Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Sold by Advus Financial Partners LLC

Key Points

• Advus Financial Partners reduced its Apple stake by 15.7% in the second quarter, selling 4,625 shares and retaining 24,746 shares valued at approximately $7.16 million. Institutional investors collectively own 67.73% of Apple.
• Apple reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $2.02 and revenue of $109.42 billion, representing 16.4% year-over-year revenue growth. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share.
• Apple shares opened at $336.64, near their 52-week high, while analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $340.02. Investors remain focused on valuation, iPhone demand, AI opportunities and potential margin pressure from higher costs.

Advus Financial Partners LLC lowered its stake in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 15.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 24,746 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 4,625 shares during the period. Apple makes up approximately 1.6% of Advus Financial Partners LLC's holdings, making the stock its 11th biggest position. Advus Financial Partners LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $7,160,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in AAPL. Kirkwood Financial Services purchased a new stake in shares of Apple during the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,311,000. Groupe la Francaise grew its position in Apple by 10.1% during the second quarter. Groupe la Francaise now owns 1,239,745 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $357,457,000 after buying an additional 113,744 shares during the period. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new stake in Apple during the second quarter valued at approximately $939,041,000. Carlson Financial Inc. increased its holdings in Apple by 0.7% during the second quarter. Carlson Financial Inc. now owns 13,386 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $3,875,000 after buying an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vancity Investment Management Ltd increased its holdings in Apple by 8.2% during the second quarter. Vancity Investment Management Ltd now owns 138,312 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $40,022,000 after buying an additional 10,525 shares during the last quarter. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Apple Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $336.64 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $4.91 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.61, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.07. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $322.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $302.99. Apple Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.42 and a fifty-two week high of $345.34. 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 (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.13. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The company had revenue of $109.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th were issued a dividend of $0.27 per share. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 10th. Apple's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.39%.

Insider Transactions at Apple

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 completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 3,264,168 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,086,837,377.28. This trade represents a 5.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 2,399 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.01, for a total transaction of $796,491.99. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 39,593 shares in the company, valued at $13,145,271.93. This represents a 5.71% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 279,383 shares of company stock valued at $92,912,517 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting 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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on AAPL. DA Davidson reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $270.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. HSBC restated a "buy" rating and issued a $366.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research note on Tuesday, September 8th. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Apple from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have assigned a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Apple presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $340.02.

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.

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