Apple Inc. $AAPL Stock: Atala Financial Inc Raises Position

Key Points

• Atala Financial increased its Apple stake by 13.7% in the third quarter, adding 1,549 shares to hold 12,821 shares valued at $4.27 million. Apple represented 2.5% of its portfolio.
• Apple insiders sold a combined 292,611 shares worth about $97.5 million over the past quarter; the reported Cook and Ternus sales were to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards.
• Apple beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, reporting EPS of $2.10 and revenue of $114.48 billion, with revenue up 11.7% year over year. Analysts’ consensus rating was “Moderate Buy,” with an average target price of $347.11.

Atala Financial Inc boosted its position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 13.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,821 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after acquiring an additional 1,549 shares during the period. Apple comprises 2.5% of Atala Financial Inc's investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. Atala Financial Inc's holdings in Apple were worth $4,270,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Avenir Tech Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Apple in the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Ironwood Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Apple during the 3rd quarter worth $34,000. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC acquired a new stake in Apple during the 2nd quarter worth $30,000. ABS Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Apple in the second quarter valued at $376,168,000. Finally, Bamco Inc. NY acquired a new position in Apple in the second quarter valued at $118,000. 67.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other Apple news, insider Timothy D. Cook sold 191,753 shares of Apple 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 completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 3,264,168 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,086,837,377.28. The trade was a 5.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible 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 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 owned 59,567 shares of the company's stock, valued at $19,832,236.98. This trade represents a 29.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 292,611 shares of company stock worth $97,482,597. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Recent Apple Headlines

These are some of the AAPL headlines that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple recently reached a record high, with one analyst describing the stock as a “safe haven” amid market turmoil. CIBC also included AAPL among its post-election stock picks. Apple Stock Called 'Safe Haven,' Hits Record High
• Positive Sentiment: China Renaissance upgraded Apple to Buy from Hold and set a $425 price target, citing potential from the first foldable iPhone. Coverage also points to strong interest in the new iPhone lineup as a possible catalyst for continued growth. Apple stock gains as analyst sets a $425 target
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts and investors view AAPL as expensive after its strong run, while recent coverage shows disagreement on the outlook, including a DZ Bank downgrade to Sell. Rich valuation leaves less room for disappointment. Apple Shares Look Expensive Heading into 2027

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AAPL has been the subject of several recent research reports. Oppenheimer reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Seaport Research Partners cut Apple from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Robert W. Baird set a $340.00 price objective on Apple and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 3rd. Morgan Stanley set a $350.00 price objective on Apple and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 3rd. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have issued a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Apple has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $347.11.

Apple Trading Down 0.2%

NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $354.88 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $338.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $300.56. Apple Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.42 and a 52-week high of $359.37. The company has a market capitalization of $5.16 trillion, a PE ratio of 40.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.07.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 2nd. The iPhone maker reported $2.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.99 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $114.48 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.40 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.60% and a return on equity of 125.35%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 11.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.85 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 9.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 16th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 12th will be paid a $0.27 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 12th. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. Apple's payout ratio is presently 12.04%.

Apple Company Profile

Apple Inc. designs, manufactures and markets consumer electronics, software and digital services. Its products include the iPhone, Mac computers, iPad, Apple Watch and AirPods, along with operating systems and applications such as iOS, macOS and iPadOS. The company also offers services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+, iCloud and Apple Pay. These products and services are integrated across Apple's devices and are sold to consumers, businesses and institutions around the world. Founded in 1976 and headquartered in Cupertino, California, Apple serves customers globally through online and retail stores, wireless carriers and other resellers.

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