Trading

Stock Split: Definition

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Simple Definition

When a company divides its shares. A 2-for-1 split doubles your shares at half the price.

Why It Matters

Stock splits don't change your total value - they just cut the pizza into more slices. If you own 10 shares at $100 ($1,000 total), after a 2-for-1 split you own 20 shares at $50 ($1,000 total). Companies split to make shares more accessible - Amazon's 20-for-1 split in 2022 dropped the price from $2,400 to $120.

Key Points

  • Splits are usually bullish signals - companies split when stock price has been rising
  • Apple has split 5 times; if you bought 1 share in 1980, you'd now have 224 shares
  • Reverse splits (combining shares) are often bad news - usually done when price is too low

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Common Questions

When a company divides its shares. A 2-for-1 split doubles your shares at half the price. Stock splits don't change your total value - they just cut the pizza into more slices. If you own 10 shares at $100 ($1,000 total), after a 2-for-1 split you own 20 shares at $50 ($1,000 total).

Stock splits don't change your total value - they just cut the pizza into more slices. If you own 10 shares at $100 ($1,000 total), after a 2-for-1 split you own 20 shares at $50 ($1,000 total). Companies split to make shares more accessible - Amazon's 20-for-1 split in 2022 dropped the price from $2,400 to $120.

Splits are usually bullish signals - companies split when stock price has been rising

Apple has split 5 times; if you bought 1 share in 1980, you'd now have 224 shares

Reverse splits (combining shares) are often bad news - usually done when price is too low