2,830 Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Sold by WealthSpring Partners LLC

Key Points

• WealthSpring Partners cut its Apple stake by 14% in the third quarter, selling 2,830 shares and retaining 17,347 shares valued at approximately $5.8 million. Apple remains the fund’s third-largest holding and represents 6.4% of its portfolio.
• Institutional investors own 67.73% of Apple, while insiders have sold roughly $95.5 million in shares over the past three months, primarily to cover tax obligations on vested equity awards.
• Analysts maintain a broadly positive outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $340.12, though Apple’s valuation near 40 times earnings and execution risks surrounding its foldable iPhone remain concerns.

WealthSpring Partners LLC decreased its stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 14.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 17,347 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 2,830 shares during the period. Apple accounts for 6.4% of WealthSpring Partners LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest position. WealthSpring Partners LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $5,777,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Berkshire Hathaway Inc bought a new stake in Apple in the second quarter valued at $65,950,297,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in shares of Apple during the second quarter worth about $36,986,090,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in shares of Apple during the second quarter worth about $30,443,242,000. Deutsche Bank AG bought a new position in shares of Apple during the second quarter worth about $13,658,359,000. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Apple in the 2nd quarter worth about $10,588,946,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Apple

In related news, SVP Deirdre O'brien sold 46,389 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.42, for a total transaction of $15,467,020.38. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 136,810 shares of the company's stock, valued at $45,615,190.20. The trade was a 25.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CEO John Ternus sold 25,412 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.94, for a total value of $8,460,671.28. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 59,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,832,236.98. The trade was a 29.90% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 286,853 shares of company stock valued at $95,477,342. Insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on AAPL shares. DZ Bank downgraded shares of Apple from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $310.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $400.00 target price on shares of Apple and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Raymond James Financial restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Citic Securities raised their price target on shares of Apple from $300.00 to $349.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Apple from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have issued a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $340.12.

Apple News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong iPhone Duo demand is the primary catalyst. The foldable phone launched globally Friday amid long lines, limited store inventory and reports that preorders are backordered into 2027. Supply-chain reports indicate Apple raised its first-year shipment target by 44%, to roughly 14 million units. The premium product could expand Apple’s addressable market and support revenue growth. Apple fans react as iPhone Duo hits stores
• Positive Sentiment: The launch strengthens Apple’s broader hardware and services roadmap. Analysts are evaluating whether the Duo can drive accessory, software and services revenue, while potential touchscreen Macs, smart-home products and an Apple-Schneider Electric energy-management partnership provide additional growth opportunities. Will Apple take over the smart home
• Positive Sentiment: Apple briefly reclaimed the title of world’s most valuable public company. AAPL approached or surpassed Nvidia’s approximately $5 trillion valuation as Nvidia shares weakened during a broader AI-stock selloff. Investors are treating Apple’s substantial cash generation and lower AI infrastructure spending as a relative safe haven. Apple tops Nvidia in market value
• Neutral Sentiment: The next major test is earnings. Apple’s fiscal fourth-quarter results are expected November 2, with investors looking for evidence that iPhone Duo demand, holiday sales and margins justify a stock trading near 40 times earnings. Analysts remain broadly constructive, but the average price target is close to recent trading levels.
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and valuation risks remain significant. Some early users have reported cracked foldable screens, while reviews cite first-generation glitches, a $2,000 price and limitations involving the camera and apps. These issues could affect returns, customer satisfaction and adoption.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling adds a modest cautionary signal. Senior Vice President Jennifer Newstead sold approximately $815,000 of AAPL shares, following several similar sales. The transaction is small relative to Apple’s size but may reinforce concerns that the stock has become expensive.

Apple Stock Performance

AAPL stock opened at $347.73 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $329.75 and a 200 day simple moving average of $309.34. The company has a market capitalization of $5.07 trillion, a P/E ratio of 39.88, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. Apple Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.42 and a fifty-two week high of $351.73.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.13. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The firm had revenue of $109.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $109.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.57 EPS. Apple's quarterly revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

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

Apple Profile

Apple Inc designs, develops and sells consumer electronics, software and digital services. Its best-known products include the iPhone smartphone, Mac personal computers, iPad tablets, Apple Watch, AirPods and other accessories. The company also develops operating systems and applications that support its hardware ecosystem.

Apple's services business includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade, iCloud, Apple Pay and other subscription, payment and digital-content offerings.

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