When Will ExxonMobil Corporation Split Its Stock Again?
Oil giant ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) is no stranger to stock splits, having completed seven of them over the course of its history. Many of those occurred after its stock price had risen into the triple digits, which is worth noting since it's currently trading in the low $80s. That said, its last split was more than 16 years ago. Furthermore, the company's stock briefly ran into the triple digits in 2014 when crude was around that same level, but it didn't enact a split. While this gap has many investors wondering when the company will split again, that timing isn't what should be on investors' minds these days.
The main reason Exxon -- or any other company for that matter -- would split its stock is because the market price has risen to the point where it might start deterring investors from buying shares. For example, before the advent of online brokers, most stocks had to be traded in round lots of 100 shares, which meant investors had to invest over $10,000 once a company's stock price reached the triple digits. That level was often too high for small retail investors, so companies would split their stocks so more people could invest.
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Source: Fool.com