Intro
The Amazon (AMZN) stock has gone through four stock splits in its history. In this article, we'll take a look at Amazon's stock splits, as well as what you need to know about future stock splits, and whether to buy Amazon stock before or after a split.
THE ESSENCE
- There have been 4 stock splits of Amazon shares since 1997 when the company went public
- The most recent one was in June 2022, a 20-to-1 split
- There is no way to know ahead of time when the next stock split will happen
Amazon stock split history
A stock split is when a company decides to increase the number of its shares by splitting each existing share into several new shares. It is usually done to boost the stock's liquidity, and make it more attractive to individual investors, as a stock split reduces the price of each share proportionally.
So far, the Amazon stock (AMZN) has gone through a total of 4 stock splits since 1997, when its shares became publicly traded. We collected the share splits in the table below.
Date | Split | Cumulative split |
---|---|---|
June 2, 1998 | 2-to-1 | 2-to-1 |
January 5, 1999 | 3-to-1 | 6-to-1 |
September 2, 1999 | 2-to-1 | 12-to-1 |
June 6, 2022 | 20-to-1 | 240-to-1 |
The most recent stock split occured on June 6, 2022 with a 20-to-1 split. At that time, investors received 20 new Amazon shares in exchange for every single share they held, while the value of each Amazon share decreased from around $2,800 before the split to $140 after the split.
Also, as the table shows, if you had bought one Amazon share before June 2, 1998, you would have 240 Amazon shares today.
A stock split does not change the value of an investor's overall holding of the stock in question, it simply increases the number of shares owned. For instance, 10 Amazon shares worth $2,800 each (before the split) have the same value as 200 shares priced $140 each (after the split), namely $28,000.
When can you expect an Amazon stock split?
There is no way to know for certain when or if Amazon will choose to make a stock split. Stock splits are decisions made by a company's directors, and are usually done to make shares more affordable for individual investors, by reducing the nominal share price.
It is generally a good idea to keep up to date with analyst opinions and read relevant news articles and analyses in order to be informed in time about when the next Amazon split may happen and what it means for investors.
Should you buy Amazon stock before or after a stock split?
There is no definitive answer as to whether you should buy Amazon stock before or after a stock split.
A stock split in itself does not have any impact on a company's fundamentals, financial performance or the stock's price development. In general, stock splits are considered a neutral event that do not have a significant impact on the underlying fundamentals or overall value of a company.
Therefore, the timing of a stock split should not be a significant factor in deciding whether to buy or sell Amazon stock. You should instead base your decision on your analysis of the company's financial situation and growth potential.
At the same time, stock splits can lead to increased liquidity and trading volume in the market, making it easier for investors to buy or sell shares.
Buying stocks for the first time?
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Further reading
- How to buy Amazon stock to invest in AMZN
- All you need to know about Amazon shares
- Beginner's guide to buy Amazon shares
- How to buy Amazon fractional shares?
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