Prior research has used inaccurate classification rules to distinguish between stock splits and stock dividends. For a sample of two-for-one stock distributions, we show that firms that accounted for the distribution as a stock dividend generated five-day abnormal returns of 2.70%, compared to...

Stock dividends involving an increase in outstanding shares of less than 25% require a transfer from retained earnings of the market value of the new shares issued, a much larger transfer than the par value transferred for stock dividends of 25% or more. The choice of a distribution factor near...

We observe significant post-split excess returns of 7.93% in the first year and 12.15% in the first three years for a sample of 1,275 two-for-one stock splits. These excess returns follow an announcement return of 3.38%, indicating that the market underreacts to split announcements. The evidence...

Prior research has used inaccurate classification rules to distinguish between stock splits and stock dividends. The CRSP classification of two-for-one stock distributions agrees with the actual accounting treatment only 23% of the time. In addition, the accounting treatment impacts the...

We observe significant post-split excess returns of 7.93 percent in the first year and 12.15 percent in the first three years for a sample of 1,275 two-for-one stock splits. These excess returns follow an announcement return of 3.38 percent, indicating that the market underreacts to split...