3,305 Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Sold by Capstone Financial Advisors Inc.

Key Points

• Capstone Financial Advisors reduced its Apple position by 2.3%, selling 3,305 shares and retaining 138,711 shares valued at approximately $40.1 million. Institutional investors collectively own 67.73% of Apple.
• Apple reported quarterly earnings of $2.02 per share on $109.42 billion in revenue, exceeding analyst expectations, while revenue increased 16.4% year over year. The company also paid a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share.
• Analyst sentiment remains generally positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $340.02, though investors face risks from Apple’s high valuation, potential margin pressure, and concerns about premium iPhone demand.

Capstone Financial Advisors Inc. trimmed its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 138,711 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 3,305 shares during the period. Apple makes up approximately 2.0% of Capstone Financial Advisors Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Capstone Financial Advisors Inc.'s holdings in Apple were worth $40,137,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of AAPL. Community Bank of Raymore increased its holdings in shares of Apple by 3.2% in the second quarter. Community Bank of Raymore now owns 17,777 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $5,144,000 after purchasing an additional 550 shares during the period. IPG Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Apple by 9.6% during the second quarter. IPG Investment Advisors LLC now owns 78,040 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $22,582,000 after purchasing an additional 6,854 shares during the period. MCF Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Apple by 8.3% during the second quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 119,467 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $34,569,000 after purchasing an additional 9,136 shares during the period. Bienville Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Apple by 2.5% in the second quarter. Bienville Capital Management LLC now owns 42,792 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $12,382,000 after buying an additional 1,037 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Archford Capital Strategies LLC boosted its position in Apple by 0.6% in the second quarter. Archford Capital Strategies LLC now owns 105,245 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $30,454,000 after buying an additional 659 shares during the last quarter. 67.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Apple Stock Performance

AAPL stock opened at $336.64 on Monday. Apple Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.42 and a 52-week high of $345.34. 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 firm has a market cap of $4.91 trillion, a P/E ratio of 38.61, a PEG ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 1.07. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $322.61 and its 200-day simple moving average is $303.36.

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

Apple Announces Dividend

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

Key Stories Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Potential AI upside: Analyst Dan Ives said Apple could become a “toll collector” for consumer AI by monetizing its more than 2.5 billion active devices and Services ecosystem. He estimates AI could add approximately $75 per share to the company’s value. Apple Could Be the Toll Collector of Consumer AI
• Positive Sentiment: Smart-home expansion: Apple’s planned October 13 “Welcome Home” event could introduce products such as a smart lock, thermostat and doorbell. The initiative may expand Apple’s hardware and Services opportunities and strengthen its position against Amazon and Google. Apple Smart Home Push
• Neutral Sentiment: Possible seasonal order adjustment: Bespoke Investment Group noted that Apple’s autumn iPhone order reductions have occurred in prior years and have sometimes been followed by a stock recovery. Investors will look for evidence that the latest cuts reflect normal supply-chain management rather than lasting demand weakness. Apple’s iPhone Order Cut and Stock Rebound
• Negative Sentiment: iPhone demand concerns: Nikkei Asia reported that Apple asked suppliers to cut iPhone 18 Pro component production, raising concerns that premium pricing is discouraging consumers. The reports are particularly important because Apple is preparing to pursue an even higher-priced product strategy, including a rumored $1,999 foldable iPhone. Apple Cuts iPhone 18 Pro Orders Due to Soft Demand
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution risks: Apple’s elevated earnings multiple leaves less room for disappointment, while higher memory costs could pressure margins. A recent senior vice president stock sale was relatively small but adds to near-term caution. Apple Senior Vice President Stock Sale

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on AAPL shares. BTIG Research started coverage on shares of Apple in a research report on Monday, August 17th. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. Arete Research upped their price objective on shares of Apple from $305.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Apple from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Thursday. DA Davidson reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $270.00 target price on shares of Apple in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $400.00 target price on shares of Apple and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have assigned a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $340.02.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 2,399 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.01, for a total transaction of $796,491.99. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 39,593 shares of the company's stock, valued at $13,145,271.93. This represents a 5.71% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO John Ternus sold 25,412 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $332.94, for a total value of $8,460,671.28. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 59,567 shares in the company, valued at $19,832,236.98. This trade represents a 29.90% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 279,383 shares of company stock valued at $92,912,517 in the last three months. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Apple

Apple Inc is a technology company that designs, develops and markets 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 software platforms, including iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS and visionOS.

Apple's services business includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+ and iCloud.

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