
The only journal entry needed for a stock split is a memo entry to note that the number of shares has changed and that the par value per share has changed (if the stock has a par value).
What is the journal entry for a stock split?
The only journal entry needed for a stock split is a memo entry to note that the number of shares has changed and that the par value per share has changed (if the stock has a par value).
What is the process of stock splitting?
The process of splitting the stock involves issuing additional shares to current shareholders in proportion to their current shareholding. Suppose a business has 1,000 shares outstanding with a par value of 0.50 per share, and a market price of 95.00 per share.
What happens to market capitalization after a stock split?
After a split, the stock price will be reduced since the number of shares outstanding has increased. In the example of a 2-for-1 split, the share price will be halved. Thus, although the number of outstanding shares and the price change, the market capitalization remains constant.
What is a 2-for-1 stock split example?
For example, ABC company currently has 50,000 shares of $10 par value common stock outstanding and decides a 2-for-1 stock split. After this split, the company will have 100,000 shares of $5 par value common stock outstanding but the total par value of shares will remain the same as before the split.

How do you Journalize a 2 1 stock split?
For example, a 2-for-1 stock split would reduce the par value of each share of stock by 50 percent. No account is debited, but a memo entry should be made on the company's balance sheet indicating the change in the company's per share par value.
How do you account split in stock?
The two volume-based accounting treatments for stock splits are:Low-volume stock issuance. If a stock issuance is for less than 20% to 25% of the number of shares outstanding prior to the issuance, account for the transaction as a stock dividend.High-volume stock issuance.
What is a split journal entry?
If you choose “Split”, journal entry rows with the same G/L account will not be grouped, and each document row will be reflected by a separate row in the journal entry. In addition, you will be able to leverage the reference field links to copy the item information to the respective journal entry rows.
What accounts are debited and credited for a stock split?
Retained earnings is charged (debited) for the fair value of the shares, and capital stock (for the par value of the shares) and additional paid-in capital are credited.
How does a stock split affect the balance sheet?
A stock split will not change the general ledger account balances and therefore will not change the dollar amounts reported in the stockholders' equity section of the balance sheet. (Although the number of shares will double, the total dollar amounts will not change.)
When split shares will be credited?
As with other corporate actions like bonus share issues, stock splits are also automatically credited to your demat account within 4-5 days from the record date issued by the company. You can check your demat holding statement to ensure that the split shares are credited appropriately.
Is a stock split a dividend?
A stock dividend means dividend which is paid in the form of additional shares whereas stock split is a division of issues shares in the ratio as decided by Company. In the Stock dividend, additional shares are given to shareholders whereas in stock split already issued shares are split in an agreed ratio.
What is the accounting entry for bonus shares?
The issue of bonus shares in payment of dividends is called capitalization of un-distributed profit. The following accounting entry is made for the issuance of bonus shares: Dividends Payable ———————————- Dr. Share Capital ——————————————Cr.
How do I split a journal entry in QuickBooks?
Enter a split transaction into the account historyGo to Bookkeeping and select Chart of accounts (Take me there).Find the account for the transaction.Under the Action column, select Account history.Select the transaction, then select Edit. ... Enter the other accounts to add with the amount. ... Select Save.
Does a stock split affect retained earnings?
If the event is a stock split, there is no change in either Retained Earnings or Common Stock, only a decrease in par value and an increase in the number of issued and outstanding shares.
Definition and explanation
Stock split (sometimes referred to as forward stock split) is a practice of increasing the total number of shares of common stock outstanding and making a proportional decrease in the per share par value so that the aggregate amount of all outstanding shares remains unchanged. Suppose, for example, David Inc.
How does stock split affect the market price?
The primary purpose of stock split is to decrease the market price of company’s share so that it becomes more accessible and affordable to potential shareholders and investors.
Example
The stock holders’ equity section of the balance sheet of Western Company at December 31, 2020, is given below:
Reverse stock split
A reverse stock split, as the name implies, is the opposite of a forward or normal stock split. It occurs when a company intends to raise the market price of its share by reducing its total number of outstanding shares available to shareholders.
Example of reverse stock split
Arnold, a less experienced investor, owns 1,000 shares of Toronto Inc. at $0.5, the total value being $500. Toronto Inc. currently has 500,000 shares outstanding and it announces a 1-for-10 reverse stock split. Consequently, each 10 shares of common stock currently held by shareholders would be consolidated and converted to 1 share of common stock.
Stock Split Example
Suppose a business has 1,000 shares outstanding with a par value of 0.50 per share, and a market price of 95.00 per share. The business feels that the market price of the shares (95.00) is too high and that demand for the shares is falling, and decides to undertake a 2 for 1 stock split to correct the situation.
Stock Split – Effect on Market Value
As no cash was involved in the stock split, the total market value before and immediately after the stock split must be the same.
Stock Split – Effect on Par Value
The par value of the shares is normally adjusted such that the total par value of the shares before the split is the same as the total par value after the split. The new par value is calculated as follows:
Memo Entry
A stock split does not require any journal entries in the accounting records as there has been no change in the total equity of the business. A memo entry is normally made to reflect the fact that the split has occurred and that the par value has changed proportionally.
Other Stock Splits
The 2 for 1 stock split is one of the most common forms of stock split, however other forms can be found, examples showing the effect on the number of shares are given below.
About the Author
Chartered accountant Michael Brown is the founder and CEO of Double Entry Bookkeeping. He has worked as an accountant and consultant for more than 25 years and has built financial models for all types of industries. He has been the CFO or controller of both small and medium sized companies and has run small businesses of his own.
Why Do Companies Engage in Stock Splits?
When a company's share price increases to levels that are too high, or are beyond the price levels of similar companies in their sector, they may decide to do a stock split. The reason for this is that a stock split can make shares seem more affordable to small investors (even though the underlying value of the company has not changed).
What Is a Reverse Stock Split?
Another version of a stock split is called a reverse split. This procedure is typically used by companies with low share prices that would like to increase their prices. A company may do this if they are afraid their shares are going to be delisted or as a way of gaining more respectability in the market.
How Do Stock Splits Affect Short Sellers?
Stock splits do not affect short sellers in a material way. There are some changes that occur as the result of a split that can impact the short position. However, they don't affect the value of the short position. The biggest change that happens in the portfolio is the number of shares shorted and the price per share.
The Bottom Line
A stock split is used primarily by companies that have seen their share prices increase substantially. Although the number of outstanding shares increases and the price per share decreases, the market capitalization (and the value of the company) does not change.
Small stock dividend journal entry
The company can make the small stock dividend journal entry on the declaration date by debiting the stock dividends account and crediting the common stock dividend distributable account and the paid-in capital in excess of par-common stock for the difference between the stock price and the par value.
Small stock dividend example
For example, on December 18, 2020, the company ABC declares a 10% stock dividend on its 500,000 shares of common stock. Its common stock has a par value of $1 per share and a market price of $5 per share. The stock dividend is to distribute to the shareholders on January 12, 2021.
Large stock dividend journal entry
The company can make the large stock dividend journal entry on the declaration date by debiting the stock dividends account and crediting the common stock dividend distributable account.
Large stock dividend example
For example, if the company ABC in the example above declares a 30% stock dividends instead of 10%, the value assigned to the dividend would be the par value of $1 per share as it is considered the large stock dividend (greater than 20%-25%).
Tips for investors looking to make money on splits and buybacks
Tim Parker has been a financial journalist for 11+ years, serving some of the largest and best-known media outlets in the world and earned a masters degree in educational leadership from the University of Cincinnati. Tim enjoys researching and sharing his knowledge on the topics of banking, retirement and medicare through his writing.
Stock Buybacks
A stock buyback takes place when a company uses its cash to repurchase stock from the market. A company cannot be a shareholder in itself so when it repurchases shares, those shares are either canceled or made into treasury shares.
Examples of a Stock Buyback
In September 2011, Berkshire Hathaway announced a share buyback where they actually disclosed the maximum amount they were willing to pay for the shares.
How to Make Money on a Buyback
What's the best way to make money on a repurchase? Invest in companies with a strong balance sheet. This makes a share repurchase a positive action in the eyes of investors. As with any investing strategy, never invest in a company with the hopes that a certain event will take place.
Stock Splits
If you had a $10 bill and somebody offered to give you two $5 dollar bills in exchange, would you feel a little richer? A stock split doesn't add any value to a stock. Instead, it takes one share of a stock and splits it into two shares, reducing its value by half.
Reverse Splits
A reverse split works the opposite way of a split. Those two $5 bills would become one $10 bill. Reverse splits should be met with skepticism. When a stock's price gets so low that the company doesn't want it to look like a penny stock, they sometimes institute a reverse split. History has shown less than stellar results for companies that do this.
The Bottom Line
Splits and buybacks may not pack the same punch as a company that gets bought out, but they do give the investor a metric to gauge the management's sentiment of their company. One thing is for sure: when these actions take place, it's time to reexamine the balance sheet.

Stock Split Example
Stock Split – Effect on Market Value
- As no cash was involved in the stock split, the total market value before and immediatelyafter the stock split must be the same. The same answer can be found by dividing the current market price of each share by the stock split ratio as follows: As a result of the 2 for 1 stock split, the market price of each share has halved from 95.00 to 47.50, this reduction in price will in theory, make th…
Stock Split – Effect on Par Value
- The par value of the shares is normally adjusted such that the total par value of the shares before the split is the same as the total par value after the split. The new par value is calculated as follows: Again, the same answer can be found by dividing the current par value of each share by the stock split ratio as follows: As there has been no change in the total par value, then no stock …
Memo Entry
- A stock split does not require any journal entries in the accounting records as there has been no change in the total equity of the business. A memo entry is normally made to reflect the fact that the split has occurred and that the par value has changed proportionally.
Other Stock Splits
- The 2 for 1 stock split is one of the most common forms of stock split, however other forms can be found, examples showing the effect on the number of shares are given below. The final example above shows a reversestock split where the number of shares outstanding is reduced rather than increased. A reverse stock split is used when a business wants to increase the mark…