51,654 Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Purchased by West Wealth Group LLC

Key Points

• West Wealth Group LLC increased its Apple stake by 90.4% in the third quarter, purchasing 51,654 additional shares and bringing its total to 108,820 shares valued at approximately $36.2 million.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with Apple carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $340.12, although some firms have issued hold, neutral or underweight views.
• Apple’s latest quarter exceeded expectations, with $2.02 in earnings per share and $109.42 billion in revenue, while investors remain focused on upcoming results, premium valuation risks and mixed developments surrounding new products.

West Wealth Group LLC grew its stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 90.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 108,820 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after purchasing an additional 51,654 shares during the quarter. Apple makes up about 3.8% of West Wealth Group LLC's holdings, making the stock its 7th largest position. West Wealth Group LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $36,239,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of AAPL. Avenir Tech Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Apple in the second quarter valued at about $29,000. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC bought a new position in shares of Apple during the second quarter valued at about $30,000. Ironwood Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Apple during the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Apple by 822.7% during the second quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 292,493 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $85,000 after purchasing an additional 260,792 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bamco Inc. NY purchased a new position in Apple during the second quarter worth about $118,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AAPL has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. DZ Bank downgraded shares of Apple from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $310.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. KeyCorp reissued an "underweight" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. DA Davidson reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $270.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Apple in a research note on Monday, August 17th. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, September 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have given a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $340.12.

Trending Headlines about Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Demand for Apple’s first foldable iPhone Duo appears exceptionally strong, with delivery estimates extending into January. Apple has reportedly asked suppliers to increase production by 30%, suggesting robust consumer interest and potential for a sizable upgrade cycle. Apple’s iPhone Duo Buyers Face a Wait That Could Stretch Into January
• Positive Sentiment: Apple introduced a redesigned iPad mini beginning at $699, featuring an OLED display, A20 Pro chip, improved AI performance, water resistance and Wi-Fi 7. The launch broadens Apple’s higher-end hardware lineup ahead of the holiday season. Apple Unveils $699 OLED iPad Mini
• Positive Sentiment: Apple expanded Siri’s AI language support, including Japanese, indicating continued progress in its artificial-intelligence rollout and global product integration. Apple Expands Siri AI Languages
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on Apple’s fiscal fourth-quarter results expected November 2. Analysts anticipate continued iPhone, Mac and Services growth, but the stock’s premium valuation leaves limited room for an earnings or outlook disappointment. Why Buying Apple Stock Before Q4 Earnings Could Be Risky
• Negative Sentiment: Users have reported cracks and bright lines near the hinge on some $1,999 iPhone Duo units. Apple acknowledged the issue and said affected devices would be replaced under AppleCare, but the defect creates reputational, warranty-cost and execution risks for an important new product. Apple Responds to Reports of Broken iPhone Duo Screens
• Negative Sentiment: The new iPad mini’s higher starting price may limit demand, while broader concerns about leadership succession, AI execution and rising component costs are adding to investor caution ahead of earnings. Apple Earnings Expected to Grow

Apple Price Performance

AAPL opened at $343.91 on Tuesday. Apple Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.42 and a fifty-two week high of $351.73. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $329.47 and a 200 day moving average of $294.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.00. The firm has a market cap of $5.02 trillion, a P/E ratio of 39.44, a PEG ratio of 2.75 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, topping the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $109.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.04 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.57 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 EPS for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th were given a dividend of $0.27 per share. 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%.

Insider Activity at Apple

In related news, CFO Kevan Parekh sold 1,392 shares of Apple stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $345.05, for a total value of $480,309.60. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 17,539 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,051,831.95. The trade was a 7.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, SVP Deirdre O'brien sold 46,389 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.42, for a total value of $15,467,020.38. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 136,810 shares in the company, valued at approximately $45,615,190.20. The trade was a 25.32% 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 have sold a total of 286,853 shares of company stock worth $95,477,342 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

About Apple

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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