[GNC] GnuCash and stock splits

[Sherlock]

Hi Clint,

I don't think you've missed much.  The approach used by the stock split 
tool allows GnuCash to track the average cost basis.  My understanding 
is GnuCash's lot management support was added late.

To track cost basis by lot, the approach we use for stock splits is to 
enter a transaction selling each lot's shares at their current cost 
basis and purchasing the new shares of each lot at their new cost basis.

Regards,

Sherlock


On 6/5/26 12:45 PM, Clint Chaplin wrote:
> I'm setting up GnuCash for my use for personal finance, and it was going OK
> until I came to entering in some IBM stock I inherited in 1995, and which
> has been DRIPping ever since.
> 
> IBM split 2 for 1 in 1997 and 1999, and then IBM spun out Kyndryl (KD) in
> 2021.  My current financial programs (MECA's Managing Your Money vintage
> late 1980s and Quicken For Windows version 3 vintage early 1990s) managed
> to have tools for stock splits that went in and adjusted the basis and
> amount of stock for lots that predate the stock split date, and Quicken
> even somehow kept track of pre and post split stock pricing.
> 
> GnuCash, not so much.  It seems as though the stock split tool creates a
> transaction that just dumps in zero-priced stock to increase (or decrease!)
> the number of shares post-split, but doesn't go in and modify the basis and
> number of shares for lots that predate the split, which was my expectation.
> 
> Now, I guess I can go in and manually modify the stock purchase and
> dividend reinvestment transactions so the post-split basis is "correct",
> but I was sorta hoping it was automated.  For the 2 for one stock splits I
> don't have that many DRIP transactions when they occurred, but by the time
> the KD spinout happens in 2021 it's gonna be a lot of transactions (over
> 100?)
> 
> Am I missing something?  Should I submit a feature request?  Or should I
> just consider it as something high-effort low-benefit that won't get done?
>