Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Sold by James Investment Research Inc.

Key Points

• James Investment Research cut its Apple stake by 3.0% in the third quarter, selling 3,258 shares; it still held 106,860 shares worth about $35.6 million, making Apple its second-largest portfolio holding.
• Apple reported quarterly earnings of $2.10 per share and revenue of $114.48 billion, both ahead of analyst estimates, with revenue up 11.7% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed: the consensus rating is “Moderate Buy,” while reports flag memory-chip costs and Apple’s valuation as risks; a China Renaissance upgrade cited potential from a foldable iPhone.

James Investment Research Inc. trimmed its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 106,860 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 3,258 shares during the period. Apple accounts for approximately 3.8% of James Investment Research Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest holding. James Investment Research Inc.'s holdings in Apple were worth $35,586,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Apple by 4.7% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 630,662,494 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $182,897,769,000 after purchasing an additional 28,321,085 shares during the period. Berkshire Hathaway Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Apple during the second quarter worth about $65,950,297,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in shares of Apple during the second quarter worth about $36,986,090,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in shares of Apple during the second quarter worth about $30,443,242,000. Finally, Amundi boosted its position in Apple by 23.2% in the first quarter. Amundi now owns 73,082,616 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $18,547,637,000 after buying an additional 13,780,080 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Apple

Investors following AAPL have been watching these headlines:

• Positive Sentiment: China Renaissance upgraded Apple to Buy from Hold and set a $425 price target, citing potential from the first foldable iPhone. Coverage also points to strong interest in the new iPhone lineup as a possible catalyst for continued growth. Apple stock gains as analyst sets a $425 target
• Negative Sentiment: Higher memory-chip prices are a near-term margin risk. Apple’s December-quarter gross-margin outlook was reported below analyst expectations, despite record quarterly sales, raising concerns that component costs could weigh on profitability. Why Apple Stock Fell Despite a Record Quarter
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts and investors view AAPL as expensive after its strong run, while recent coverage shows disagreement on the outlook, including a DZ Bank downgrade to Sell. Rich valuation leaves less room for disappointment. Apple Shares Look Expensive Heading into 2027

Analyst Ratings Changes

AAPL has been the topic of several research reports. Deutsche Bank downgraded shares of Apple from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Seaport Research Partners cut shares of Apple from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Apple in a report on Thursday, October 1st. Piper Sandler initiated coverage on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, August 17th. They issued an "overweight" rating on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Apple from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $347.11.

Insider Buying and Selling at Apple

In related news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 2,399 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $351.36, for a total value of $842,912.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 27,598 shares in the company, valued at $9,696,833.28. The trade was a 8.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO John Ternus sold 25,412 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.94, for a total transaction of $8,460,671.28. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 59,567 shares in the company, valued at $19,832,236.98. This trade represents a 29.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 292,611 shares of company stock worth $97,482,597. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Apple Stock Down 0.2%

Apple stock opened at $354.88 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $5.16 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.07. Apple Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.42 and a 52 week high of $359.37. The business's 50-day moving average price is $338.48 and its 200 day moving average price is $300.56. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 2nd. The iPhone maker reported $2.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.99 by $0.11. Apple had a return on equity of 125.35% and a net margin of 27.60%. The company had revenue of $114.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $113.40 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.85 earnings per share. Apple's quarterly revenue was up 11.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 9.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 16th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.27 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 12th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Apple's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.04%.

Apple Company Profile

Apple Inc. designs, manufactures and markets consumer electronics, software and digital services. Its products include the iPhone, Mac computers, iPad, Apple Watch and AirPods, along with operating systems and applications such as iOS, macOS and iPadOS. The company also offers services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+, iCloud and Apple Pay. These products and services are integrated across Apple's devices and are sold to consumers, businesses and institutions around the world. Founded in 1976 and headquartered in Cupertino, California, Apple serves customers globally through online and retail stores, wireless carriers and other resellers.

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