Category Archives: investing

Stock Splits

Companies often split shares of their stock to try to make them more affordable to individual investors. A stock split does not dilute the ownership interests of existing shareholders. When a company declares a stock split, its share price will decrease, but a shareholder’s total market value will remain the same. For example, if you own 100 shares of a company that trades at $100 per share and the company declares a two for one stock split, you will own a total of 200 shares at $50 per share immediately after the split. If the company pays a dividend, your dividends paid per share will also fall proportionately.

A stock may split two for one, three for two, or any other combination.

A stock split is when a company creates more shares out of existing shares and in the process reduce its share price to make the shares more affordable to purchase by shareholders and investors.

The company’s overall value stays the same while dividing its existing shares into greater number of smaller, less expensive shares.

The stock split ratios for example a 2-for-1 split means every existing share (1) is divided by 2 resulting to 2 shares. So, if you own 10 shares worth $10.00 each before the split in this hypothetical example, after the 2-for-1 split, you will own 20 shares with each share worth $5.00 each.

REASON FOR STOCK SPLITS

A stock split makes the stock more affordable for more investors and thus can be used to draw in new investors who may have been reluctant or simply unable to purchase the stock at its higher price.

The move is a useful strategy when a company’s stock price rises to a level that prices many investors out, or when the price has risen significantly higher than its competitors’ stock.

Stock splits can be a lucrative and important step for companies looking to draw in more investors. This is particularly true for companies that are experiencing rapid growth. A company that is growing or believes it will grow may choose to split their stock, giving a positive indication of growth to investors and shareholders, which ultimately helps it grow.

Market Value of a Company’s Stock

Definition

Market value is the selling price of an asset or company on the open market, based on what buyers are willing to pay and what sellers are willing to accept.

What Is Market Value?

Market value is the price an asset would fetch in the market, based on the price that buyers are willing to pay and sellers are willing to accept. It may also refer to the market capitalization of a publicly traded company, calculated by multiplying the number of outstanding shares by the current share price.

Market value is easiest to determine for exchange-traded instruments such as stocks and futures, since their market prices are widely disseminated and easily available, but it is a little more challenging for over-the-counter instruments like fixed-income securities. It is also difficult to get an objective market value for illiquid assets like real estate and businesses, which may necessitate the use of real estate appraisers or business valuation experts.

Key Takeaways

  • Market value is the price of an asset on the marketplace, based on the prices buyers are willing to pay and what sellers are willing to accept.
  • For publicly traded companies, market value refers to the market capitalization: the number of outstanding shares times the share price.
  • For private businesses, market value can be estimated looking at metrics such as cash flow, earnings, growth prospects, assets, and liabilities as well as the selling prices of similar businesses.
  • It may be difficult to determine the market value for illiquid or non-fungible assets, like real estate or businesses.

Understanding Market Value

A company’s market value is a good indication of investors’ perceptions about its business prospects. The range of market values in the marketplace is enormous, ranging from less than $1 million for the smallest companies to hundreds of billions, and even trillions for the world’s biggest and most successful companies.

Market value is determined by the valuations or multiples accorded by investors to companies, such as price-to-sales, price-to-earnings, enterprise value-to-EBITDA, and so on. The higher the valuations, the greater the market value.