Final answer:
The weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding is affected by stock splits, which alter the total number of shares without changing ownership proportions. Other factors like dividends per share and market capitalization fluctuations do not directly impact the weighted-average number of shares.
Step-by-step explanation:
The weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding takes into account the changes that might occur in stock splits. This is because stock splits will change the total number of shares outstanding without altering the ownership proportion of any shareholders. As such, the calculation of the weighted-average shares is adjusted to account for these splits to provide a consistent basis for metrics like earnings per share (EPS). However, dividends per share, market capitalization fluctuations, and EPS itself do not directly affect the weighted-average number of shares; these metrics are impacted by the change in the number of shares, not the other way around.
The S&P 500 Index is a stock market measure that represents a weighted average market capitalization of the firms selected to be in the index, capturing the performance of a broad range of stocks. Similarly, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is another measure that represents a price-weighted average of 30 industrial stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange.