• The Korean Journal of Financial Management
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-27
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• 2007

In this study, we investigated the market long-term performance of stock splits by using the Korean Stock Market data from 1998 through 2002. We measured the performance by the event-time portfolio approach with the buy-and-hold abnormal return(BHAR) and the cumulative average abnormal return(CAAR). Also, the calendar-time portfolio approach with one-factor and three factor model were used for avoiding the misspecification model problem. The first of main results in this study was that the stock splits had significantly positive abnormal returns around the month of the stock splits announcements. However, the period BHAR and CAAR after the announcement month were significantly negative. This negative long-term abnormal returns were confirmed by the calendar-time portfolio approach. The results suggested that the abnormal return followed by the stock splits seemed to be positive in the short-term period. Second, there was no the difference of the long term performance between the high and the low split ratios. The operating income performance in the periods followed by the stock splits announcements grew worse. Therefore, the signalling effects, the managers of the firm under considering the stock splits would make use of splits as a form of signals for the upward changes in the cash flow or profits, could not be found. Finally, in contrast to Fama, Fisher, Jensen and Roll(1969), the significant negative abnormal returns following the stock splits were still found irrespective of the change of dividend payout ratio.