6,809 Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Purchased by Bill Few Associates Inc.

Key Points

• Bill Few Associates increased its Apple position by 6.7% in the third quarter, purchasing 6,809 shares and bringing its total holdings to 108,076 shares valued at approximately $35.6 million.
• Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of Apple’s stock, while analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $340.62.
• Apple reported quarterly EPS of $2.02, beating estimates, while revenue rose 16.4% year over year to $109.42 billion; the company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share.

Bill Few Associates Inc. grew its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 6.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 108,076 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after purchasing an additional 6,809 shares during the period. Apple makes up approximately 6.8% of Bill Few Associates Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. Bill Few Associates Inc.'s holdings in Apple were worth $35,566,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on AAPL. KGI Securities downgraded shares of Apple from an "outperform" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $315.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Daiwa Securities Group increased their target price on shares of Apple from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Apple from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Arete Research raised their target price on shares of Apple from $305.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Phillip Securities lifted their price target on shares of Apple from $290.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, September 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have issued a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $340.62.

Apple Price Performance

NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $342.94 on Tuesday. Apple Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.42 and a 12-month high of $348.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.00 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.33, a P/E/G ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 1.07. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $326.53 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $307.21. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

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

Apple Announces Dividend

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

Apple News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong iPhone Duo demand: Preorders for Apple’s $1,999 foldable iPhone reportedly sold out quickly, with delivery estimates extending into January 2027. The robust response supports near-term revenue expectations and strengthens the case for Apple’s foldable-device strategy. Apple’s iPhone Duo Demand Soars as Deliveries Stretch Into January 2027
• Positive Sentiment: New product event announced: Apple will host its “Pro and Tell” event on October 28. Analysts expect new Macs and potentially the company’s first touchscreen MacBook, which could provide a catalyst for Mac growth and investor sentiment. Apple announces product launch event for Oct. 28
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains favorable: Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating with a $370 price target, while JPMorgan maintained its Overweight rating and $360 target, citing healthy demand trends and longer-term AI potential. Apple Maintained at Buy With Unchanged $370 Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider transactions: CFO Kevan Parekh and insider Ben Borders sold shares to cover tax withholding related to vested equity awards. The sales modestly reduced their holdings but do not appear to represent discretionary bearish bets.
• Negative Sentiment: Demand concerns and valuation risk: A KeyBanc survey indicated weaker consumer intentions to upgrade iPhones over the next year, despite better early iPhone 18 interest. With AAPL trading near its 52-week high at a premium earnings multiple, disappointment in future iPhone growth could pressure the stock. Apple Stock Escaped the AI Downturn
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory pressure: UK regulators are reportedly preparing to push Apple to allow alternative default payment services on iPhones, potentially weakening Apple Pay’s ecosystem advantages and services revenue.

Insider Buying and Selling at Apple

In other Apple news, CEO John Ternus sold 25,412 shares of Apple stock in a transaction on Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $332.94, for a total transaction 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 $19,832,236.98. The trade was a 29.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available 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 on Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.42, for a total transaction 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. This represents a 25.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 284,454 shares of company stock worth $94,662,594. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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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