Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Acquired by Groupe la Francaise

Key Points

• Groupe la Française increased its Apple position by 10.1% in the second quarter, adding 113,744 shares for a total of 1.24 million shares valued at approximately $357.5 million. Apple represents about 4.3% of the firm’s portfolio.
• Institutional ownership remains substantial, with investors and hedge funds holding 67.73% of Apple’s shares; several other institutions also raised their positions during the quarter.
• Apple shares opened at $336.64, near their 52-week high, while analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $340.02. The company recently exceeded earnings expectations, though concerns persist over iPhone demand, valuation, and potential margin pressure.

Groupe la Francaise lifted its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 10.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,239,745 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after purchasing an additional 113,744 shares during the quarter. Apple accounts for approximately 4.3% of Groupe la Francaise's holdings, making the stock its 4th largest position. Groupe la Francaise's holdings in Apple were worth $357,457,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new position in Apple during the second quarter worth about $939,041,000. Carlson Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in Apple by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Carlson Financial Inc. now owns 13,386 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $3,875,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. Vancity Investment Management Ltd boosted its position in shares of Apple by 8.2% during the 2nd quarter. Vancity Investment Management Ltd now owns 138,312 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $40,022,000 after purchasing an additional 10,525 shares in the last quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in shares of Apple by 41.8% during the 2nd quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 430,305 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $124,513,000 after purchasing an additional 126,894 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Trevian Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Apple by 3.3% during the 2nd quarter. Trevian Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,782 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $2,252,000 after purchasing an additional 249 shares in the last quarter. 67.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Potential AI upside: Analyst Dan Ives said Apple could become a “toll collector” for consumer AI by monetizing its more than 2.5 billion active devices and Services ecosystem. He estimates AI could add approximately $75 per share to the company’s value. Apple Could Be the Toll Collector of Consumer AI
• Positive Sentiment: Smart-home expansion: Apple’s planned October 13 “Welcome Home” event could introduce products such as a smart lock, thermostat and doorbell. The initiative may expand Apple’s hardware and Services opportunities and strengthen its position against Amazon and Google. Apple Smart Home Push
• Neutral Sentiment: Possible seasonal order adjustment: Bespoke Investment Group noted that Apple’s autumn iPhone order reductions have occurred in prior years and have sometimes been followed by a stock recovery. Investors will look for evidence that the latest cuts reflect normal supply-chain management rather than lasting demand weakness. Apple’s iPhone Order Cut and Stock Rebound
• Negative Sentiment: iPhone demand concerns: Nikkei Asia reported that Apple asked suppliers to cut iPhone 18 Pro component production, raising concerns that premium pricing is discouraging consumers. The reports are particularly important because Apple is preparing to pursue an even higher-priced product strategy, including a rumored $1,999 foldable iPhone. Apple Cuts iPhone 18 Pro Orders Due to Soft Demand
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution risks: Apple’s elevated earnings multiple leaves less room for disappointment, while higher memory costs could pressure margins. A recent senior vice president stock sale was relatively small but adds to near-term caution. Apple Senior Vice President Stock Sale

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently commented on AAPL shares. Raymond James Financial reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of Apple from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $270.00 price target on shares of Apple in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. KeyCorp reiterated an "underweight" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, September 4th. Finally, Bank of America reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $370.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have given a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Apple has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $340.02.

Apple Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of AAPL stock opened at $336.64 on Friday. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $322.61 and its 200 day simple moving average is $302.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.00. Apple Inc. has a twelve month low of $243.42 and a twelve month high of $345.34. The company has a market capitalization of $4.91 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.61, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.07.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.57 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 EPS for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th were paid a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 10th. Apple's payout ratio is presently 12.39%.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Timothy Cook sold 191,753 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $332.96, for a total value of $63,846,078.88. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 3,264,168 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,086,837,377.28. This trade represents a 5.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CEO John Ternus sold 25,412 shares of Apple stock in a transaction on Friday, October 2nd. The stock was 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 owned 59,567 shares in the company, valued at $19,832,236.98. This trade represents a 29.90% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 279,383 shares of company stock valued at $92,912,517 in the last quarter. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Apple

Apple Inc is a technology company that designs, develops and markets 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 software platforms, including iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS and visionOS.

Apple's services business includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+ and iCloud.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AAPL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.