Chipotle's board has approved a 50-for-1 stock split. Here's what that means

In a rare move on Wall Street, Chipotle Mexican Grill’s board has approved a 50-for-1 stock split. The burrito chain lauded the proposed split as one of the biggest in New York Stock Exchange history — while noting it believed the move would also boost accessibility of the company’s stock. But despite approval board of directors, the split isn’t set in stone yet. Chipotle still needs the greenlight from shareholders, which is expected in June. A stock split is when a company increases its amount of outstanding shares. That changes the price-per-stock, but not the overall value of shareholders’ holdings. The most common stock splits are typically smaller ratios like 2-for-1 or 3-for-1 — making Chipotle’s proposed 50-for-1 move pretty rare in U.S. stock history.