Most companies pay dividend in cash . Sometimes cash dividend may be supplemented by a bonus issue (stock dividend). A company should have enough cash in its bank account when cash dividends are declared . If the company follows a stable dividend policy If the company does not have enough bank balance at the time of paying cash dividend, arrangement should be made to borrow funds. When the company follows a stable dividend policy , it should prepare a cash budget for the coming period to indicate the necessary funds which would be needed to meet the regular dividend payment of the company. If the company follows a unstable policy It is relatively difficult to make cash planning in anticipation of dividend needs when the unstable policy is followed. The cash account and the reserves account of company will be reduced when the cash dividend is paid . Thus both the total assets and the net worth of the company are reduced when the cash dividend is distributed . The market price of the share drops in most cases by the amount of the cash dividend distributed. An issue of bonus shares represents a distribution of shares in addition to the cash dividend (known as stock dividend in U S A) to the existing shareholders . This has the effect in increasing the number of outstanding shares of the company. The shares are distributed proportionately . Thus, a shareholder retain his proportionate ownership of the company. The bonus shares do not affect the wealth of the shareholders. In practice , however , it carries advantages both to shareholders and the company Shareholders :The following are advantage of the bonus shares: Tax benefit Indication of higher future benefit Future dividends may increase Psychological value Company : The bonus share is also advantageous to the company. The advantages are Conservation of cash Only means to pay dividend under financial difficulty and contractual restrictions More attractive share price The bonus shares do not affect wealth. In fact bones issue does not give any extra or special benefit to a shareholder It is more costly to the administer than cash dividend Shareholder preferring cash to stock dividend may be disappointed A share spilt is a method to increase the number of outstanding shares through proportional reduction in the par value of the share . A share spilt affects only the par value and the number of outstanding shares, the shareholders total remain unaltered. As with the shares the total net worth does not change and the number of outstanding shares increases with the share spilt . However , with the share spilt , the number of outstanding shares increases substantially . The bonus issue and the share spilt are similar except for the difference in their accounting treatment. In case of the bonus shares the balance of the of the reserves and surplus account decrease due to the transfer to the equity capital and the share premium accounts. The par value per share remain unaffected with a share spilt , the balance of the equity accounts does not change , but the par value per share changes , The earnings per share will be diluted and the market price per share will fall proportionately with a share spilt. But the total value of the holding of a shareholder remains unaffected with a share spilt The followings are reasons or splitting of firms ordinary shares To make share attractive Indication of higher future profit Increased dividend Under the situation of falling price of company’s share , the company want to reduce the number of outstanding shares to prop up the market price per share . The reduction of the number of outstanding shares by increasing per share Par value is known as reverse spilt