Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Sold by Empire Financial Management Company LLC

Key Points

• Empire Financial Management reduced its Apple stake by 9.2% in the first quarter, selling 5,541 shares and retaining 54,885 shares valued at approximately $13.9 million. Apple remains the firm’s second-largest holding and represents about 3.1% of its portfolio.
• Apple reported a strong latest quarter, with revenue rising 16.4% year over year to $109.42 billion and EPS of $2.02 exceeding the $1.89 consensus estimate. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share.
• Analysts maintain a generally favorable outlook, with Apple carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and a $328.60 average price target, although some firms have raised concerns about its premium valuation, AI momentum and rising memory costs.

Empire Financial Management Company LLC trimmed its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 9.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 54,885 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 5,541 shares during the quarter. Apple accounts for approximately 3.1% of Empire Financial Management Company LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest holding. Empire Financial Management Company LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $13,929,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of AAPL. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new position in Apple during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC increased its position in shares of Apple by 1,800.0% in the first quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of Apple in the fourth quarter worth $65,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Apple in the 4th quarter valued at $69,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC acquired a new position in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter valued at $76,000. 67.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Apple Price Performance

Shares of AAPL stock opened at $302.25 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $309.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of $284.64. The company has a market capitalization of $4.41 trillion, a PE ratio of 34.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.09. Apple Inc. has a twelve month low of $223.78 and a twelve month high of $344.57. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

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

Apple Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total value of $34,236.24. Following the transaction, the insider owned 38,713 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. The trade was a 0.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple is testing DRAM chips from China’s ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) for iPhones and MacBooks and has discussed potential supply arrangements. Diversifying memory suppliers could reduce shortages and limit cost pressure, although geopolitical and quality-control risks remain. Apple’s CXMT Bet Could Strengthen Its Memory Supply, But Risks Remain
• Positive Sentiment: Apple is reportedly in talks with publishers to license content for an AI-powered Siri. Access to current, high-quality information could improve Siri as Apple prepares a major AI-focused iPhone software update. Apple in Talks to Pay Publishers to Improve AI-Powered Siri
• Positive Sentiment: Apple’s latest quarter remained strong, with revenue up 16.4% year over year and earnings exceeding consensus estimates. Some investors also view the recent pullback as an accumulation opportunity, while Crake Asset Management reportedly increased its Apple position.
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple hired former American Airlines executive Nate Gatten to lead government affairs, highlighting the importance of tariffs, regulation and White House relations. The appointment could improve policy execution but also underscores heightened political risk. Apple Hires Former American Airlines Executive to Lead Government Affairs
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Tim Cook is expected to hand leadership to John Ternus on September 1, while Apple Pay and Wallet chief Jennifer Bailey plans to retire in October. The transitions create execution uncertainty but may also mark a planned leadership refresh.
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies cut its Apple rating and price target, questioning whether the company has sufficient iPhone and AI momentum to justify its premium valuation. The firm also cited supply-chain concerns about a high-end all-glass iPhone and weaker average-selling-price growth. Apple Stock Falls After Jefferies Slashes Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Memory shortages driven by AI demand are raising Apple’s bill of materials and could pressure margins or force additional iPhone price increases. Google’s new Pixel 11 lineup also intensifies competition in AI-enabled smartphones. Apple additionally faces a class-action lawsuit alleging that its iCloud+ privacy claims misled consumers.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AAPL has been the subject of a number of research reports. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $270.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Monness Crespi & Hardt raised their price objective on Apple from $315.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Apple from $345.00 to $340.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, KGI Securities lowered Apple from an "outperform" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $315.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Apple presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $328.60.

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.

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.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source