4,227 Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Sold by Capital Analysts LLC

Key Points

• Capital Analysts LLC cut its Apple position by 2.1%, selling 4,227 shares and retaining 195,454 shares valued at approximately $56.6 million. Apple remains the firm’s 15th-largest holding and represents 1.3% of its portfolio.
• Apple reported quarterly EPS of $2.02, beating estimates of $1.89, while revenue rose 16.4% year over year to $109.42 billion. The company also maintains a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average analyst price target of $340.02.
• Apple insiders sold shares primarily to cover tax obligations, including Tim Cook’s sale of 191,753 shares and John Ternus’s sale of 25,412 shares. Institutional investors collectively own 67.73% of the company, while Apple’s stock traded near $336.64 and remains highly valued at a P/E ratio of 38.61.

Capital Analysts LLC reduced its position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 195,454 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 4,227 shares during the quarter. Apple accounts for 1.3% of Capital Analysts LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest holding. Capital Analysts LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $56,557,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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

Apple Price Performance

Shares of Apple stock opened at $336.64 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $322.61 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $303.36. Apple Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.42 and a fifty-two week high of $345.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The company has a market cap of $4.91 trillion, a PE ratio of 38.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 1.07.

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

Apple Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Investors 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 was Monday, August 10th. Apple's dividend payout ratio is presently 12.39%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AAPL has been the subject of several recent research reports. Seaport Research Partners cut Apple from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. 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. Loop Capital set a $380.00 price target on Apple in a research report on Friday, September 18th. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Apple in a research note on Monday, August 17th. They set a "buy" rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have given a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Apple presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $340.02.

Insider Transactions at Apple

In related news, insider Timothy Cook sold 191,753 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.96, for a total value of $63,846,078.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 3,264,168 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,086,837,377.28. This trade represents a 5.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 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 Apple stock in a transaction on Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.94, for a total transaction of $8,460,671.28. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 59,567 shares in the company, valued at $19,832,236.98. This represents 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. Insiders sold 279,383 shares of company stock valued at $92,912,517 in the last ninety days. 0.06% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Headlines 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

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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