Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Newly Purchased by Archer Investment Corp

Key Points

• Archer Investment Corp purchased 28,826 Apple shares worth approximately $8.34 million in the second quarter, making Apple 1.2% of its portfolio and its 13th-largest holding. Several other institutional investors also initiated positions, with institutions and hedge funds collectively owning 67.73% of Apple.
• Apple reported quarterly earnings of $2.02 per share and revenue of $109.42 billion, exceeding analyst expectations, while revenue grew 16.4% year over year. The company also paid a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $340.14; however, insiders have sold more than $3.5 million of stock over the past three months.

Archer Investment Corp purchased a new stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 28,826 shares of the iPhone maker's stock, valued at approximately $8,341,000. Apple comprises 1.2% of Archer Investment Corp's investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest position.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Prospect Hill Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Apple during the second quarter valued at $146,370,000. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Apple in the 2nd quarter worth about $168,646,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Apple in the 2nd quarter valued at about $482,388,000. Satovsky Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Apple in the 2nd quarter valued at about $16,064,000. Finally, Saranac Partners Ltd acquired a new position in Apple during the 2nd quarter valued at about $9,513,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Apple Trading Up 1.1%

Apple stock opened at $333.02 on Thursday. Apple Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.42 and a 12-month high of $345.34. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $4.86 trillion, a PE ratio of 38.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 1.08. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $321.97 and a 200-day simple moving average of $299.21.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last announced 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $109.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.57 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Announces Dividend

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. 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 dividend payout ratio is 12.39%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Apple

In related news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 2,399 shares of Apple stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $340.06, for a total value of $815,803.94. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 44,391 shares in the company, valued at $15,095,603.46. The trade was a 5.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Over the last three months, insiders sold 11,031 shares of company stock worth $3,535,759. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AAPL has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating and issued a $400.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. CICC Research increased their price objective on Apple from $310.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Citic Securities raised their target price on Apple from $300.00 to $349.00 in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a "market perform" rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Monday, September 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $340.14.

Key Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Counterpoint Research estimates Apple could sell approximately 6 million iPhone Duo foldable handsets in 2026, despite the device’s premium starting price of $1,999. Pre-orders reportedly begin October 16, with deliveries scheduled for October 23. Apple Predicted To Sell 6 Million iPhone Duo Handsets This Year
• Positive Sentiment: Early iPhone 18 Pro demand in China is encouraging: first-week sales rose 12% year over year, and Apple captured 33% of smartphone sales during the measured period. Analysts also see consumers showing greater willingness to pay for higher-priced models. Apple iPhone 18 Pro China Launch-Week Sales Rise 12%
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that Apple will unveil a new smart-home hub at an October 13 event added to expectations for expansion beyond the iPhone. The company is also reportedly renewing its Qualcomm licensing agreement, supporting continuity for its device and connectivity roadmap. Apple Plans Smart-Home Push
• Positive Sentiment: Broader technology stocks benefited from cooler inflation data, which reduced near-term concerns about additional Federal Reserve rate hikes. Apple also received a favorable endorsement from Jim Cramer ahead of the Duo launch.
• Neutral Sentiment: New CEO John Ternus is reportedly considering an engineering-focused restructuring, faster product releases and fewer management layers. The changes could improve innovation and execution, but they introduce transition risk and may include layoffs as memory costs rise. Apple’s New CEO Plans Overhaul
• Negative Sentiment: Bank of America warned that Meta’s Muse and other AI agents could divert product discovery, shopping activity and services revenue away from Apple’s ecosystem, increasing pressure on Siri, Apple Pay and the App Store.
• Negative Sentiment: Apple patched a zero-day vulnerability reportedly used in targeted attacks involving iPhone crypto wallets. In addition, a UK class-action case over marketplace restrictions was allowed to proceed, creating ongoing legal and reputational risks.

Apple Company Profile

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.

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