Apple Completes its Fifth Stock Split, Investors Receive Four Shares for One

Apple has today completed its fifth-ever stock split with investors receiving four shares for every one share held (via Business Insider). The split has resulted in the Cupertino company’s stock price being quartered from nearly $500 last week to around $125 today.

Back in 1987, Apple announced its first-ever 2-for-1 stock split with shares going on to return 9.6% over the next year. The second 2-for-1 split for Apple stock was carried out in 2000, with shares going down as much as 59.6% 1 year later. 

After Apple’s third 2-for-1 stock split in 2005, shares returned 52.7% over the following year, while Apple’s fourth stock split in 2014, which was 7 shares for 1, was followed by a 36.0% return over the next year.

While Apple has demonstrated generally strong returns following its stock splits over the years, few companies have followed its path. According to Ally Invest, few S&P 500 companies are splitting their stocks today compared to the 1990s when it was all the rage.

Investors who owned one share of Apple prior to its first stock split in 1987 would own 224 shares today.

If Apple never split its stock over its history, its shares would be trading at $27,957.44 as of last week’s close.