6,659 Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Bought by Define Financial LLC

Key Points

• Define Financial LLC more than doubled its Apple stake in the third quarter, buying 6,659 additional shares to hold 13,001 shares valued at approximately $4.13 million. Institutional investors collectively own 67.73% of Apple.
• Apple reported strong quarterly results, with earnings of $2.02 per share and revenue of $109.42 billion, exceeding analyst expectations; revenue increased 16.4% year over year. The company also maintains a $0.27 quarterly dividend, yielding about 0.3%.
• Apple has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $340.12, while shares recently traded near $347.73. Analysts and investors remain focused on the company’s growth prospects and valuation, alongside risks including expensive pricing, product-execution issues and insider stock sales.

Define Financial LLC raised its stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 105.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 13,001 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after purchasing an additional 6,659 shares during the period. Apple accounts for approximately 1.7% of Define Financial LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest holding. Define Financial LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $4,133,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Red Crane Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Apple by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Red Crane Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,276 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $4,088,000 after acquiring an additional 331 shares during the period. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC increased its holdings in Apple by 14.0% in the third quarter. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC now owns 211,321 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $69,775,000 after buying an additional 25,907 shares in the last quarter. Ifrah Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in Apple by 10.0% in the 3rd quarter. Ifrah Financial Services Inc. now owns 37,510 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $12,293,000 after purchasing an additional 3,405 shares during the period. Copeland Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Apple by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 108,879 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $36,259,000 after buying an additional 5,071 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Foster Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Apple by 0.5% in the third quarter. Foster Group Inc. now owns 152,265 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $50,707,000 after purchasing an additional 757 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Apple Stock Performance

Apple stock opened at $347.73 on Friday. Apple Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.42 and a 1-year high of $351.73. The stock has a market cap of $5.07 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.07. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $329.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of $309.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.93.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.13. The company 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%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.57 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 EPS for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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 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 (DPR) is presently 12.39%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AAPL has been the subject of several recent research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded Apple from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Oppenheimer restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Apple from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. One 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 company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Apple presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus 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.

Insider Activity

In other Apple news, SVP Deirdre O'brien sold 46,389 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the senior vice president owned 136,810 shares of the company's stock, valued at $45,615,190.20. This represents a 25.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CFO Kevan Parekh sold 1,392 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $345.05, for a total transaction of $480,309.60. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 17,539 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,051,831.95. This trade represents a 7.35% 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. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 286,853 shares of company stock worth $95,477,342. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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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