5 Magnificent 7 Stocks Have Split Their Shares Since 2020. Only 2 Have Beaten the Market

Core Viewpoint - Stock splits are often perceived as positive catalysts for share prices, making them more accessible to retail investors, but fundamentally, they do not change the underlying business dynamics [1] Group 1: Stock Splits and Performance - Since 2020, five of the Magnificent Seven stocks (Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Nvidia, and Tesla) have executed stock splits, while Meta Platforms has never split and Microsoft's last split was in 2003 [2] - The post-split performance of these stocks has been mixed, with only two (Alphabet and Tesla) outperforming the S&P 500 since their respective split dates [3][4] - The total returns from each split date through March 13 show that only Alphabet and Tesla's initial splits delivered market-beating returns, while Apple, Amazon, and Nvidia lagged behind the S&P 500 [4] Group 2: Outperformers - Alphabet's 20-for-1 split on July 18, 2022, resulted in a 176.5% return, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 82.7% gain, driven by its strong search franchise and growth in YouTube ad revenue [5] - Tesla's five-for-one split in 2020 produced a 135.5% gain, coinciding with increased EV adoption and advancements in autonomous driving technology [7] Group 3: Laggards and Potential Recovery - The remaining splitters (Apple, Amazon, Nvidia, and Tesla's 2022 follow-on) have underperformed, raising questions about their potential for recovery [9] - Apple's return of 99.6% since its 2020 split trails the S&P by six percentage points, but emerging AI features could provide new momentum [10] - Amazon's post-2022 split return of 66.4% is nearly four points behind the market, yet AWS AI workloads and e-commerce efficiency gains may act as catalysts for a rebound [10] - Nvidia's 48% gain since its June 2024 split is weak compared to the S&P's 86.6%, but its position as an AI hardware leader suggests potential for future growth [10] Group 4: Factors Influencing Future Performance - The potential for recovery among lagging stocks depends more on execution in AI, cloud, and autonomous technologies rather than the splits themselves [11] - While splits may lower psychological barriers for investors, sustained outperformance will be determined by earnings power and competitive positioning [11]