What effect does a stock split have on a company's overall market capitalization?

A stock split occurs when a company divides its existing shares into multiple new shares, thereby increasing the number of shares outstanding while proportionally reducing the share price. This means that the overall market capitalization of the company, which is calculated as the share price multiplied by the number of shares outstanding, remains unchanged.

For example, if a company has a market capitalization of $1 million with 1 million shares priced at $1 each and then conducts a 2-for-1 stock split, it will then have 2 million shares priced at $0.50 each. The market capitalization remains at $1 million post-split. Therefore, stock splits are primarily cosmetic changes aimed at making shares more accessible and attractive to investors, especially if share prices have risen significantly.

The concept that stock splits have no effect on market capitalization is crucial for understanding how equity changes can occur without altering a company's intrinsic value as perceived by the market.