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Video: What is a Stock Split?
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Safeway is a food and drug retailer in the U.S., with 1,335 stores at Dec 28 2013. Co.'s U.S. retail operations are located principally in California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Colorado, Arizona, Texas and the Mid-Atlantic region. In support of its U.S. retail operations, Co. has a network of distribution, manufacturing and food-processing facilities. Co. owns and operates GroceryWorks.com Operating Company, LLC, an online grocery channel doing business under the names Safeway.com and Vons.com. Co. also has a 49.0% ownership interest in Casa Ley, S.A. de C.V., which operates food and general merchandise stores in Western Mexico. According to our SWY split history records, SWY has had 3 splits. | |
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SWY (SWY) has 3 splits in our SWY split history database. The first split for SWY took place on January 31, 1996. This was a 2 for 1
split, meaning for each share of SWY owned pre-split, the shareholder now owned 2 shares. For example, a 1000 share position pre-split, became a 2000 share position following the split. SWY's second split took place on February 26, 1998. This was a 2 for 1
split, meaning for each share of SWY owned pre-split, the shareholder now owned 2 shares. For example, a 2000 share position pre-split, became a 4000 share position following the split. SWY's third split took place on April 15, 2014. This was a 1117 for 1000 split, meaning for each 1000 shares of SWY owned pre-split, the shareholder now owned 1117 shares. For example, a 4000 share position pre-split, became a 4468 share position following the split.
When a company such as SWY splits its shares, the market capitalization before and after the split takes place remains stable, meaning the shareholder now owns more shares but each are valued at a lower price per share. Often, however, a lower priced stock on a per-share basis can attract a wider range of buyers. If that increased demand causes the share price to appreciate, then the total market capitalization rises post-split. This does not always happen, however, often depending on the underlying fundamentals of the business.
Looking at the SWY split history from start to finish, an original position size of 1000 shares would have turned into 4468 today. Below, we examine the compound annual growth rate — CAGR for short — of an investment into SWY shares, starting with a $10,000 purchase of SWY, presented on a split-history-adjusted basis factoring in the complete SWY split history.

SWY -- use the split history when considering split-adjusted past price performance. |
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Date |
Ratio |
01/31/1996 | 2 for 1
| 02/26/1998 | 2 for 1
| 04/15/2014 | 1117 for 1000 |
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