Apple Inc. $AAPL Stock Bought by PFW Advisors LLC

Key Points

• PFW Advisors increased its Apple stake by 14.6% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 25,722 shares valued at approximately $8.4 million. Several other institutional investors also added shares, and institutions collectively own 67.73% of Apple.
• Apple insiders, including CEO Tim Cook and SVP Deirdre O’Brien, sold shares worth roughly $92.9 million over the past 90 days to cover tax obligations tied to vested equity awards.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with Apple receiving an average “Moderate Buy” rating and a consensus price target of $340.39. The company recently exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, while investors continue to weigh AI opportunities, iPhone demand and Apple’s rich valuation.

PFW Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 14.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 25,722 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after buying an additional 3,281 shares during the period. Apple comprises about 2.5% of PFW Advisors LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest holding. PFW Advisors LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $8,387,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Strong Retirement Solutions LLC boosted its position in Apple by 22.2% during the third quarter. Strong Retirement Solutions LLC now owns 18,693 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $5,996,000 after purchasing an additional 3,399 shares during the last quarter. American National Bank & Trust grew its stake in Apple by 9.7% in the third quarter. American National Bank & Trust now owns 207,679 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $67,512,000 after purchasing an additional 18,434 shares in the last quarter. Worth Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Apple by 12.9% during the 3rd quarter. Worth Asset Management LLC now owns 22,265 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $7,415,000 after purchasing an additional 2,550 shares during the last quarter. Matrix Trust Co increased its position in shares of Apple by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 15,029 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $5,005,000 after purchasing an additional 551 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Crumly & Associates Inc. increased its position in shares of Apple by 6.6% during the 3rd quarter. Crumly & Associates Inc. now owns 27,129 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $9,034,000 after purchasing an additional 1,685 shares during the last quarter. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Apple news, SVP Deirdre O'brien sold 46,389 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.42, for a total value of $15,467,020.38. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 136,810 shares in the company, valued at $45,615,190.20. The trade was a 25.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Timothy D. Cook sold 191,753 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $332.96, for a total transaction of $63,846,078.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 3,264,168 shares in the company, valued at $1,086,837,377.28. The trade was a 5.55% 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 90 days, insiders sold 279,383 shares of company stock worth $92,912,517. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on AAPL shares. Citic Securities upped their price objective on Apple from $300.00 to $349.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Oppenheimer reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. HSBC restated a "buy" rating and set a $366.00 target price on shares of Apple in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. Arete Research upped their price target on shares of Apple from $305.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Apple from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have given a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $340.39.

Key Headlines Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple’s $299 HomeView smart-home hub, along with new cameras, a doorbell, smart lock, thermostat and updated Apple TV and HomePod products, gives the company new hardware and ecosystem expansion opportunities. Analysts also see potential for recurring iCloud+ and other Services revenue. Apple releases HomeView smart home hub with screen as showcase for Siri AI
• Positive Sentiment: Apple reportedly plans to launch Apple Intelligence in mainland China in December, potentially improving access to AI features in a strategically important market. Apple to Release AI Platform in Mainland China
• Positive Sentiment: Apple benefited from news that GlobalFoundries will build two New York fabs with up to $21 billion in U.S.-Japan funding. Apple is expected to source chips from the expanded domestic capacity, supporting supply-chain diversification. GlobalFoundries Secures $21B for New York Fabs
• Positive Sentiment: Investor optimism was reinforced by Apple’s market value reclaiming the $5 trillion milestone, while analyst Dan Ives suggested a stronger AI strategy could support a $400 price target. Apple reaches new highs ahead of iPhone Duo preorders
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple’s iPhone Duo preorders begin October 16. Strong demand could provide a near-term catalyst, but reports of shorter iPhone 18 Pro delivery windows and reduced supplier production have raised questions about demand.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts estimate that a paid, more capable Siri could eventually generate substantial Services revenue, but Apple has not announced pricing or a launch date for expanded AI access.
• Negative Sentiment: OpenAI alleges that a former employee who joined Apple transferred more than 100 confidential files concerning an unreleased device. The case could create legal, reputational and product-development risks, although there is no indication Apple used the information. OpenAI alleges former employee took device files to Apple
• Negative Sentiment: Gene Munster warned Apple could lose the AI platform battle if users become loyal to rival assistants such as Meta’s Muse or Grok. Critics also questioned whether HomeView meaningfully addresses Apple’s AI shortcomings.
• Negative Sentiment: With Apple trading near record levels at a rich valuation, investors are concerned that slower growth, margin pressure and uncertain iPhone demand may limit further upside.

Apple Stock Performance

AAPL opened at $342.96 on Thursday. Apple Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.42 and a 12-month high of $348.15. The stock has a market cap of $5.01 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.33, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 1.07. The business has a 50 day moving average of $324.64 and a 200-day moving average of $305.24. 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 issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.04 billion. Apple had a return on equity of 135.46% and a net margin of 27.62%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.57 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

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

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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