What happened to Sears
Sears Holdings (SHLD): filed for bankruptcy 15 Oct 2018. Peak price $195.18 a share (Apr 2007). Final price $0.00 a share (Oct 2019). Sears Holdings and the other defunct companies are on one page, each with its dates, prices and sources.
Key dates and prices
| Ticker | SHLD |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1886 |
| Peak price | $195.18 a share, Apr 2007 |
| Share basis | SHLD common shares (no splits after the 2005 Kmart-Sears merger) |
| Final price | $0.00 a share, Oct 2019 (shareholders wiped out in bankruptcy) |
| What happened | Filed for bankruptcy, 15 Oct 2018 |
| Checked | 27 Sep 2026 |
What happened
Sears began in 1886 when Richard Sears launched the Sears Watch Co. to sell watches by mail.
Sears was the largest US retailer until Walmart overtook it in 1990.
Sears Holdings was formed when Eddie Lampert merged Kmart and Sears in 2005.
The stock hit an all-time high of $195.18 in April 2007.
Sears Holdings spun off Lands' End to its shareholders on Apr 4, 2014.
It sold the Craftsman brand to Stanley Black & Decker in March 2017.
Sears Holdings filed for Chapter 11 on Oct 15, 2018, with about 700 stores left, and said it would close 142 more.
After Nasdaq moved to delist it, the stock traded on OTC Pink as SHLDQ from Oct 24, 2018.
Transform Holdco, an affiliate of Lampert's ESL, won the bankruptcy auction in February 2019 for $5.2 billion, saving 425 stores and 45,000 jobs, but the shell company's shareholders got nothing.
Cause: Chapter 11 after years of losses. Selling by mail since 1886. Filed 15 Oct 2018.
What was the ticker symbol for Sears Holdings stock?
Sears Holdings traded under the ticker SHLD. Sears Holdings: filed for bankruptcy 15 Oct 2018.
What was the peak price of Sears Holdings stock?
The peak price was $195.18 a share, in Apr 2007. Share basis: SHLD common shares (no splits after the 2005 Kmart-Sears merger).
What was the final price of Sears Holdings stock?
The final price was $0.00 a share, in Oct 2019 (shareholders wiped out in bankruptcy). Sears Holdings: filed for bankruptcy 15 Oct 2018.
Checked 27 September 2026. History, not advice.
Sources: mprnews.org, cnbc.com, cnbc.com, foxbusiness.com, sec.gov, sec.gov, sec.gov, sec.gov