498,222 Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Purchased by National Pension Service

Key Points

• National Pension Service increased its Apple stake by 1.6%, purchasing 498,222 shares to hold 31.5 million shares worth approximately $9.12 billion. Apple represents 5.9% of the pension fund’s portfolio, while institutional investors collectively own 67.73% of Apple.
• Apple reported quarterly earnings of $2.02 per share and revenue of $109.42 billion, exceeding analyst expectations, with revenue up 16.4% year over year. The company also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share, yielding about 0.3%.
• Investors face both growth opportunities and risks: analysts cite potential upside from consumer AI and smart-home products, while reports of reduced iPhone 18 Pro orders, Apple’s elevated valuation, and higher memory costs raise concerns about demand and margins. The stock has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $340.02.

National Pension Service boosted its position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 31,517,924 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after buying an additional 498,222 shares during the quarter. Apple makes up 5.9% of National Pension Service's holdings, making the stock its 2nd biggest position. National Pension Service owned about 0.22% of Apple worth $9,120,026,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AAPL. Berkshire Hathaway Inc purchased a new position in shares of Apple in the 2nd quarter valued at about $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. Amundi boosted its position in Apple by 23.2% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 73,082,616 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $18,547,637,000 after purchasing an additional 13,780,080 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in Apple by 1.7% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 58,554,032 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $14,858,200,000 after purchasing an additional 979,832 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about 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

Apple Price Performance

NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $336.64 on Monday. Apple Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.42 and a 12 month high of $345.34. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $322.61 and a two-hundred day moving average of $303.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.93 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 price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 1.07.

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

Apple Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th were given a dividend of $0.27 per share. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 10th. Apple's payout ratio is presently 12.39%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AAPL has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Oppenheimer reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Apple in a report on Thursday, September 10th. China Renaissance downgraded Apple from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $329.00 to $280.00 in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Phillip Securities increased their target price on Apple from $290.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Piper Sandler assumed coverage on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday, August 17th. They issued an "overweight" rating on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Apple from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have assigned a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $340.02.

Insider Transactions at Apple

In related news, CEO John Ternus sold 25,412 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 59,567 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $19,832,236.98. This represents a 29.90% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 2,399 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $332.01, for a total value of $796,491.99. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 39,593 shares in the company, valued at $13,145,271.93. The trade was a 5.71% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 279,383 shares of company stock valued at $92,912,517 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Apple Profile

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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