Apple Inc. $AAPL Stake Raised by Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc.

Key Points

• Cookson Peirce & Co. increased its Apple stake by 442.1% in the second quarter, adding 63,002 shares to own 77,254 shares valued at approximately $22.4 million. Institutional investors collectively hold 67.73% of Apple’s stock.
• Apple reported quarterly earnings of $2.02 per share, exceeding estimates of $1.89, while revenue rose 16.4% year over year to $109.42 billion. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share, representing a 0.3% yield.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $340.02, although Apple faces concerns including rising component costs, potential pricing pressure, AI-related disruption and a $5.7 billion patent verdict.

Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. boosted its position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 442.1% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 77,254 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after buying an additional 63,002 shares during the period. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc.'s holdings in Apple were worth $22,354,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in AAPL. Private Management Group Inc. increased its stake in Apple by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Private Management Group Inc. now owns 46,882 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $13,566,000 after acquiring an additional 620 shares during the last quarter. Thornburg Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Apple by 6,171.1% during the 2nd quarter. Thornburg Investment Management Inc. now owns 83,343 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $24,116,000 after acquiring an additional 82,014 shares during the last quarter. Spinnaker Trust boosted its position in shares of Apple by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. Spinnaker Trust now owns 228,303 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $66,062,000 after acquiring an additional 5,123 shares during the last quarter. Capital Advisors Inc. OK grew its holdings in shares of Apple by 0.4% in the second quarter. Capital Advisors Inc. OK now owns 882,325 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $255,310,000 after purchasing an additional 3,851 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Trustmark Bank Trust Department grew its holdings in shares of Apple by 3.6% in the second quarter. Trustmark Bank Trust Department now owns 107,001 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $30,962,000 after purchasing an additional 3,735 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Apple news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 2,399 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $336.18, for a total value of $806,495.82. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 41,992 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,116,870.56. This trade represents a 5.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 13,430 shares of company stock valued at $4,342,255. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Apple Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of AAPL opened at $330.32 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $4.82 trillion, a PE ratio of 37.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 1.07. The business has a fifty day moving average of $322.14 and a 200 day moving average of $299.78. Apple Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.42 and a 52-week high of $345.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.00 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, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $109.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.57 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 EPS for the current year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. China Renaissance cut shares of Apple from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $329.00 to $280.00 in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday, August 17th. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating and issued a $400.00 target price on shares of Apple in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, September 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have given a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $340.02.

Trending Headlines about Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple’s new fall product cycle is supporting revenue expectations. Morgan Stanley modestly raised its revenue forecast following the product launches, while Counterpoint expects approximately 6 million units of Apple’s $1,999 iPhone Duo foldable to be sold this year. Strong early iPhone 18 Pro demand in China—up 12% year over year during launch week—also supports near-term sales momentum. Apple’s Fall Product Cycle Could Support Revenue Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Apple is expanding its ecosystem beyond the iPhone. Health-focused Apple Watch features, including a health-age metric and Readiness score, could help defend its wearables lead, while a planned October 13 smart-home event may introduce a new hub centered on Siri and Apple Intelligence. Apple Is Betting Improved Heart and Health Insights Will Boost Watch Sales
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley lowered its Apple price target to $355 from $360 but retained an Overweight rating. Analysts cited higher memory and component costs and potential iPhone pricing pressure, which largely offset the benefit from stronger product revenue. Morgan Stanley Adjusts Price Target on Apple
• Negative Sentiment: A jury ordered Apple to pay $5.7 billion over Taptic Engine patent claims, raising concerns about additional royalties and pressure on hardware margins. The company also faces a UK marketplace class action. Apple’s $5.7 Billion Patent Verdict Raises a Bigger Royalty Question
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned that AI agents such as Meta’s Muse could bypass Apple’s App Store and weaken its high-margin services ecosystem. Analysts said Apple’s product roadmap is attractive but lacks a clear catalyst after its recent rally. Apple Stock’s Upside May Be Limited as AI Agents Could Disrupt Business
• Negative Sentiment: Apple SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 2,399 shares worth approximately $806,496, reducing her holdings by 5.4%. The sale is relatively small compared with her remaining stake but adds modest insider-selling pressure. Apple Insider Transaction Filing

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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