What does a 10-for-1 stock split do to a shareholder's shares?

A 10-for-1 stock split increases the number of shares held by a shareholder because it divides each existing share into ten shares. For instance, if a shareholder owns 100 shares before the split, after the 10-for-1 split, they would hold 1,000 shares. The split does not change the overall market capitalization of the company; rather, it reduces the price per share while simultaneously increasing the total number of shares outstanding. This can make the stock more affordable to a broader range of investors, potentially increasing its liquidity. Ultimately, shareholders will have more shares, but since the fractional value of each share decreases correspondingly, the total market value of their holdings remains unchanged immediately after the split.