Kotak Mahindra Bank's shares recently traded ex-split in a 1:5 ratio, a significant corporate action aimed at enhancing liquidity and making the shares more accessible to a broader base of retail investors. The ex-split date, which was also the record date for determining eligible shareholders, was January 14, 2026. Consequently, each existing equity share with a face value of ₹5 was subdivided into five equity shares, each with a face value of ₹1. Following the stock split, many trading platforms displayed a sharp decline of approximately 80% in Kotak Mahindra Bank's share price. However, this apparent fall was a technical adjustment and not indicative of any fundamental issues with the bank's performance or a loss in shareholder wealth. A stock split increases the total number of shares outstanding while proportionately reducing the price per share, ensuring that the overall market capitalization of the company and the total value of an investor's holdings remain unchanged. For instance, if an investor held 100 shares before the split, they would now hold 500 shares, with the total investment value remaining the same. This is Kotak Mahindra Bank's second stock split, with the previous one occurring in September 2010 when the face value was reduced from ₹10 to ₹5. The move is strategically intended to make the bank's equity shares more affordable and encourage wider market participation. Investors were advised that purchasing shares after the record date would mean buying post-split adjusted shares and not receiving additional shares from the split.