Details of stock splits widely available

Q: Where can I look up a company’s recent stock splits? — R.W., Binghamton, New York

A: A good place to start is with the company itself. You can call its Investor Relations department to ask, or you might explore the “Investors” section of its website.

If you’re online, head to finance.yahoo.com, enter the company’s ticker symbol, and then click on “Statistics.” Scroll down and you’ll find the company’s mostrecent split and its date. You can also look up past and upcoming splits at finance. yahoo.com/calendar.

Stock splits are generally non-events, though. The share price gets adjusted down in proportion to the increase in share count. So while suddenly owning more shares can be exciting, it’s not too meaningful. Presplit, you might have owned 100 shares priced at $50 per share (total value: $5,000). Post-split, your 200 shares are worth $25 each, for a total of ... $5,000. Not much has changed. berkshirehathaway.com. A few nuggets:

• 1978: “We make no attempt to predict how security markets will behave; successfully forecasting short-term stock-price movements is something we think neither we nor anyone else can do.”

• 1979: “Both our operating and investment experience cause us to conclude that ‘turnarounds’ seldom turn, and that the same energies and talent are much better employed in a good business purchased at a fair price than in a poor business purchased at a bargain price.”

• 1997: “Only those who will be sellers of (stocks) in the near future should be happy at seeing stocks rise. Prospective purchasers should much prefer sinking prices.”

• 2007: “A truly great business must have an enduring ‘moat’ that protects excellent returns ... competitors will repeatedly assault any business ‘castle’ that is earning high returns. Therefore, a formidable barrier such as a company’s being the low-cost producer ... or possessing a powerful worldwide brand ... is essential for sustained success.”

• 2008: “Whether we’re talking about socks or stocks, I like buying quality merchandise when it is marked down.”

• 2013: “My advice to the trustee (of my estate) could not be more simple: Put 10 percent of the cash in short-term government bonds and 90 percent in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund. (I suggest Vanguard’s.) I believe the trust’s long-term results from this policy will be superior to those attained by most investors — whether pension funds, institutions or individuals — who employ high-fee managers.”

• 2016: “American business — and consequently a basket of stocks — is virtually certain to be worth far more in the years ahead. Innovation, productivity gains, entrepreneurial spirit and an abundance of capital will see to that. Ever-present naysayers may prosper by marketing their gloomy forecasts. But heaven help them if they act on the nonsense they peddle.”

Foolish trivia:

Name that company

I trace my roots to 1872, when I started the first paper mill in Wisconsin. I introduced Kotex napkins in 1920 and Kleenex in 1924. Today, based in Dallas and sporting a market value recently topping $40 billion, I’m a consumer-products giant with more than 40,000 employees worldwide and brands such as Depend, Poise, Little Swimmers, Viva and Pull-Ups. Five of my brands — Huggies, Scott, Kleenex, Cottonelle and Kotex — each generate more than $1 billion in annual sales. Almost a quarter of the world’s population buys one or more of my products each day. Who am I?

Last week’s answer

An early biotechnology company, I was founded in California in 1980 by venture capitalists, and I am now one of the largest independent global biotech companies. I went public in 1983, and my shares have posted double-digit average annual gains over the past 10, 20 and 30 years. Who am I? (Answer: Amgen)