Stock split for Citigroup: Will it work?

Stock split boosts Citigroup's share price. The big question: Will reverse stock split bring in institutional investors?

The Citibank logo is seen at branch in Washington April 18, 2011. Citigroup hopes its 1-for-10 reverse stock split will boost the value of its stock and make it more attractive to institutional investors.

Larry Downing/Reuters/File

May 9, 2011

By Giovanny Moreano, quantitative analyst for CNBC.com

Citigroup's 1-for-10 reverse stock split took effect today, decreasing the company's shares outstanding to about 2.9 billion, and boosting its share price to around $45.

Prior to the financial crisis, in December 2006, Citigroup shares reached an all-time high level of $57. By March 5, 2009, Citi shares fell below $1, trading as low as $0.97.

Since January 2009, the stock has remained in the single digits, trading below $6 until today.

Following Citi's reverse split, will large investors such as pension funds and mutual funds, which are usually barred from owning stocks under $5, reach for the carrot?

Click on the chart above to see some of the stock splits in the past year in the S&P 500 and how those stocks performed.