Osakesplitin

Osakesplitin, also known as a stock split, is a corporate action where a company increases the number of its outstanding shares by dividing each share into multiple shares. This action does not change the total market capitalization of the company, nor does it affect the shareholder's proportional ownership. For example, in a 2-for-1 stock split, each shareholder receives two shares for every one share they previously held. If a shareholder owned 100 shares before the split, they would own 200 shares after the split.

The primary reason companies undertake stock splits is to make their shares more affordable and accessible to a wider range of investors. When a stock's price becomes very high, it can deter smaller individual investors from purchasing it. A stock split lowers the per-share price, making it psychologically and practically more appealing. This increased accessibility can lead to higher trading volume and liquidity for the stock.

While the number of shares and the price per share change, the underlying value of an investor's holding remains the same immediately after the split. The total value of the shares held by an investor before the split is equal to the total value of their shares after the split. For instance, if a stock is trading at $200 per share and undergoes a 2-for-1 split, the price per share will adjust to $100, but the total value of the investor's holdings remains unchanged. Companies might also consider a reverse stock split, which consolidates existing shares into fewer, higher-priced shares.