Stock Split and Reverse Split-Evidence From India
Stock Split and Reverse Split-Evidence From India
Stock Split and Reverse Split-Evidence From India
Ruzbeh J Bodhanwala
Flame University
Abstract: This study expands on why managers decide to split and reverse split
their companies share and what are the kind of effects they have on the share
pricing and liquidity of shares. This focuses on splits and reverse splits between
2006-2014. Splits declaration were highest in year 2010 (104 companies) whereas
reverse splits were evenly distributed over years. To validate our hypothesis
historical data have been used. The results suggest that there is an optimal price for
the shares, at which they appear to be best value for money. On analyzing the data,
we reached a conclusion that splitting of shares substantially increases the wealth
of shareholders, but no such conclusion can be drawn for reverse splitting.
Key Words: Stock Split, Shareholders, Reverse Split
Introduction
A Stock split (or forward split) is a simple phenomenon where a company
changes the number of shares outstanding and its face value changes with no
effect on any other item of the financial statement. “Reverse splits” is an opposite
phenomenon and is normally done when the share prices reduce substantially and
managers decide to increase the market price by increasing the face value, this
would then reduce the volume available in the market, transaction cost would also
would decrease and in the long run the share will be concentrated in fewer hands.
Since the classic research by Fama, Fisher, Jensen, & Roll (1969) the trading range
and signaling hypothesis is considered as a leading explanation to splits. Also
the existence of abnormal return around splits supports the signaling hypothesis
(Asquith, Healy, & Palepu, 1989), (Grinblatt, Masulis, & Titman, 1984), (Dravid,
1987). Behaviour of reverse splits is associated with negative abnormal returns
and is associated with getting the price in an attractive trading range (Peterson &
Pamela, 1992).
Research on trading range (Baker & Powell, 1993) provided evidence that
managers (91% of managers surveyed ) would opt for share splits when the shares
move out of the trading range ($20-$35), In the Indian context 75% managers in
India opted for split only when the shares were trading outside the ideal trading
range of Rs.400 (Mehta, Jain, & Yadav, 2009). Average price before Split for 519
Stocks (forward splits) covered in the study was Rs.731, and this could have been
a compelling reason to declare splits.
This study focuses on splits and reverse splits between 2006-2014, Splits
declaration were highest in year 2010 (104 companies) whereas reverse splits were
evenly distributed over years. The Indian market (S&P BSE Sensex) is unique in
many ways. Since inception it has given annualized return of 17%. Indian regulator
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of stock market SEBI, mandates that (SEBI, 2004) Rs.1 should be the minimum
Face value, and majority of splitting companies have deliberately chosen to reduce
their face value from Rs. 10 to either Rs.1 or Rs. 2, which leaves no room for these
companies in the future to split shares.
Reverse split is not very common and it is ironical that all the 38 companies
which declared reverse splits had declared split in the past. The idea behind
declaring reverse split is to increase the share price and concentrate the number of
shares into fewer hands. The end result of reverse split should increase in price and
decrease in volumes.
This study would explore how Indian markets reacted to split and reverse
split announcement as there are contrary opinions across the globe with regards to
change in liquidity and wealth effect. Based on empirical study, we also elaborate
on the implications for short and long term investors.
Literature review
Preferred trading range hypothesis suggests that one of the purpose of share
split is to bring the shares price into a better trading range and improve liquidity
(Baker & Powell 1993); (Lakonishok & Lev, 1987).In the Indian context Mehta,
Jain, & Yadav (2009) validate the trading range hypothesis and 90% of managers
surveyed expressed that ideal price range should be less that Rs 400. Research by
(Lakonishok & Lev, 1987) also proves that firms that declare splits have a higher
short-term growth rate in Earning versus companies which do not declare splits.
A Study by (Ikenberry, Rankine, & Stice, 1996) suggest the splits would help
managers to realign the price to a lower trading range, but their decision to split
is a function of their expected future performance of the company. Fama, Fisher,
Jensen, & Roll (1969) advanced the theory to dividend signals and suggested that
abnormal returns around splits are a function of increased expectation for higher
dividends. The study on dividend signals was extended by (Nayak & Prabhala,
2001) and proved that around 54% of splits announcements can be attributed to
increase in dividend information.
Second, the Liquidity hypothesis (Lakonishok & Lev, 1987) (Ikenberry,
Rankine, & Stice, 1996) suggest that as the share move into a preferred trading
range the stock is in demand by more investors and hence the liquidity of the
stock increases. Study of Copeland, 1979 concludes that there is a decrease in
liquidity after the split event. Study of (Conroy, Harris, & Benet, 1990) (Bley,
2002) concludes that there is no change in volume due to splits.
The Tax timing hypothesis suggests that capital gains on stocks splits occur
when the shares are sold and hence splits offer the receiver a timing option and
capital gains can be deferred. Study of (Constantin ides, 1983) proved that stock
returns are more volatile after splits and hence have a higher tax option value.
For all four variables a comparison of average Post-split values greater than pre-
split values is denoted by “Pr.” proportion of cases where Post is greater than Pre.
Event day is denoted as day-0 for calculating the Alpha and Beta, regression
coefficients are calculated for 365 days before day-0. From the 365 data pre-split
30 trading days eliminated and result is obtained for remaining days. For each
stock alpha and beta values are calculated based on 335 data points. Critical event
window for analysis is -30 to +30 trading days from the event day and critical
period is tested for abnormal return.
The average abnormal return (AAR) is the average of abnormal return given by
equation 2 :
Subsequently the average Expected return and Actual return for the period +30 to
30 is tested to determine the significance levels (Lamoureux & Percy, 1987).
AAR= Average Abnormal return/ also referred as Average residual (Garcia de
Andoain & Bacon, 2009)
CAAR= Cumulative Average Abnormal return/ also referred as cumulative aver-
age residual
Impact of share split and reverse splits on variables
Table-1 Analysis after share split
Vari- N Mean Dev. Mean Mean Std. P(T<=t) Pr.
ables Pre-split Pre-split Post-Split Dev. Post- two-tail
Split
Price 519 117.8 16.9 122.3 17.0 0.17 0.59
Return 519 0.00 0.03 0.00 0.03 0.00* 0.27
Volume 519 415400.5 512857.4 352114.4 411749.3 0.01* 0.36
Trades 519 947.9 967.5 1342.4 1210.8 0.00* 0.64
*P critical .05
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P value (t-Test) for variable price is suggestive that there is no difference between
the pre and post-split prices, even though for 59% companies’ average prices of
share post-split were higher than pre-split. For all other variables, it is below the
significance level. H0 is rejected for variables like Return, Volume and Trades. As
can be seen 64% of companies’ experience an increase in trade post-split which
strongly supports the liquidity hypothesis and preferred trading range hypothesis.
Table-2 Analysis after Reverse split
Vari- N Mean Dev. Mean Mean Std. P(T<=t) Pr.
ables Pre-split Pre-split Post-Split Dev. Post- two-tail
Split
Price 38 29.8 8.3 36.9 4.4 0.16 0.37
Return 38 0.0 0.4 0.00 0.02 0.84 0.34
Volume 38 60031.7 86430.6 85031.2 103306.6 0.24 0.71
Trades 38 370.0 378.0 974.3 1041.3 0.24 0.61
*P critical .05
P value (t-Test) on reverse split is suggestive that results pre and post-split are not
significantly different. H0 is accepted on all parameters (price, return, volume and
trades).
Table-3 z-test (nonparametric)
Chart-1, depicts the behavior of Average Abnormal return over the long run OLS
estimates. It is very evident that abnormal return continues for 2 days after event
date, and maximum abnormal return occur on Event date. On event date average
abnormal return is around 2.8% .
Chart-2- CAAR % (Over Regression Return for splitting firms)
*P critical .05
Table-6 Result of t-test concludes that abnormal return and CAAR are significantly
different pre-split and Post-split.
Mean CAAR Pre- Split is around 19%, which indicates that market player
perceive splits as a positive signal and share prices increase abnormally before the
Ex-Date. Between the announcement date and Ex-Date the abnormal movement
can also be attributed to speculation or insider trading (starting almost 30 trading
days prior to the Ex-date, 73% companies had abnormal excess return on Ex-date)
this abnormal movement flattens after the Ex-date.
Chart-3 highlights that there is no effect of the reverse split news on the stocks
returns. abnormal returns are within the range of +1% to -2%.
Chart-4
Chart-4 for reverse split stocks indicate that cumulative abnormal returns pre splits
are negligible and 30 days after the event date CAAR is around -25%. In fact the
shaded area of negative cumulative returns (after the event date) is much larger in
comparison to the positive cumulative returns (after the event date)
Conclusion
For share splitting stocks there is an increase in liquidity (64% companies had
higher number of trades after split) and the average prices post splits are higher for