Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Sold by Aristotle Atlantic Partners LLC

Key Points

• Aristotle Atlantic Partners LLC reduced its Apple position by 2.4%, selling 10,658 shares and retaining 434,442 shares worth approximately $110.3 million. Apple remains the firm’s third-largest holding and represents 5.2% of its portfolio.
• Other institutional investors generally increased their Apple holdings, while hedge funds and institutions collectively own 67.73% of the stock. Apple recently reported quarterly EPS of $2.02 and revenue of $109.42 billion, exceeding analyst expectations.
• Apple will pay a $0.27 quarterly dividend on August 13, while analyst sentiment remains moderately bullish with an average price target of $328.60. However, rising memory costs, potential supply-chain constraints and recent analyst downgrades pose risks to margins and performance.

Aristotle Atlantic Partners LLC lessened its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 2.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 434,442 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 10,658 shares during the quarter. Apple accounts for about 5.2% of Aristotle Atlantic Partners LLC's holdings, making the stock its 3rd biggest position. Aristotle Atlantic Partners LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $110,257,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of AAPL. First National Bank of Hutchinson boosted its position in shares of Apple by 24.6% during the 4th quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 35,319 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $8,845,000 after purchasing an additional 6,982 shares in the last quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Apple by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC now owns 54,085 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $13,544,000 after purchasing an additional 272 shares in the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in shares of Apple by 14.8% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 537,314 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $134,554,000 after purchasing an additional 69,207 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Apple by 4.2% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 66,857 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $16,742,000 after purchasing an additional 2,695 shares during the period. Finally, Highview Capital Management LLC DE lifted its stake in shares of Apple by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. Highview Capital Management LLC DE now owns 50,264 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $12,587,000 after purchasing an additional 1,155 shares during the period. 67.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Apple Stock Performance

Apple stock opened at $308.26 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.00. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $309.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of $283.86. The company has a market capitalization of $4.50 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.35, a PEG ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 1.09. Apple Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $223.78 and a fifty-two week high of $344.57.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $109.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.04 billion. Apple had a return on equity of 135.46% and a net margin of 27.62%.The business's revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.57 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 13th. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th will be paid a $0.27 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 10th. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. Apple's payout ratio is presently 12.39%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Apple from $345.00 to $340.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 31st. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded shares of Apple from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $300.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Oppenheimer reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Raymond James Financial restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Phillip Securities cut Apple from a "hold" rating to a "moderate sell" rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Apple currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $328.60.

More Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple is testing memory chips from China’s CXMT for some iPhones and MacBooks sold in China. If approved by U.S. authorities, the move could provide an additional supply source and help mitigate shortages caused by surging AI-related demand. Apple tests China's CXMT memory chips
• Positive Sentiment: Some Apple-focused investors, including Deepwater Asset Management’s Gene Munster, argue that the shares remain undervalued and that future iPhone price increases, artificial-intelligence features and a potential upgrade cycle could support longer-term growth. Gene Munster disagrees with Apple downgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple is scheduled to pay a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share on August 13 to eligible shareholders, providing a modest near-term shareholder return. Apple dividend payment
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies downgraded Apple from Hold to Underperform and cut its price target to $263.66 from $285.56. Analyst Edison Lee reportedly believes Apple has scrapped a planned all-glass iPhone because of production challenges, removing a potential premium product that could have lifted average selling prices and profitability. Apple could underperform without an all-glass iPhone
• Negative Sentiment: Memory and storage costs are rising sharply amid the AI-driven supply crunch; reports suggest iPhone 18 production costs could increase by roughly 38%. Apple may need to raise prices, risking weaker demand, or absorb the costs, pressuring margins. Apple's iPhone 18 costs could jump 38%
• Negative Sentiment: The CXMT testing also introduces geopolitical and execution risks: U.S. restrictions could limit Apple’s access to the supplier, while CXMT’s capacity and technology may lag established memory manufacturers. These issues add uncertainty to Apple’s supply chain and pricing strategy.

Insider Transactions at Apple

In other Apple news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total transaction of $34,236.24. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 38,713 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,425,754.82. This trade represents a 0.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

About Apple

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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