Topic: How To Invest

Pat: While going through some old broker records I realized that many of your stock recommendations resulted in stock splits. It seemed that 2005 was a very busy year, when many occurred. I realize there is no definite answer, but can you comment on the general factors that cause some companies to announce splits while others seem content to let their share prices increase instead? Thanks for the excellent coverage and advice.

Article Excerpt

When a company splits its shares, it is simply cutting itself up into a different number of pieces, without changing its fundamental value. It simply wants its stock to trade in a price-per-share range that seems reasonable to investors. Mechanics of a split: If a stock’s price rises much beyond $50 a share in Canada (or $100 a share in the U.S.), some investors may shun it, since it seems expensive. The company’s management may then declare a stock split of, say, two-for-one. This turns one “old” share into two “new” shares. If you owned 100 shares of a $60 stock, you now own 200 shares of a $30 stock. You don’t need to take any action. After a conventional stock split, good news often follows. Companies mainly split their shares when they want to draw attention to themselves — because they expect earnings to rise faster than normal, say. At such times, they may also raise their dividends. However, sometimes…