Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Sold by Ninety One UK Ltd

Key Points

• Ninety One UK Ltd. reduced its Apple holdings by 6.2% in the third quarter, selling 301,888 shares and retaining 4.6 million shares valued at approximately $1.53 billion. Institutional investors collectively own 67.73% of Apple’s stock.
• Apple insiders sold 286,853 shares worth about $95.5 million over the past 90 days, including executive sales made to cover tax obligations related to vested equity awards.
• Apple shares opened at $347.10, near their 12-month high, while analysts maintained a broadly positive outlook with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $340.12. The company recently exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share.

Ninety One UK Ltd lessened its holdings in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 6.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,598,495 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 301,888 shares during the period. Apple makes up 3.5% of Ninety One UK Ltd's portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest position. Ninety One UK Ltd's holdings in Apple were worth $1,528,792,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of AAPL. Avenir Tech Ltd bought a new position in Apple in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Ironwood Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Apple in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC acquired a new position in shares of Apple in the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. ABS Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Apple during the second quarter worth $376,168,000. Finally, Bamco Inc. NY bought a new stake in shares of Apple during the second quarter worth $118,000. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Apple

In other Apple news, CEO John Ternus sold 25,412 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 2nd. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at $19,832,236.98. The trade was a 29.90% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, SVP Deirdre O'brien sold 46,389 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.42, for a total transaction of $15,467,020.38. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 136,810 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $45,615,190.20. This represents a 25.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 286,853 shares of company stock worth $95,477,342. 0.06% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $400.00 price objective on shares of Apple and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of Apple from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Loop Capital lowered shares of Apple from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $370.00 to $330.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 20th. Bank of America reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $370.00 target price on shares of Apple in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $400.00 target price on shares of Apple in a report on Thursday, September 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have issued a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Apple presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $340.12.

Apple Stock Up 0.9%

NASDAQ AAPL opened at $347.10 on Wednesday. Apple Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.42 and a 12-month high of $351.73. The company has a market capitalization of $5.07 trillion, a PE ratio of 39.81 and a beta of 1.07. The firm's 50 day moving average is $331.06 and its 200-day moving average is $295.09.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.57 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 EPS for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

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

More Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Demand for Apple’s first foldable iPhone Duo has substantially exceeded supply. The $1,999 device reportedly sold out within minutes, delivery estimates extend into January, and Apple is said to be seeking as much as 30% more production capacity. This supports hopes for a new high-margin growth category and a broader iPhone upgrade cycle. Apple's Foldable iPhone Sold Out in Minutes, But Wall Street Has Questions
• Positive Sentiment: Initial global sales of the iPhone 18 Pro were 3.1% above the prior-generation Pro models, including a 29% increase in China. Strong premium-phone demand could help Apple’s revenue and services ecosystem. Initial global sales of Apple iPhone 18 Pro higher than 17 series
• Positive Sentiment: Apple launched an M6-powered 24-inch iMac and 14-inch MacBook Pro, promoting faster performance and on-device AI capabilities. The refresh could lift Mac sales and support Apple’s longer-term AI hardware strategy. Apple introduces the new 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple also released iOS 27.2 with expanded Siri AI language support, security improvements and new features for the iPhone Duo. These updates may strengthen the ecosystem, but their near-term financial impact is uncertain. Apple rolls out iOS 27.2 with new Siri AI languages and security fixes
• Negative Sentiment: Some iPhone Duo owners report cracks and bright lines near the hinge. Apple acknowledged the display issue and is offering replacements, while teardown reports point to a possible hinge-related design problem. Potential warranty costs and reputational damage threaten the new product’s momentum. Some iPhone Duo owners say Apple's foldable cracked within hours
• Negative Sentiment: Loop Capital downgraded Apple to Hold and cut its price target to $330, citing possible iPhone shipment reductions and rising memory costs. At nearly 40 times earnings, investors may require strong December-quarter guidance to justify the valuation. Loop Capital Lowers Apple Stock Price Target on iPhone Shipment Concerns

Apple Company Profile

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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