Apple (AAPL)’s fifth stock split since 1987

Apple Inc.’s decision to split its shares is one that relatively few U.S. companies make any more. The iPhone maker is set to become only the third stock in the S&P 500 Index to split this year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. completed one in March, followed by Edwards Lifesciences Inc. in May. More than 30% of S&P 500 stocks have gone without a split since 2000 or longer, as shown in the chart, and another 24% have never had one. Apple declared a 4-for-1 split last month that is payable Aug. 28. It will be the company’s fifth split since 1987.

Sony (SNE) catching up with Apple (AAPL)?

• Sony (SNE), the Japanese consumer-electronics company, vs California-based Apple Inc. (AAPL), the maker of the iPhone. 

Sony fell behind in 2004, as a shift to digital music spurred a transition toward Apple’s iPod player and away from Walkman devices. The iPod was later supplanted by the iPhone. The smartphone accounts for more than half of Apple’s revenue.

Stock performance since 1999, when an Internet-driven rally in share prices was near its peak. Sony dropped 46% while Apple gained 6600% since 2004.

• Sony took an accounting charge of 180 billion yen ($1.7 billion) this fiscal year, ending in March, on its Sony Mobile Communications Inc. unit. The amount surpassed the 1.05 billion euros ($1.4 billion) spent in February 2012 to buy a 50 percent stake in the business from Sweden’s Ericsson AB.
• The company halted dividend payments, which had been made annually since Sony went public in 1958.

	Apple Inc. (AAPL) - Nasdaq	Sony Corp (SNE) - NYSE
52wk Range	73.05 - 133.60	15.93 - 28.65
Avg Vol (3m)	58,391,800	2,125,040
Market Cap	719.88B	29.05B
EPS (ttm)	7.39	-1.73
Div & Yield	1.88 (1.50%)	0.24 (0.90%)

AAPL vs SNE, 3-months (click for live chart)

AAPL vs SNE,  5 years (click for live chart)

AAPL vs SNE, all-time chart (click for live chart)