Apple Inc. $AAPL Stake Lifted by Palogic Value Management L.P.

Key Points

• Palogic Value Management more than doubled its Apple stake in the second quarter, acquiring 48,752 additional shares for a total of 94,189 shares valued at approximately $27.3 million. Apple now represents about 5.8% of the firm’s portfolio and is its largest holding.
• Institutional investors own approximately 67.73% of Apple’s outstanding shares, with several major firms—including Berkshire Hathaway, Bank of America and Legal & General—reporting substantial positions.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with Apple carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $340.02. However, insiders sold shares primarily to cover tax obligations, while concerns about valuation, component-order reductions and premium iPhone demand pose risks.

Palogic Value Management L.P. raised its stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 107.3% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 94,189 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after acquiring an additional 48,752 shares during the quarter. Apple makes up approximately 5.8% of Palogic Value Management L.P.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its largest position. Palogic Value Management L.P.'s holdings in Apple were worth $27,287,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of AAPL. Berkshire Hathaway Inc acquired a new position in shares of Apple in the 2nd quarter valued at $65,950,297,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in Apple during the second quarter worth $36,986,090,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in Apple during the second quarter valued at $30,443,242,000. Amundi grew its position in Apple by 23.2% during 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 period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in Apple by 1.7% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 58,554,032 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $14,858,200,000 after buying an additional 979,832 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Apple

In other Apple news, insider Timothy Cook sold 191,753 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the insider directly owned 3,264,168 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,086,837,377.28. This trade represents a 5.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, 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 business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.94, for a total value of $8,460,671.28. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 59,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,832,236.98. This represents a 29.90% 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. Insiders have sold a total of 279,383 shares of company stock worth $92,912,517 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on AAPL. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $270.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Bank of America reissued a "buy" rating and set a $370.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Jefferies Financial Group restated an "underperform" rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a "buy" rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday, September 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have issued a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $340.02.

Apple Stock Performance

NASDAQ AAPL opened at $336.64 on Monday. Apple Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.42 and a 1-year high of $345.34. 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 stock's 50 day simple moving average is $322.61 and its 200-day simple moving average is $303.36. The company has a market cap of $4.91 trillion, a PE ratio of 38.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 1.07.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share (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 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 for the quarter was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.57 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th were issued a $0.27 dividend. The ex-dividend date 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 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

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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