10,116 Shares of Apple Inc. $AAPL Bought by Benchmark Investment Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Benchmark Investment Advisors LLC initiated a position in Apple, purchasing 10,116 shares valued at approximately $2.93 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of Apple’s outstanding stock.
• Apple reported quarterly EPS of $2.02, exceeding estimates of $1.89, while revenue rose 16.4% year over year to $109.42 billion. The company also paid a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share, representing a 0.3% yield.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with Apple carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $340.14. However, concerns include its elevated valuation, AI execution, product-quality issues and recent insider selling.

Benchmark Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 10,116 shares of the iPhone maker's stock, valued at approximately $2,927,000. Apple comprises 1.3% of Benchmark Investment Advisors LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest holding.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. True Freedom Investing LLC acquired a new position in Apple during the second quarter worth approximately $6,167,000. Matters Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Apple in the second quarter valued at approximately $941,000. Berry Wealth Group LP acquired a new stake in shares of Apple in the second quarter valued at approximately $3,375,000. Haverford Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of Apple during the second quarter worth approximately $655,454,000. Finally, Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Apple during the second quarter worth approximately $89,182,000. 67.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Apple Trading Down 0.3%

NASDAQ AAPL opened at $335.92 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.90 trillion, a P/E ratio of 38.52, a P/E/G ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 1.08. Apple Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.42 and a 52-week high of $345.34. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $321.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $297.07.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.13. Apple had a return on equity of 135.46% and a net margin of 27.62%.The company had revenue of $109.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.57 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 EPS for the current year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th were issued a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 10th. Apple's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.39%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Apple

In related news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 2,399 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $340.06, for a total transaction of $815,803.94. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 44,391 shares of the company's stock, valued at $15,095,603.46. This represents a 5.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders sold 11,031 shares of company stock valued at $3,535,759 in the last quarter. 0.06% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on AAPL. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Apple from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. HSBC reissued a "buy" rating and set a $366.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. DZ Bank cut shares of Apple from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $310.00 target price for the company. in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated an "underperform" rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. Finally, Wedbush reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $400.00 price target on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, June 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Apple has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $340.14.

Trending Headlines about Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong iPhone 18 demand supports near-term revenue. Long customer lines in India and sustained interest in the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max suggest Apple’s premium pricing has not materially weakened demand in a key growth market. However, regional trends are mixed, with China remaining a concern. Inside India newsletter: Apple set to take a bigger bite of the world's second-largest smartphone market
• Positive Sentiment: New hardware and possible AI expansion provide growth catalysts. Apple’s iPhone Duo foldable, M6 Mac mini and M5 Ultra Mac Studio are being positioned as evidence that the company can still generate product excitement. Reports that Apple may develop its own AI server chips could also improve control over infrastructure costs and AI performance. Could John Ternus’ Product Strategy Reshape Apple’s Next Growth Phase?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains favorable. JPMorgan reaffirmed a “buy” rating, while Bank of America maintained its “buy” rating and set a $370 target, implying further upside from recent levels. Apple analyst ratings
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple renewed Qualcomm’s global patent license agreement. The deal, effective April 1, 2027, removes a potential licensing uncertainty but also highlights Apple’s continuing relationship with Qualcomm for modem-related technology. Qualcomm, Apple extend licensing agreement for chips
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and AI execution are major investor concerns. Commentators argue that AAPL’s large gains and roughly $4.9 trillion market capitalization leave limited room for disappointment, particularly if Apple’s AI products fail to match Meta’s rapidly advancing AI agents and wearables. Apple stock could be 32% overpriced after fresh AI cost warnings
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term execution issues add pressure. Reports of an iPhone 18 Pro reboot problem requiring a software update, Fitness+ layoffs and an executive’s stock sale may reinforce concerns about product quality, cost control and insider confidence. Apple says software update to fix iPhone 18 Pro rebooting bug is coming next week

Apple Profile

Apple Inc is a technology company that designs, develops and markets consumer electronics, software and digital services. Its principal products include the iPhone, Mac computers, iPad tablets, Apple Watch, AirPods and other accessories. The company also develops operating systems and applications that support its hardware products.

Apple's services business includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple News+, Apple Pay and iCloud. These services provide digital content, payments, cloud storage and subscription offerings across the company's ecosystem of devices.

Founded in 1976, Apple is headquartered in Cupertino, California, and serves consumers, businesses, educational institutions and government customers worldwide.

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