Apple stock split fuels retail-trader bets on further gains

Apple Inc.’s planned stock split in the wake of the surge in its shares and strong earnings is stirring more bets on the company, according to TD Ameritrade Holding Corp.

Activity in the world’s largest technology company “sticks out” over the past week, a repeat of the pattern seen in previous years when Apple split its stock, Christopher Brankin, chief executive officer of brokerage TD Ameritrade Asia Pte in Singapore, said in an interview Tuesday.

“It’s something that we’re seeing across our options here because of that announcement,” he said, referring to the use of derivatives to bet on more gains in Apple shares.