Almanack Investment Partners LLC. Increases Stake in Apple Inc. $AAPL

Key Points

• Almanack Investment Partners increased its Apple stake by 89.8% in the second quarter, ending with 31,711 shares valued at approximately $9.18 million. Apple represented about 1.2% of the firm’s portfolio.
• Apple reported quarterly earnings of $2.02 per share and revenue of $109.42 billion, beating analyst expectations, while revenue grew 16.4% year over year.
• Wall Street’s consensus rating remains “Moderate Buy”, with an average price target of $330.61, although some analysts recently downgraded the stock to “hold” or “neutral.”

Almanack Investment Partners LLC. raised its holdings in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 89.8% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 31,711 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after buying an additional 15,001 shares during the quarter. Apple comprises about 1.2% of Almanack Investment Partners LLC.'s portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. Almanack Investment Partners LLC.'s holdings in Apple were worth $9,176,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new stake in shares of Apple in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC lifted its position in Apple by 1,800.0% during the first quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. Timmons Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Apple during the fourth quarter worth approximately $69,000. LSV Asset Management acquired a new position in Apple during the fourth quarter worth $65,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC acquired a new position in Apple during the fourth quarter worth $76,000. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on AAPL. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $365.00 target price (up from $315.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Piper Sandler began coverage on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, August 17th. They issued an "overweight" rating for the company. China Renaissance lowered shares of Apple from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $280.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "overweight" rating and set a $350.00 price objective (up from $310.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Seaport Research Partners lowered shares of Apple from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Apple currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $330.61.

Apple Stock Performance

Shares of AAPL stock opened at $319.97 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $316.41 and a two-hundred day moving average of $290.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.67 trillion, a PE ratio of 36.69, a P/E/G ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 1.08. 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 Inc. has a 52 week low of $225.95 and a 52 week high of $344.57.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last released 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 firm had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $109.04 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.57 EPS. Apple's revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 10th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Apple's payout ratio is currently 12.39%.

Apple News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, at John Ternus’s first major keynote as CEO. Analysts at Morgan Stanley estimate the foldable could represent a roughly $14 billion revenue opportunity if Apple can stimulate premium-device demand. Apple Faces Its Biggest iPhone Test in Years
• Positive Sentiment: Recent iPhone sales growth of more than 20% for three consecutive quarters, a large installed base and potential on-device artificial-intelligence features provide a favorable backdrop for the launch. Apple’s higher Apple TV and Apple One prices could also support Services revenue and margins. Apple’s New Mac Mini and Studio Bet Big on On-Device AI
• Neutral Sentiment: The leadership transition from Tim Cook to John Ternus is placing additional importance on Wednesday’s event. Investors are looking for evidence that Ternus can maintain Apple’s long-term innovation and shareholder-return record while emphasizing hardware development. Tim Cook Delivered a 2,720% Total Return
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple’s broad ecosystem and substantial cash generation remain important supports for the investment case, but the stock’s premium valuation means the market may already be pricing in a successful product cycle and strong demand.
• Negative Sentiment: KeyBanc warned that rising memory and component costs could force Apple to raise prices. Broad price increases could cause “sticker shock” and reduce unit volumes, while selective increases could pressure gross margins. KeyBanc Delivers Stark Warning on Apple Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Huawei and Xiaomi have introduced premium foldable devices ahead of Apple’s launch, intensifying competition—particularly in China, an important but challenging market for Apple. Huawei’s tri-fold Mate XT2 raises the bar on design and pricing. Huawei Unveils New Tri-Fold Smartphone
• Negative Sentiment: Apple faces a costly execution test: a premium foldable near $2,000 must generate meaningful incremental demand without weakening margins or cannibalizing existing iPhone sales. Disappointing specifications, pricing or guidance could weigh on the shares after the event.

Insider Transactions at Apple

In related news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $317.01, for a total value of $456,177.39. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 35,790 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,345,787.90. This trade represents a 3.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of Apple stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total transaction of $34,236.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 38,713 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,425,754.82. This represents a 0.30% 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. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 5,872 shares of company stock valued at $1,823,201. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

About Apple

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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