not the price of its stock.
  • Proportionate adjustments will also be made to the per share conversion price of the Company’s series of preferred stock, pursuant to their respective terms.
  • Sure, they make it easier for prospective investors to start a new position, and they make it easier for existing investors to rebalance or sell part of their holdings.
  • The Company addresses significant challenges facing industrial organizations today, such as labor shortages, costly safety incidents, and increased consumer demand from eCommerce.

Do Mutual Funds Split like Individual Stocks?

In a 2-for-1 split, the company would give you two shares with a market-adjusted worth of $50 for every one share you own, leaving you with 20 shares. Or, in a 3-for-2 split, the company would give you three shares with a market-adjusted worth of about $66.67 in exchange for two existing $100 shares, leaving you with 15 shares. The share price would likely increase again as more investors purchase shares, Stivers says, adding that in the long run, current shareholders could see some potential value increases, though perhaps temporary. Though the net value of an existing shareholder’s stock doesn’t change with a stock split, the new level of demand that can come as more investors purchase the more affordable shares can be beneficial to current investors. For example, in a reverse one-for-five split, 10 million outstanding shares at $0.50 cents each would now become 2 million shares outstanding at $2.50 per share.

Contents

A stock split is a way for companies to change the per-share price without changing market capitalization. Market capitalization (cap) refers to the total value of a company’s issued stock. It is calculated by multiplying the price per stock by the total number of shares outstanding. Stock splits are a widely used corporate strategy, but their implications for investors go beyond merely adjusting the number of https://www.forex-world.net/ shares and their price.

It is usually an indicator that the stock price has plummeted, and the company’s board of directors is attempting to inflate the prices artificially without any fundamental business proposition. Furthermore, as the number of shares is reduced on the market, the stock’s liquidity is generally also affected, making the stock more volatile for traders. Historically, many successful companies, particularly within the technology sector, have utilized forward stock splits to manage high share prices.

While the number of shares outstanding change, the overall market capitalization of the company and the value of each shareholder’s stake remains the same. This procedure is typically used by companies with low share prices that would like to increase their prices. A company may do this if they are afraid their shares are going to be delisted or as a way of gaining more respectability in the market.

The Reverse Stock Split will not change the par value of the Common Stock nor the authorized number of shares of Common Stock, preferred stock or any series of preferred stock. Plexytrade provides traders with the tools and resources they need to understand and analyze stock splits. Our advanced trading platforms, educational materials, and market insights empower investors to make informed decisions and navigate the complexities of the stock market. So forward splits may indicate that insiders see the stock continuing to rise, while a reverse split may indicate that the stock may continue to fall. Imagine you own 100 shares of a company that’s undertaking a 2-for-1 forward split and is trading at $100 per share before the split.

While a stock split doesn’t inherently change a company’s value, it can affect market perception and liquidity. The lower share prices resulting from a split may make the stock more accessible to smaller investors, potentially broadening the shareholder base. In addition, the increased number of shares can improve liquidity in the market, making it easier for investors to buy or sell the stock. After a split, the stock price will be reduced (because the number of shares outstanding has increased). Thus, while a stock split increases the number of outstanding shares and proportionally lowers the share price, the company’s market capitalization remains unchanged.