Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Sold by Nautilus Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Nautilus Advisors LLC cut its Apple position by 9% in the third quarter, selling 2,388 shares and retaining 24,239 shares valued at approximately $8.07 million. Apple remains the fund’s second-largest holding and represents 5.1% of its portfolio.
• Institutional ownership remains substantial at 67.73%, with State Street increasing its stake and Berkshire Hathaway, Bank of America, Legal & General, and Amundi holding significant positions.
• Apple shares opened at $342.96, near their 52-week high, while analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $340.39. The company recently exceeded earnings and revenue expectations, though its premium valuation and uncertain iPhone demand remain risks.

Nautilus Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 9.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 24,239 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 2,388 shares during the quarter. Apple comprises 5.1% of Nautilus Advisors LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest holding. Nautilus Advisors LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $8,072,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in AAPL. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Apple by 4.7% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 630,662,494 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $182,897,769,000 after buying an additional 28,321,085 shares during the last quarter. Berkshire Hathaway Inc acquired a new position in shares of Apple during the second quarter worth approximately $65,950,297,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in shares of Apple in the second quarter valued at approximately $36,986,090,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in shares of Apple in the second quarter valued at approximately $30,443,242,000. Finally, Amundi boosted its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 13,780,080 shares during the period. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Apple News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple’s $299 HomeView smart-home hub, along with new cameras, a doorbell, smart lock, thermostat and updated Apple TV and HomePod products, gives the company new hardware and ecosystem expansion opportunities. Analysts also see potential for recurring iCloud+ and other Services revenue. Apple releases HomeView smart home hub with screen as showcase for Siri AI
• Positive Sentiment: Apple reportedly plans to launch Apple Intelligence in mainland China in December, potentially improving access to AI features in a strategically important market. Apple to Release AI Platform in Mainland China
• Positive Sentiment: Apple benefited from news that GlobalFoundries will build two New York fabs with up to $21 billion in U.S.-Japan funding. Apple is expected to source chips from the expanded domestic capacity, supporting supply-chain diversification. GlobalFoundries Secures $21B for New York Fabs
• Positive Sentiment: Investor optimism was reinforced by Apple’s market value reclaiming the $5 trillion milestone, while analyst Dan Ives suggested a stronger AI strategy could support a $400 price target. Apple reaches new highs ahead of iPhone Duo preorders
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple’s iPhone Duo preorders begin October 16. Strong demand could provide a near-term catalyst, but reports of shorter iPhone 18 Pro delivery windows and reduced supplier production have raised questions about demand.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts estimate that a paid, more capable Siri could eventually generate substantial Services revenue, but Apple has not announced pricing or a launch date for expanded AI access.
• Negative Sentiment: OpenAI alleges that a former employee who joined Apple transferred more than 100 confidential files concerning an unreleased device. The case could create legal, reputational and product-development risks, although there is no indication Apple used the information. OpenAI alleges former employee took device files to Apple
• Negative Sentiment: Gene Munster warned Apple could lose the AI platform battle if users become loyal to rival assistants such as Meta’s Muse or Grok. Critics also questioned whether HomeView meaningfully addresses Apple’s AI shortcomings.
• Negative Sentiment: With Apple trading near record levels at a rich valuation, investors are concerned that slower growth, margin pressure and uncertain iPhone demand may limit further upside.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on AAPL shares. Morgan Stanley set a $355.00 target price on shares of Apple and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. HSBC reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $366.00 price target on shares of Apple in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $400.00 price target on shares of Apple in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Daiwa Securities Group raised their price target on shares of Apple from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Phillip Securities boosted their price objective on shares of Apple from $290.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have given a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Apple has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $340.39.

Apple Stock Up 0.5%

NASDAQ AAPL opened at $342.96 on Thursday. The stock's 50 day moving average is $324.64 and its two-hundred day moving average is $305.24. Apple Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.42 and a 1-year high of $348.15. The company has a market capitalization of $5.01 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.33, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.04 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The company's revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.57 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Apple

In other news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 2,399 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $336.18, for a total value of $806,495.82. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 41,992 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,116,870.56. This represents a 5.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Timothy D. Cook sold 191,753 shares of the 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 in the company, valued at approximately $1,086,837,377.28. This trade represents a 5.55% 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 sold a total of 279,383 shares of company stock valued at $92,912,517 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

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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