Apple Inc. $AAPL is Counterweight Ventures LLC's 5th Largest Position

Counterweight Ventures LLC reduced its stake in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 10.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 27,929 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 3,153 shares during the quarter. Apple makes up about 4.0% of Counterweight Ventures LLC's holdings, making the stock its 5th biggest holding. Counterweight Ventures LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $7,088,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new position in shares of Apple in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC raised its holdings in Apple by 1,800.0% in the first 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. LSV Asset Management purchased a new position in Apple during the fourth quarter valued at $65,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter valued at $69,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC bought a new stake in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter valued at $76,000. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Maxim Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $350.00 price target (up from $310.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $365.00 target price (up from $315.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $276.00 target price on shares of Apple in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. Finally, DA Davidson reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $270.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, May 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $314.26.

Key Headlines Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: China approved Apple Intelligence for iPhones, a key regulatory green light that clears the way for Apple’s AI rollout in one of its most important markets and could help support upgrades and Services growth. Reuters: Apple Intelligence AI service registered with China's cyberspace regulator
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that Apple is exploring acquisitions of AI chip startups to strengthen its server and AI hardware capabilities reinforced the idea that the company is actively investing to remain competitive in AI without a huge data-center spending spree. Reuters: Apple chasing AI chip company deals, The Information reports
• Positive Sentiment: News that Apple may spend about $30 billion through its Broadcom partnership adds confidence in supply-chain security and custom silicon development, which investors see as supportive for future product cycles and margins. Yahoo Finance/Reuters: Apple Plans to Spend $30 Billion in a Deal With Broadcom (AVGO)
• Positive Sentiment: Apple also won dismissal of a high-stakes iCloud-related lawsuit, removing an overhang and improving sentiment around legal risk. Yahoo Finance: Apple Wins Dismissal of iCloud Lawsuit
• Neutral Sentiment: Several media and analyst pieces noted Apple’s stock hitting record highs and trading near a new 52-week high, reflecting strong momentum after a sharp run-up rather than a fresh fundamental surprise. Investopedia: Apple Could Buy an AI Chip Company. Its Hot Stock Just Set a Fresh Record High
• Negative Sentiment: KeyBanc downgraded Apple to Underweight, warning that slowing hardware demand, softer Services growth, and valuation concerns could limit further upside. Yahoo Finance: KeyBanc Downgrades Apple on Growth Concerns

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Ben Borders sold 1,274 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.00, for a total transaction of $369,460.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 38,713 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,226,770. This represents a 3.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Kevan Parekh sold 1,534 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.00, for a total value of $421,850.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 13,366 shares in the company, valued at $3,675,650. This trade represents a 10.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 2,924 shares of company stock worth $825,546. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Apple Trading Up 4.0%

NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $327.50 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $4.81 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.60, a PEG ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. The company's 50 day moving average price is $301.89 and its 200-day moving average price is $276.27. Apple Inc. has a 52 week low of $201.50 and a 52 week high of $328.73.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.01 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.95 by $0.06. Apple had a net margin of 27.15% and a return on equity of 146.69%. The company had revenue of $111.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.46 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.65 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 16.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 11th were paid a $0.27 dividend. This is an increase from Apple's previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. Apple's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 13.06%.

Apple 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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