Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Sold by XY Planning Network Inc.

Key Points

• XY Planning Network reduced its Apple stake by 23% in the second quarter, selling 5,553 shares and retaining 18,613 shares valued at approximately $5.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 67.73% of Apple.
• Wall Street remains broadly positive, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $340.02, supported by analyst targets ranging from $335 to $365.
• Apple exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $2.02 in EPS and $109.42 billion in revenue, while revenue rose 16.4% year over year. Recent insider sales were made primarily to cover tax-withholding obligations tied to vested equity awards.

XY Planning Network Inc. trimmed its stake in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 23.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 18,613 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 5,553 shares during the period. XY Planning Network Inc.'s holdings in Apple were worth $5,386,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BayBridge Capital Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Apple by 1.7% in the second quarter. BayBridge Capital Group LLC now owns 4,847 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $1,403,000 after buying an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System boosted its stake in Apple by 1.2% during the second quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 4,073,733 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $1,178,775,000 after buying an additional 46,759 shares during the last quarter. Powerhouse Assets LLC grew its holdings in Apple by 2.8% during the 2nd quarter. Powerhouse Assets LLC now owns 2,389 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $691,000 after buying an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Empirical Finance LLC grew its holdings in Apple by 3.4% during the 2nd quarter. Empirical Finance LLC now owns 518,315 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $149,980,000 after buying an additional 17,132 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nykredit A S purchased a new position in Apple during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,576,750,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AAPL has been the topic of a number of research reports. Arete Research lifted their price objective on Apple from $305.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Seaport Research Partners downgraded Apple from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, September 21st. Morgan Stanley set a $355.00 price target on shares of Apple and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $365.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have issued a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $340.02.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Deirdre O'brien sold 46,389 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 136,810 shares in the company, valued at $45,615,190.20. The trade was a 25.32% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CEO John Ternus sold 25,412 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $332.94, for a total value of $8,460,671.28. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 position. 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 three months, insiders have sold 279,383 shares of company stock valued at $92,912,517. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Apple Stock Performance

Apple stock opened at $336.64 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.93. Apple Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.42 and a 1-year high of $345.34. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.91 trillion, a P/E ratio of 38.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 1.07. The company's 50-day moving average is $322.61 and its 200 day moving average is $302.99.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 business had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.57 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast 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. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th were issued a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 10th. Apple's dividend payout ratio is presently 12.39%.

Key Stories Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Potential AI upside: Analyst Dan Ives said Apple could become a “toll collector” for consumer AI by monetizing its more than 2.5 billion active devices and Services ecosystem. He estimates AI could add approximately $75 per share to the company’s value. Apple Could Be the Toll Collector of Consumer AI
• Positive Sentiment: Smart-home expansion: Apple’s planned October 13 “Welcome Home” event could introduce products such as a smart lock, thermostat and doorbell. The initiative may expand Apple’s hardware and Services opportunities and strengthen its position against Amazon and Google. Apple Smart Home Push
• Neutral Sentiment: Possible seasonal order adjustment: Bespoke Investment Group noted that Apple’s autumn iPhone order reductions have occurred in prior years and have sometimes been followed by a stock recovery. Investors will look for evidence that the latest cuts reflect normal supply-chain management rather than lasting demand weakness. Apple’s iPhone Order Cut and Stock Rebound
• Negative Sentiment: iPhone demand concerns: Nikkei Asia reported that Apple asked suppliers to cut iPhone 18 Pro component production, raising concerns that premium pricing is discouraging consumers. The reports are particularly important because Apple is preparing to pursue an even higher-priced product strategy, including a rumored $1,999 foldable iPhone. Apple Cuts iPhone 18 Pro Orders Due to Soft Demand
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution risks: Apple’s elevated earnings multiple leaves less room for disappointment, while higher memory costs could pressure margins. A recent senior vice president stock sale was relatively small but adds to near-term caution. Apple Senior Vice President Stock Sale

Apple Profile

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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