7,500 Shares in Apple Inc. $AAPL Acquired by Encore Global Management LP

Key Points

• Encore Global Management LP acquired 7,500 Apple shares in the first quarter, valued at approximately $1.9 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 67.73% of Apple’s stock.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with Apple receiving a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $328.60, despite some recent target reductions and downgrades.
• Apple reported strong quarterly results, including 16.4% year-over-year revenue growth and EPS of $2.02 versus the $1.89 consensus estimate. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share, representing a 0.4% yield.

Encore Global Management LP acquired a new stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 7,500 shares of the iPhone maker's stock, valued at approximately $1,903,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new position in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter worth $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC grew its stake in Apple by 1,800.0% in the 1st quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. LSV Asset Management acquired a new stake in Apple in the 4th quarter valued at about $65,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Apple during the 4th quarter valued at about $69,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC purchased a new position in Apple during the 4th quarter valued at about $76,000. 67.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on AAPL shares. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of Apple from $350.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $360.00 price target (down from $370.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $365.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Rosenblatt Securities lifted their price objective on Apple from $276.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, KGI Securities lowered Apple from an "outperform" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $315.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $328.60.

Insider Activity at Apple

In related news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total value of $34,236.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 38,713 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. This represents a 0.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Apple Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AAPL opened at $302.25 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $4.41 trillion, a PE ratio of 34.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.09. Apple Inc. has a 12 month low of $223.78 and a 12 month high of $344.57. 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 50-day simple moving average of $309.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of $284.64.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.04 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.57 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.27 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 10th. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Apple's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 12.39%.

More Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple is testing DRAM chips from China’s ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) for iPhones and MacBooks and has discussed potential supply arrangements. Diversifying memory suppliers could reduce shortages and limit cost pressure, although geopolitical and quality-control risks remain. Apple’s CXMT Bet Could Strengthen Its Memory Supply, But Risks Remain
• Positive Sentiment: Apple is reportedly in talks with publishers to license content for an AI-powered Siri. Access to current, high-quality information could improve Siri as Apple prepares a major AI-focused iPhone software update. Apple in Talks to Pay Publishers to Improve AI-Powered Siri
• Positive Sentiment: Apple’s latest quarter remained strong, with revenue up 16.4% year over year and earnings exceeding consensus estimates. Some investors also view the recent pullback as an accumulation opportunity, while Crake Asset Management reportedly increased its Apple position.
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple hired former American Airlines executive Nate Gatten to lead government affairs, highlighting the importance of tariffs, regulation and White House relations. The appointment could improve policy execution but also underscores heightened political risk. Apple Hires Former American Airlines Executive to Lead Government Affairs
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Tim Cook is expected to hand leadership to John Ternus on September 1, while Apple Pay and Wallet chief Jennifer Bailey plans to retire in October. The transitions create execution uncertainty but may also mark a planned leadership refresh.
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies cut its Apple rating and price target, questioning whether the company has sufficient iPhone and AI momentum to justify its premium valuation. The firm also cited supply-chain concerns about a high-end all-glass iPhone and weaker average-selling-price growth. Apple Stock Falls After Jefferies Slashes Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Memory shortages driven by AI demand are raising Apple’s bill of materials and could pressure margins or force additional iPhone price increases. Google’s new Pixel 11 lineup also intensifies competition in AI-enabled smartphones. Apple additionally faces a class-action lawsuit alleging that its iCloud+ privacy claims misled consumers.

Apple Company Profile

Apple Inc NASDAQ: AAPL is a multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. The company designs, develops and sells consumer electronics, software and services. Over its history Apple has evolved from personal computers to a broad portfolio that spans mobile devices, wearables, home entertainment and digital services.

Apple's principal hardware products include the iPhone smartphone, iPad tablet, Mac personal computers, Apple Watch wearable devices and a range of accessories such as AirPods and HomePod.

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