Apple 4-for-1 stock split process completes

Apple's stock split has completed, with shareholders on Friday now owning four times the number of shares in the iPhone maker they did yesterday, as the company attempts to make the stock "more accessible" to smaller investors.

Originally announced on July 30 and approved by Apple's Board of Directors, the four-for-one stock split will increase the number of common shares available in the company from approximately 12.6 billion to 50.4 billion, for shares outstanding and the number of authorized shares combined. The process effectively quadruples the amount of Apple stock each stockholder has in the company, but without increasing its value.Apple started recording which shareholders had stock in the company from August 24, with those deemed to still be holding shares before August 31 gaining three extra shares in the company. The split itself started at the close of business on August 28, while the Ex Date of August 31 marks the first session determined by Nasdaq that Apple's common shares will be tradeable at a new split-adjusted price.

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