Core Insights - The article discusses the trend of stock splits among influential non-tech companies, highlighting their appeal to investors and the potential for increased accessibility to shares [3][9][10]. Group 1: Stock Splits Overview - Stock splits are a cosmetic adjustment to a company's share price and outstanding share count, with no impact on market capitalization or operating performance [5]. - Forward splits are preferred by investors as they lower share prices, making them more affordable for everyday investors [7]. - An analysis from Bank of America Global Research indicates that companies enacting forward splits have historically outperformed the S&P 500, with an average return of 25.4% in the 12 months following the split announcement compared to 11.9% for the index [8]. Group 2: Notable Companies and Their Splits - Fastenal completed a 2-for-1 forward split on May 21, marking its ninth split in 37 years, and has seen its shares increase by over 210,000% since its IPO in 1987 [10][11]. - O'Reilly Automotive executed a 15-for-1 forward split on June 9, benefiting from the aging vehicle market in the U.S. and a significant share repurchase program that has spent over $25.9 billion since 2011 [13][14][15]. - Interactive Brokers Group announced a 4-for-1 forward split, reducing its share price from over $205 to around $50, with shares soaring by 400% since May 2020 [18][19]. Group 3: Market Trends and Performance - The average age of vehicles in the U.S. has increased from 11.1 years in 2012 to 12.8 years in 2025, creating a favorable environment for auto parts suppliers like O'Reilly Automotive [14]. - Interactive Brokers has experienced significant growth in customer accounts (up 65% to 3.62 million) and customer equity (up 67% to nearly $574 billion) over the trailing two years [22]. - The combination of bull markets and technological advancements has driven growth in key performance indicators for Interactive Brokers, although its forward P/E ratio of 26 represents a 29% premium to its five-year average [20][24].