To make the stock look cheap.
To increase liquidity.
To meet stock-exchange listing requirements.
To express a bullish management sentiment.
Regardless of the reason, markets tend to view splits as positive events, and a company’s shares can get a short-term boost from the news. But if the company isn’t a good, long-term business, it doesn’t matter if its shares split, or whether you buy them before or after.
A split decision
Toothpaste maker Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) intends to split its shares 2-to-1 on April 23 while raising its dividend almost 10% to $0.68 per share, twin moves that will undoubtedly leave shareholders smiling.
Shares are up 20% over the past year, recently hitting a record high of $116 a stub, as a robust business featuring growth in virtually every market boosted sales to $4.3 billion in the fourth quarter, a 2.5% increase from the year-ago period. Only in Europe did they remain flat.
The only blot on its record really was Colgate’s pet-food business, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, which accounted for 13% of total sales but saw a 1% drop in sales as pet owners shied away from lab-developed food in favor of going natural.
As PetSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ:PETM) can tell you, “pet parents” are increasingly concerned about what their “pet babies” are eating and are looking for food options that mimic human diets. The super-premium category is one of the driving forces behind the pet shop’s own growth trajectory and is behind its decision dedicate even more aisle space to the niche. As the humanization of pets gains momentum, consumers become more tolerant of the higher prices they have to pay, padding margins for producers and retailers alike.
A rose is a rose
Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) was finally forced to give in to the trend, and it completely reformulated the Hill’s brand last year. Facing declining market share, it no longer prominently displays the “Science Diet” name on the label, instead featuring the new “Nature’s Best” brand along with the meats and natural ingredients.
But just because it’s gone natural, too, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be an easy sell. Pet owners are creatures of habit and tend to remain “sticky” when it comes to pet food for fear of disturbing Fluffy’s dietary system. Having once lost a customer to Blue Buffalo, Nestle‘s Purina One Beyond, or even PetSmart’s own proprietary line of super-premium food, Colgate will be hard-pressed to win him or her back.
Brushing up on growth
While a significant portion of total revenues, pet food is still second to toothpaste, and it’s there that Colgate investors get their toothy grin. The toothpaste maker owns almost 45% of the global toothpaste market, and it controls a third of the toothbrush market as well. Only in the U.S. does The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) have the lead, having recently regained the top spot with Crest. The 3D White brand alone owns a nearly 9% share of the U.S. oral-care market.
