Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Sold by Courier Capital LLC

Key Points

• Courier Capital reduced its Apple position by 72.6% in the third quarter, selling 179,694 shares and retaining 67,838 shares worth approximately $22.2 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 67.73% of Apple.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable but mixed: Apple has an overall “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $340.12, with targets ranging from $245 to $350.
• Apple shares recently traded near their 52-week high at $348.22, supported by quarterly earnings and revenue that exceeded estimates, though its roughly 40x P/E ratio and recent insider selling remain valuation concerns.

Courier Capital LLC cut its position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 72.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 67,838 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 179,694 shares during the quarter. Apple accounts for 4.2% of Courier Capital LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest position. Courier Capital LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $22,213,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Avenir Tech Ltd acquired a new position in Apple during the second quarter worth about $29,000. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC bought a new stake in Apple in the second quarter worth about $30,000. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Apple by 822.7% in the 2nd quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 292,493 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $85,000 after acquiring an additional 260,792 shares during the last quarter. Bamco Inc. NY acquired a new stake in Apple in the 2nd quarter valued at about $118,000. Finally, Bard Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Apple in the 2nd quarter valued at about $161,000. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AAPL has been the subject of several research reports. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of Apple from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Oppenheimer reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of Apple in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Raymond James Financial reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "overweight" rating and set a $350.00 target price (up from $310.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Barclays restated an "underweight" rating and set a $245.00 target price (down from $253.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have issued a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $340.12.

More Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong iPhone Duo demand is the main catalyst. Preorders for the $1,999 foldable reportedly sold out quickly, with delivery dates extending into 2027. DigiTimes reported that Apple raised its 12-month shipment target by 44% to 14 million units, up from an initial 9.7 million. iPhone Duo preorder surge prompts Apple to raise shipment targets
• Positive Sentiment: The foldable launches Friday with supply constrained. Limited store inventory, combined with online backorders, could support near-term pricing power and signal meaningful demand for a new premium product category. Apple bets iPhone Duo can remake foldable market
• Positive Sentiment: Apple is increasingly viewed as an AI “safe haven.” Investors are favoring the company’s substantial cash generation and device-focused AI strategy over rivals committing enormous sums to centralized data centers. Berkshire Hathaway’s continued large Apple holding also reinforces the stock’s defensive appeal. Apple’s Cash Flow Machine Makes It Investors’ Favorite AI Hedge
• Positive Sentiment: Additional growth opportunities are emerging. Apple is expanding its smart-home ecosystem with Schneider Electric and has another product event scheduled for October 28, potentially providing further catalysts. Schneider Electric teams up with Apple on smart-home products
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation remains the key debate. Apple’s approximately 40 times earnings multiple and $5 trillion valuation leave investors dependent on strong holiday sales, expanding margins and sustained product growth. Analysts remain divided, with some projecting another major growth phase while others see limited upside.
• Negative Sentiment: Loop Capital downgraded AAPL to Hold over valuation and concerns about iPhone shipment prospects, creating a counterweight to the upbeat foldable-phone reports. Apple slips as Loop Capital downgrades on iPhone shipment concerns
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and ETF outflows add modest pressure. SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 2,399 shares worth about $815,000, while reports also cited net ETF selling and additional insider transactions. These trades are relatively small compared with Apple’s size but may reinforce valuation concerns.

Apple Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of AAPL opened at $348.22 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $328.91 and its 200 day moving average price is $309.07. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.08 trillion, a P/E ratio of 39.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 1.07. Apple Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.42 and a 1-year high of $348.36.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.57 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Apple

In other news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 2,399 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $339.62, for a total transaction of $814,748.38. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 34,795 shares in the company, valued at $11,817,077.90. The trade was a 6.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Kevan Parekh sold 1,392 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $345.05, for a total transaction of $480,309.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 17,539 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,051,831.95. This trade represents a 7.35% 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 have sold 286,853 shares of company stock valued at $95,477,342 over the last three months. 0.06% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Apple

Apple Inc designs, develops and sells 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 applications that support its hardware ecosystem.

Apple's services business includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade, iCloud, Apple Pay and other subscription, payment and digital-content offerings.

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