Apple Inc. $AAPL is Ameritas Investment Partners Inc.'s 3rd Largest Position

Key Points

• Ameritas Investment Partners trimmed its Apple stake by 2% in Q3 to 441,422 shares (sold 8,813), leaving Apple as its 3rd-largest holding worth about $112.4 million and roughly 3.4% of the portfolio.
• Apple beat quarterly estimates with $2.84 EPS (vs. $2.67) and $143.76B revenue (+15.7% YoY) and recently paid a $0.26 quarterly dividend ($1.04 annual, ~0.4% yield).
• Analysts have lifted price targets and the consensus is a "Moderate Buy" (average target ~$297.58), but investors face near-term risks from rising memory costs that could hurt margins and from notable insider/institutional selling.

Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. lowered its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 441,422 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 8,813 shares during the quarter. Apple accounts for about 3.4% of Ameritas Investment Partners Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc.'s holdings in Apple were worth $112,399,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Isthmus Partners LLC raised its stake in Apple by 6.4% during the third quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 97,177 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 5,808 shares in the last quarter. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in Apple by 110.9% during the third quarter. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC now owns 135 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC boosted its position in shares of Apple by 1,800.0% in the 1st quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. Nexus Investment Management ULC grew its holdings in shares of Apple by 333.3% during the second quarter. Nexus Investment Management ULC now owns 260 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LSV Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of Apple in the fourth quarter valued at about $65,000. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Apple Trading Up 0.9%

Shares of Apple stock opened at $259.88 on Tuesday. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $263.28 and its 200-day simple moving average is $260.95. The firm has a market cap of $3.82 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. Apple Inc. has a 52-week low of $169.21 and a 52-week high of $288.62.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The iPhone maker reported $2.84 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.67 by $0.17. Apple had a return on equity of 159.94% and a net margin of 27.04%.The business had revenue of $143.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $138.25 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.40 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 15.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 12th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 9th were issued a $0.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 9th. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. Apple's payout ratio is 13.15%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently weighed in on AAPL shares. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $315.00 price target (up from $305.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Apple from $315.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $325.00 price objective on Apple in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, CLSA lifted their price target on shares of Apple from $265.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Apple presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $297.58.

More Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: The launch of the MacBook Neo, a budget-friendly 13" laptop starting at $599, is being viewed as a way to expand Apple's addressable market (students/entry buyers) and could modestly boost unit sales and ecosystem adoption. Apple's Latest Move Is a Brilliant One, and It Could Be a Game Changer for the Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Apple expanded its lower‑priced device push (including MacBook Neo and the iPhone 17e with larger base storage), a strategy Bernstein says can grow the ecosystem while protecting premium margins. Apple Expands Push Into Lower-Priced Devices
• Positive Sentiment: Broker support persists: Citi reiterated a Buy rating and $315 target citing resilient margins, expanding services and emerging AI upside — a bullish anchor for investors. Apple: Resilient Margins, Expanding Services, and Emerging AI Upside Support Buy Rating and $315 Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Shipment data show Samsung matched Apple’s smartphone production last year — competitive parity that matters for market share monitoring but not an immediate earnings shock. Samsung Caught Apple In Smartphone Sales
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest data in the feed are effectively meaningless/erroneous (zeros/NaN), so there’s no clear short‑seller signal from that report.
• Negative Sentiment: Rising memory costs are a clear near‑term headwind: analysts estimate a ~140 basis‑point margin hit in 2026 as DRAM prices jump, which could pressure gross margins even as revenue grows. Apple Stock — Why Analysts Still Like It Despite A Memory Squeeze
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional and insider selling is notable: reports highlight insider sales by senior executives and continued large position reductions from major holders (coverage cites Berkshire/Buffett selling activity), which can weigh on sentiment. Warren Buffett Just Did Something He Almost Never Does — and It’s a Signal Retirees Shouldn't Ignore Apple Stock (AAPL) Opinions on New MacBook Neo Launch

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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