Surprises from reverse splits
Occasionally, though, a reverse split works out well. Consider these three examples:

  • In mid-2003, Priceline.com (NASDAQ:PCLN) did a 1-for-6 reverse stock split, lifting its stock price from around $3.50 per share to $22, as many investors believed that the William Shatner-led Internet travel service would fade away with so many other dot-com companies. Now, 12 years later, the stock trades above $1,200 per share, giving long-term investors a 50-bagger with room to spare.
  • In 2000, Laboratory Corp. of America (NYSE:LH) did a 1-for-10 reverse split after having seen its stock stuck in single digits for more than five years. Within two years of the reverse split, LabCorp had not only recovered, but it had also done two separate 2-for-1 regular splits, and the stock now trades for six times its split-adjusted price immediately after the reverse split.
  • Corrections Corp. of America (NYSE:CXW) traded as low as $0.60 per share in 2001 before reverse-splitting 1-for-10. Since then, the private prison-services provider has seen its stock jump more than tenfold, with two regular splits helping to drive the company's total return higher.