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Many stock splits have occurred in recent years, with companies aiming to increase liquidity within shares and erase barriers to entry for potential investors. Lower share prices are more affordable for a greater portion of investors, although it’s worth noting that the rise of fractional share investing has alleviated this issue for some.
Of course, stock splits are purely cosmetic changes that do not affect the company's valuation or financial health.
A market heavyweight, Walmart (WMT - Free Report) , recently split its shares. Let’s take a closer look at how the company currently stacks up and other examples of recent splits.
Walmart
Walmart is a people-led, tech-powered omnichannel retailer helping people save money in stores, online, and through their mobile devices. The retail giant recently underwent a 3-for-1 split, with shares trading on a split-adjusted basis starting February 26th and reflecting the first split since 1999.
The company is coming off a rock-solid FY24, with revenue growing 6% year-over-year and operating income of $27.0 billion 32% higher than FY23. Walmart’s lower prices also allowed it to capture market share gains in grocery and general merchandise among higher-income households, with continued eCommerce momentum also providing favorable tailwinds.
WMT’s top line consistency throughout the years has been stellar, as we can see below.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The company performed the split to make shares more affordable for employees and investors, with more than 400k Walmart associates currently participating in its Associate Stock Purchase Plan.
Post-Split Examples
Now that Walmart shares are more accessible, it raises a valid question – is buying post-split a good idea? Let’s take a look at recent post-split performances from Novo Nordisk (NVO - Free Report) and Celsius Holdings (CELH - Free Report) .
Novo Nordisk underwent a 2-for-1 split last September, with shares up roughly 29% since the split date. Shares got a nice boost following its latest quarterly release, with the company posting a 7.6% beat relative to the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate and posting sales 4% ahead of expectations.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Concerning Celsius, shares are up more than 30% since the split date (November 15th), outperforming the S&P 500 handily. It’s worth noting that the company is expected to report its next set of quarterly results on February 29th, with current consensus expectations suggesting 1500% earnings growth on 82% higher sales.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Bottom Line
Retail giant Walmart (WMT - Free Report) has recently undergone a split, hoping to make shares more accessible for both employees and investors. Splits are generally a positive announcement, with the lower share price helping boost share liquidity.
And while both Celsius (CELH - Free Report) and Novo Nordisk (NVO - Free Report) shares have delivered market-beating returns post-split, strictly buying post-split is not a feasible strategy. Instead, focusing on positive earnings estimate revisions is an excellent avenue to finding stocks likely to move higher in the near term.
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Stock Splits: Should You Buy?
Many stock splits have occurred in recent years, with companies aiming to increase liquidity within shares and erase barriers to entry for potential investors. Lower share prices are more affordable for a greater portion of investors, although it’s worth noting that the rise of fractional share investing has alleviated this issue for some.
Of course, stock splits are purely cosmetic changes that do not affect the company's valuation or financial health.
A market heavyweight, Walmart (WMT - Free Report) , recently split its shares. Let’s take a closer look at how the company currently stacks up and other examples of recent splits.
Walmart
Walmart is a people-led, tech-powered omnichannel retailer helping people save money in stores, online, and through their mobile devices. The retail giant recently underwent a 3-for-1 split, with shares trading on a split-adjusted basis starting February 26th and reflecting the first split since 1999.
The company is coming off a rock-solid FY24, with revenue growing 6% year-over-year and operating income of $27.0 billion 32% higher than FY23. Walmart’s lower prices also allowed it to capture market share gains in grocery and general merchandise among higher-income households, with continued eCommerce momentum also providing favorable tailwinds.
WMT’s top line consistency throughout the years has been stellar, as we can see below.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The company performed the split to make shares more affordable for employees and investors, with more than 400k Walmart associates currently participating in its Associate Stock Purchase Plan.
Post-Split Examples
Now that Walmart shares are more accessible, it raises a valid question – is buying post-split a good idea? Let’s take a look at recent post-split performances from Novo Nordisk (NVO - Free Report) and Celsius Holdings (CELH - Free Report) .
Novo Nordisk underwent a 2-for-1 split last September, with shares up roughly 29% since the split date. Shares got a nice boost following its latest quarterly release, with the company posting a 7.6% beat relative to the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate and posting sales 4% ahead of expectations.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Concerning Celsius, shares are up more than 30% since the split date (November 15th), outperforming the S&P 500 handily. It’s worth noting that the company is expected to report its next set of quarterly results on February 29th, with current consensus expectations suggesting 1500% earnings growth on 82% higher sales.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Bottom Line
Retail giant Walmart (WMT - Free Report) has recently undergone a split, hoping to make shares more accessible for both employees and investors. Splits are generally a positive announcement, with the lower share price helping boost share liquidity.
And while both Celsius (CELH - Free Report) and Novo Nordisk (NVO - Free Report) shares have delivered market-beating returns post-split, strictly buying post-split is not a feasible strategy. Instead, focusing on positive earnings estimate revisions is an excellent avenue to finding stocks likely to move higher in the near term.