Owning more shares after a split doesn’t make you richer — it just makes the price per share smaller

Owning more shares after a split doesn’t make you richer — it just makes the price per share smaller. Five Vanguard ETFs are executing stock splits effective April 21, adjusting share counts and prices without altering underlying value. The split ratios range from 4:1 to 8:1, with the Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) splitting 8:1 and the Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ) splitting 4:1. The other funds — Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG), Vanguard Mega Cap Growth ETF (MGK), and Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF (VO) — are splitting 6:1, 6:1, and 5:1, respectively. Each split increases the number of shares investors hold while reducing the per-share price proportionally. For example, a $718 share of VGT becomes eight shares near $89.75. The total value of an investor’s holdings in these ETFs remains unchanged after the split.