Alphabet’s stock splits: History & prospects explained
Alphabet was founded as Google in Menlo Park, California, in 1998, and its original name quickly became synonymous with the concept of the internet search engine. The company went public in 2004, and more than two decades later, it's the third-largest company by market capitalization, with its shares valued at more than $4 trillion (as of mid-2026). The tech giant has expanded beyond search, with services and products including its Google Play app store and its Pixel phones outfitted with its proprietary Android software.
Nowadays, Alphabet is focused on building the future of tech with artificial intelligence. Here's how many times Alphabet has split its stock, and whether another stock split will take place in the company's near future.
Most recent stock split: 20-for-1, July 15, 2022
First stock split: 2-for-1, April 2, 2014
Alphabet split its stock two separate times, and for different reasons — the first time in 2014 and the second in 2022.
Alphabet has three different classes of shares. When Alphabet held its IPO in August 2004, it created two classes of shares. Class A shares were made available for public trading, and each share carried one vote. Class B shares are not publicly traded and are reserved for founders and company insiders, but each share carries 10 votes.
As of Alphabet's 2026 proxy statement, founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin collectively held 89.4% of Class B common stock, and that supermajority gives them overwhelming power in decision-making at shareholder meetings.
Class C shares were introduced in 2014 to accommodate the company's first stock split.
Related: Alphabet's dividend history, yield & future prospects explained
Alphabet held its first stock split in April 2014. Google's board of directors approved the distribution of Class C stock as a dividend to holders of Class A and Class B common stock in January 2014. The split effectively created a new class of shares, but they carried no voting rights.
The Class C issuance created a new class of shares that Alphabet used as stock options for employees and for financing acquisitions without diluting founders' Class B shares.
Consequently, Class A shares trade under the GOOGL ticker symbol, while Class C shares trade under GOOG. The price difference between the two classes of stock tends to be minimal.
Just before the stock split, the Class A stock was trading at around $1,135, a significant increase from Alphabet's 2004 IPO price of $85 a share.
Alphabet last split its stock in February 2022. Its board approved a 20-for-1 stock split in the form of a one-time special stock dividend on each share of its Class A, Class B, and Class C stock. Prior to the stock split, Alphabet's Class A stock was trading at around $2,255 a share.
Class A shares tend to trade more than Class B shares. Institutional investors that seek to have a say at Alphabet's stockholders' meeting tend to invest in the A shares. For example, in late July 2026, the daily volume for Class A was around 30 million shares, compared to around 17 million shares for Class C.
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Alphabet's stock price, as reflected in its Class A shares, rose 40-fold from its 2004 IPO through late July 2026. The stock closed at a record $402.62 on a post-split adjusted price on May 13, 2026.
Alphabet's share price, had the stock not been split twice, can be calculated by multiplying the current Class A stock price by the cumulative stock split ratio, in this case, 40:
Current Alphabet Class A stock price x (2 x 20) = Alphabet Class A stock price had the stock never been split
Current Alphabet Class A stock price x (40) = Alphabet Class A stock price had the stock never been split
Had Alphabet never implemented stock splits, a share would be valued at $13,346, based on the July 30, 2026, Class A closing price of $333.66. At that 5-digit price, Alphabet would be out of the price range for many retail investors, unless they could buy fractional shares.
Alphabet split its shares in 2014 when the stock exceeded $1,000, and in 2022 when the stock was trading at more than $2,000. At around $300, and below the 4-digit price that it historically traded before splitting, it may be that Alphabet isn't likely to split its shares anytime soon.
Related: Oracle's dividends: History, yield & payout ratio explained
This story was originally published by TheStreet on Aug 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the Investing section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.