Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Sold by Welch & Forbes LLC

Key Points

• Welch & Forbes LLC reduced its Apple stake by 1%, selling 17,064 shares and retaining 1.66 million shares worth approximately $481.2 million. Apple remains the firm’s third-largest holding and represents about 5.8% of its portfolio.
• Apple reported quarterly earnings of $2.02 per share on $109.42 billion in revenue, exceeding analyst expectations, while revenue increased 16.4% year over year. The company also maintains a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share.
• Analysts’ consensus view remains “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $330.61, although some firms downgraded the stock to neutral or hold. Investors are watching Apple’s potential foldable iPhone launch, with component costs, competition and its premium valuation posing risks.

Welch & Forbes LLC reduced its position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,662,845 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 17,064 shares during the period. Apple accounts for approximately 5.8% of Welch & Forbes LLC's holdings, making the stock its 3rd biggest position. Welch & Forbes LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $481,161,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new position in shares of Apple in the fourth quarter worth about $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC boosted its stake in Apple by 1,800.0% during the 1st quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management bought a new stake in Apple during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $65,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Apple in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $69,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC acquired a new stake in Apple in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $76,000. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Apple Price Performance

Apple stock opened at $319.97 on Tuesday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $316.41 and a 200 day simple moving average of $290.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The company has a market capitalization of $4.67 trillion, a PE ratio of 36.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 1.08. Apple Inc. has a one year low of $225.95 and a one year high of $344.57.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $109.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $109.04 billion. Apple had a return on equity of 135.46% and a net margin of 27.62%.The business's revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.57 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on AAPL shares. UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. Seaport Research Partners downgraded shares of Apple from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Apple from $350.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. China Renaissance downgraded shares of Apple from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $280.00 price target for the company. in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $360.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and four 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 $330.61.

Key Stories Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, at John Ternus’s first major keynote as CEO. Analysts at Morgan Stanley estimate the foldable could represent a roughly $14 billion revenue opportunity if Apple can stimulate premium-device demand. Apple Faces Its Biggest iPhone Test in Years
• Positive Sentiment: Recent iPhone sales growth of more than 20% for three consecutive quarters, a large installed base and potential on-device artificial-intelligence features provide a favorable backdrop for the launch. Apple’s higher Apple TV and Apple One prices could also support Services revenue and margins. Apple’s New Mac Mini and Studio Bet Big on On-Device AI
• Neutral Sentiment: The leadership transition from Tim Cook to John Ternus is placing additional importance on Wednesday’s event. Investors are looking for evidence that Ternus can maintain Apple’s long-term innovation and shareholder-return record while emphasizing hardware development. Tim Cook Delivered a 2,720% Total Return
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple’s broad ecosystem and substantial cash generation remain important supports for the investment case, but the stock’s premium valuation means the market may already be pricing in a successful product cycle and strong demand.
• Negative Sentiment: KeyBanc warned that rising memory and component costs could force Apple to raise prices. Broad price increases could cause “sticker shock” and reduce unit volumes, while selective increases could pressure gross margins. KeyBanc Delivers Stark Warning on Apple Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Huawei and Xiaomi have introduced premium foldable devices ahead of Apple’s launch, intensifying competition—particularly in China, an important but challenging market for Apple. Huawei’s tri-fold Mate XT2 raises the bar on design and pricing. Huawei Unveils New Tri-Fold Smartphone
• Negative Sentiment: Apple faces a costly execution test: a premium foldable near $2,000 must generate meaningful incremental demand without weakening margins or cannibalizing existing iPhone sales. Disappointing specifications, pricing or guidance could weigh on the shares after the event.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total transaction of $34,236.24. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 38,713 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. This trade represents a 0.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $317.01, for a total value of $456,177.39. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 35,790 shares in the company, valued at $11,345,787.90. The trade was a 3.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 5,872 shares of company stock valued at $1,823,201 over the last three months. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Apple Profile

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.

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