Recently, Google (GOOGL) announced that it would conduct a stock split. Inspired by an excellent 4th quarter earnings report and a high share price, Google has decided to split the stock to help more new investors acquire shares. The split would be a 20-for-1 stock split.

How Has Google Grown Over the Years?

In 2015, Google rebranded itself into the Tech giant Alphabet. Larry Page sought to make Google something more than a search engine. The company had ambitions of working on healthcare, hardware, and drones, which was a bit different from having a search engine-focused business. It would help create something more than the internet. So, Google changed its name and vision to the holding company Alphabet, allowing them to create, experiment, and invest in new opportunities.

People continue to see the growth in a stock like Alphabet. After the 4th quarter, Alphabet announced their earnings, which grew over 32%. This revenue growth sent the stock soaring another 7.5% in after-hours trading.

Due to the continued growth of Alphabet, their stock has become too pricey for everyday retail investors. A split can solve the problem. For instance, both Apple (AAPL) and Telsa (TSLA) split their stock allowing more investors to buy at lower prices. In addition, splitting their stock to lower the cost enables new investors to jump on board and become owners of the company.

Alphabet has three classes of stock, class A, B, and C. Class A gives each shareholder one vote. Class B is for some of the founders and early investors into the company, and they have ten votes per share. Lastly, Class C has no votes. Each of these classes will conduct a stock split.

One of the great things about Alphabet is that it continues to grow. Since May of 2020, Alphabet's value has doubled. Earlier this year, Alphabet posted a 62% revenue growth for the 2nd quarter. Right now, the company is worth just shy of $2 trillion, making it one of the world's largest companies by market cap. So naturally, investors want to be a part of a growing company. A stock split allows more people to be invested for the long term with Alphabet.

What Exactly is a Stock Split?

A stock split is when a company splits a stock dividing it up and giving the shareholder additional shares. For instance, if a share of stock was worth $1,000, a company could do a 10-for-1 split. This split would give each shareholder ten shares for every share they currently own. Each share would now be worth $100 apiece. However, the total market capitalization does not change before or after the split.

Companies may split the stock when the share price rises too quickly, making it unattainable for new customers to hold that share. The price gets too high.

Why is Alphabet Splitting Its Stock?

Alphabet is the most expensive stock on a per share basis in Silicon Valley, and there are other opportunities to explore as an investor. Alphabet's stock is nearly $3,000 per share. At this stock price, many new investors cannot own a part of Alphabet unless they go the route of fractional shares or do index investing.

Other authors have speculated that Alphabet is seeking to join the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The Dow Jones is a price-weighted index, and with the high price of Alphabet stock, the Index would not want to bring them on board. In August of 2020, Apple did a 4-for-1 split of their stock, and it lowered their weight by about 3% in the Dow 30.

Companies like Alphabet and Amazon are too large to be added into the Dow. Their stock prices would have an uneven weight due to the high cost. If those companies split their stock to lower prices, it gives them more advantages, and they can join the Dow 30.

As Alphabet wants to continue to grow, it will want to add new investors and reach broader audiences. By potentially joining the Dow 30, Alphabet can make this happen by going through the various index funds and mutual funds that track the Dow Jones.

Will the Split Affect the Value of the Stock?

What happens when a split is announced? The total value of the shares will not drop. Instead, the new stock price will fall by 1/20th of the old stock price. Typically, shares increase in aftermarket trading like we saw the day after Alphabet announced the split.

The total value will not be reduced in any way after the stock split. Each Class A and Class B shareholder will now have more votes but in the same proportion as before the split, and the Class C shares will continue to be the cheapest avenue to owning a piece of Google.

When Will This Stock Split Take Place?

Alphabet has announced that everyone that owns sarees on July 1st will receive their new shares on Friday, July 15th. That price should be around $150 per share, which is 1/20th of the cost of $3,000. The trading at the new stock price will take place on July 18th.

What Does This Mean for the Regular Investor?

Typically, a stock split is neither good nor bad. The stock will usually rise with the new interest from investors, and eventually, the buzz will fade away. However, if this is a worry for you as an individual shareowner, then maybe owning an index fund or ETF is the way to go for you to improve diversification.

As Alphabet grows, it will continue to grow its revenue streams and bring more value to the shareholder. Growth is an excellent thing for an investor. We see many companies declining, like GE (GE) or even AT&T (T). For instance, AT&T (T) cut its dividend due to continued weakness and a change in strategy. As companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Alphabet continue to innovate and create, investors will want to be a part of the journey as shareholders.

Should you worry about Google's stock split? Again, there is nothing to worry about; just keep to your investing strategy and keep investing.

Author Bio: Dividend Power is a self-taught investor and blogger on dividend growth stocks and financial independence. Some of his writings can be found on Seeking Alpha, TalkMarkets, ValueWalk, The Money Show, Forbes, Yahoo Finance, Entrepreneur, FXMag, and leading financial blogs. He also works as a part-time freelance equity analyst with a leading newsletter on dividend stocks. He was recently in the top 1.5% (126 out of over 8,212) of financial bloggers as tracked by TipRanks (an independent analyst tracking site) for his articles on Seeking Alpha.

Disclaimer: Dividend Power is not a licensed or registered investment adviser or broker/dealer. He is not providing you with individual investment advice. Please consult with a licensed investment professional before you invest your money.