What Happens When Nvidia Stock Splits and How It Impacts Investors

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Nvidia stock splits can have a significant impact on investors, making it essential to understand the effects of a split.

A stock split is a corporate action that increases the number of shares outstanding, making each share more affordable and potentially increasing liquidity.

Investors who hold shares before the split date will receive additional shares based on the split ratio, which is typically 2-for-1, 3-for-2, or 4-for-3.

This means that if you own 100 shares before the split, you'll receive 200 shares after a 2-for-1 split, for example.

If this caught your attention, see: What Nvidia Stock Split Means for Investors

Nvidia Stock Split Basics

A stock split is a way for a company to lower its stock price by increasing the number of shares. This makes individual shares cheaper and more accessible to a wider range of investors.

The process involves dividing existing shares into more shares that are worth proportionally less. For example, a 2-for-1 split doubles the number of shares an investor holds, but cuts the price of those shares in half. In the case of Nvidia's 10-for-1 split, investors will own 10 times the number of shares they did previously, but each of those shares will be worth 10% of what they were before the split.

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Stock splits don't change a company's fundamentals, such as its earnings per share. They simply lower the nominal price of a stock, making individual shares cheaper. This can have a positive psychological effect on retail investors, generating a trading frenzy as smaller investors double down on shares.

Here's a breakdown of the Nvidia stock split:

  • Each existing share was exchanged for ten new shares.
  • A shareholder with one share at $1,000 before the split now has ten shares at $100.

The key takeaway is that stock splits don't reduce shareholder equity, they simply redistribute the value among additional shares.

Is a Split?

A split is a business decision that lowers the price proportionally while increasing the number of shares. This reduces the cost of shares for investors without changing the market capitalization.

A 10-for-1 stock split, like the one Nvidia recently did, means each existing share is exchanged for ten new shares. This can make shares more affordable for a wider group of investors.

The value of the shares doesn't actually change, it's just redistributed among more shares. For example, a shareholder with one share at $1,000 before the split now has ten shares at $100.

Nvidia's stock split was primarily done to increase the accessibility of its shares. This change was required to preserve affordability and market liquidity due to Nvidia's significant increase in stock price.

Nvidia Shareholders

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Nvidia shareholders are directly affected by the 10-for-1 stock split, which increases their shareholdings. They now own ten shares for every share they held before the split.

The split modifies the price per share, but it does not affect the overall value of their investment. This means that shareholders' equity remains the same, just redistributed among more shares.

A possible advantage of the split is more liquidity, as lower prices and more shares can facilitate buying and selling by investors. This could draw in smaller investors turned off by the pre-split price.

Investors with a long time horizon may interpret the split as a sign of Nvidia's confidence in its ability to grow. Nvidia's strong position in the semiconductor and AI businesses supports future expansion.

Here are some key facts about Nvidia shareholders after the 10-for-1 stock split:

Price Before/After Split

The price of Nvidia's stock before the split was $1,210 on the final trading day. This high price made it challenging for some investors with smaller accounts to participate in the stock market.

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To give you a better idea, let's look at an example of how the split affects the price. If an investor owned one share valued at $1,210 before the split, they would now own ten shares, each worth $121 after the split.

The overall value of the investment remains the same, but the price per share is significantly lower. This is one of the main goals of a stock split: to increase share affordability without undermining market trust.

Here's a comparison of the pre-split and post-split prices:

As you can see, the price per share is significantly lower after the split, making it more accessible to a wider range of investors.

Nvidia Stock Split Impact

Nvidia stockholders will own 10 times the number of shares they did previously, but each of those shares will be worth 10% of what they were before the split.

The overall value of their investment remains the same, as the split-adjusted price keeps the same overall value. For instance, if an investor owned one share valued at $1,210 before the split and now owns ten shares, each worth $121, the overall value of the investment remains the same.

A possible advantage of the split is more liquidity, which can result from lower prices and more shares, making it easier for investors to buy and sell.

Nvidia

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Nvidia has already delivered blockbuster returns for investors who bought the stock early in the generative AI cycle, jumping nearly 700% since the start of 2023.

The company's 10-for-1 stock split, set to take effect after the markets close on June 7, is expected to make ownership more accessible to a wider range of investors, with individual shares priced at $120 each after the split.

Historically, stock splits are bullish for companies that enact them, gaining 25% one year later vs. 12% for the broad index, according to Bank of America research.

A stock split can signal to the market that the company's stock price has been increasing enough to justify the move and investors may believe this growth will continue in the future.

The split could also raise Nvidia's chances of joining an index like the Dow Jones Industrial Average, as price-weighted indexes like the Dow tend to avoid adding high-priced stocks.

On a similar theme: 3m Company Stock Splits

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Nvidia's current price of $1,199.33 is well above the highest-priced stocks in the Dow, which were UnitedHealth Group at $498.78, Goldman Sachs at $459.62, and Microsoft at $423.13.

The 10-for-1 stock split will affect shareholders of Nvidia common stock as of market close on Thursday, with investors receiving nine additional shares after market close on Friday.

Investors with a long time horizon may interpret the split as a sign of Nvidia’s confidence in its ability to grow, supported by the company’s strong position in the semiconductor and AI businesses.

Do Lead to Better Performance?

A stock split can be a sign of a company's confidence in its future performance, but does it actually lead to better performance? Research suggests that stocks that split their shares historically return an average of 25% over the 12 months after the split is announced.

This is a significant increase compared to the S&P 500's average return of 12%. However, it's essential to note that stock splits are often correlated with bull markets, which means prices need to be rising for a company to decide to split its shares.

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The Bank of America study found that even in more challenging markets, such as the 2000s, the edge from stock splits persisted. But it's not a guarantee of outperformance - 30% of companies that announced splits fell over the following year.

Let's take a look at some recent examples of well-known companies that split their shares. Here's a brief summary of their performance after the split:

  • Apple: 4-for-1 split on Aug. 28, 2020, returned 20% over the next year, but underperformed the S&P 500's total return of 30%.
  • Amazon: 20-for-1 split on June 6, 2022, gained just 2% over the next year, compared to a 6% gain for the S&P 500.
  • Alphabet: 20-for-1 stock split on July 15, 2022, rose 12% over the next year, compared to a total return of 19% for the broad-market index.
  • Tesla: 3-for-1 split on Aug. 25, 2022, fell 19% over the next year while the S&P 500 gained 7%.

These examples show that a stock split is far from a guarantee of outperformance. In fact, some of these companies underperformed the S&P 500 in the year following their split.

Understanding Stock Splits

A stock split occurs when individual shares are divided into more shares that are worth proportionally less. For example, in a 2-for-1 split, the number of shares an investor holds would double, but the price of those shares would be cut in half.

Stock splits are fairly common and enable companies to reduce the price of their stock by a certain multiple, and offer more shares at an equivalent multiple. This creates a more liquid market and allows more market participants to trade and invest in the newly lowered stock price.

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The split will affect shareholders of Nvidia common stock as of market close on Thursday, with investors receiving nine additional shares after market close on Friday. The first day of Nvidia's split-adjusted trading will be on Monday.

The total value of investors' Nvidia holdings or the company's market cap is not impacted by a stock split. A split does lower the nominal price of a stock, making individual shares cheaper, but it doesn't affect the valuation since it also reduces earnings per share by the same percentage.

If Nvidia shares were trading at around $1,200 before the split, for example, an investor holding one share before the split would hold 10 shares priced at $120 each after the split. With a lower price per share, the split could make ownership more accessible to a wider range of investors.

Stock splits can make it easier for small and mid-sized accounts to participate in strategies that were previously reserved for large accounts. For example, a 10-point wide iron condor in NVDA stock at a price of $130 is pretty wide, which means a higher probability of profit all else equal.

Nvidia Stock Split Details

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Nvidia stock splits are designed to make ownership more accessible to a wider range of investors. The split will affect shareholders of Nvidia common stock as of market close on Thursday, with investors receiving nine additional shares after market close on Friday.

The first day of Nvidia's split-adjusted trading will be on Monday. This is when investors will start seeing the effects of the split in their accounts.

After the split, there will be 10 times as many shares of Nvidia common stock at a lower price point for individual shares. This means that if Nvidia shares were trading at around $1,200 before the split, for example, an investor holding one share before the split would hold 10 shares priced at $120 each after the split.

Stock splits are fairly common and enable companies to reduce the price of the stock by a certain multiple, offering more shares at an equivalent multiple. This creates a more liquid market, and more market participants can now trade and invest in the newly lowered stock price.

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A stock split occurs when individual shares are divided into more shares that are worth proportionally less. For example, in a 10-for-1 split, investors will own 10 times the number of shares they did previously, but each of those shares will be worth 10% of what they were before the split.

The total value of investors' Nvidia holdings or the company's market cap won't be impacted by the split. This means that the fundamentals of the business or a stock remain unchanged, like a dividend would.

Trading and Investing

Nvidia's stock split can have a significant impact on traders and investors.

The stock split can make the company's stock more attractive to individual investors, as the lower price point can make it more accessible to a wider range of people.

Historically, Nvidia's stock has been a favorite among institutional investors, but a stock split can change the dynamics and attract more individual investors.

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The stock split can also increase the liquidity of the stock, making it easier for traders to buy and sell shares.

Nvidia's stock has been known to be highly volatile, but a stock split can help to reduce the volatility and make the stock more stable.

The stock split can also have a positive impact on the company's stock price, as it can increase the number of shares outstanding and make the stock more attractive to investors.

Nvidia's stock has experienced significant growth in the past, and a stock split can help to continue this trend.

Nvidia Stock Information

Nvidia shareholders get a 10-for-1 stock split, increasing their shareholdings and adjusting the price per share.

Current Nvidia shareholders now own ten shares for every share they held before the split, which doesn't affect the overall value of their investment.

The stock split may provide more liquidity, making it easier for investors to buy and sell shares, and potentially drawing in smaller investors who were deterred by the pre-split price.

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The enhanced availability of shares could expand the pool of possible shareholders, which is a possible advantage of the stock split.

Nvidia's strong position in the semiconductor and AI businesses supports future expansion, which may be interpreted as a sign of the company's confidence in its ability to grow.

The company announced its plans for the stock split in its earnings press release, stating that each record holder of common stock as of June 6, 2024, will receive nine additional shares of common stock.

Trading is expected to commence on a split-adjusted basis at market open on Monday, June 10, 2024, after the close of market on Friday, June 7, 2024.

Nvidia's stock price is expected to be lower after the split, which often has a positive psychological effect on retail investors, generating a trading frenzy as smaller investors double down on shares.

Nvidia's stock has surged this year, jumping nearly 700% since the start of 2023, making a stock split a logical next step for the company.

Felicia Koss

Junior Writer

Felicia Koss is a rising star in the world of finance writing, with a keen eye for detail and a knack for breaking down complex topics into accessible, engaging pieces. Her articles have covered a range of topics, from retirement account loans to other financial matters that affect everyday people. With a focus on clarity and concision, Felicia's writing has helped readers make informed decisions about their financial futures.

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