Apple Inc. $AAPL Stock: Cresta Advisors Ltd. Trims Position

Key Points

• Cresta Advisors Ltd. reduced its Apple position by 17% in the third quarter, selling 5,734 shares and retaining 27,972 shares valued at approximately $9.3 million. Apple remains 4.5% of the firm’s portfolio and its fifth-largest holding.
• Apple insiders sold 286,853 shares worth about $95.5 million during the last quarter, including sales by CEO John Ternus and SVP Deirdre O’Brien. The reported transactions were made to cover tax obligations tied to vested equity awards.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with Apple carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $340.12, despite some firms downgrading the stock. Apple recently exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, while shares traded near their 52-week high.

Cresta Advisors Ltd. trimmed its position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 17.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 27,972 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 5,734 shares during the period. Apple accounts for 4.5% of Cresta Advisors Ltd.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest holding. Cresta Advisors Ltd.'s holdings in Apple were worth $9,315,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Avenir Tech Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Apple during the second quarter valued at $29,000. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC acquired a new position in Apple during the second quarter valued at $30,000. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Apple by 822.7% during the second quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 292,493 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $85,000 after buying an additional 260,792 shares during the period. Bamco Inc. NY purchased a new stake in Apple in the 2nd quarter worth about $118,000. Finally, Bard Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in Apple in the 2nd quarter worth about $161,000. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 59,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,832,236.98. The trade was a 29.90% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, SVP Deirdre O'brien sold 46,389 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.42, for a total value of $15,467,020.38. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 136,810 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $45,615,190.20. This trade represents a 25.32% 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. In the last quarter, insiders sold 286,853 shares of company stock worth $95,477,342. Insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on AAPL shares. China Renaissance lowered Apple from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $329.00 to $280.00 in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Loop Capital cut Apple from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and lowered their target price for the company from $370.00 to $330.00 in a research note on Tuesday. Evercore set a $380.00 target price on Apple and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, September 18th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $350.00 price target (up from $310.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, July 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have assigned a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $340.12.

Apple Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $347.73 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.07 trillion, a PE ratio of 39.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.07. Apple Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.42 and a 1 year high of $351.73. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $329.75 and a 200 day moving average price of $309.34. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last posted 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. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The firm had revenue of $109.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.57 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th were paid a dividend of $0.27 per share. 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 12.39%.

Trending Headlines about Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong iPhone Duo demand is the primary catalyst. The foldable phone launched globally Friday amid long lines, limited store inventory and reports that preorders are backordered into 2027. Supply-chain reports indicate Apple raised its first-year shipment target by 44%, to roughly 14 million units. The premium product could expand Apple’s addressable market and support revenue growth. Apple fans react as iPhone Duo hits stores
• Positive Sentiment: The launch strengthens Apple’s broader hardware and services roadmap. Analysts are evaluating whether the Duo can drive accessory, software and services revenue, while potential touchscreen Macs, smart-home products and an Apple-Schneider Electric energy-management partnership provide additional growth opportunities. Will Apple take over the smart home
• Positive Sentiment: Apple briefly reclaimed the title of world’s most valuable public company. AAPL approached or surpassed Nvidia’s approximately $5 trillion valuation as Nvidia shares weakened during a broader AI-stock selloff. Investors are treating Apple’s substantial cash generation and lower AI infrastructure spending as a relative safe haven. Apple tops Nvidia in market value
• Neutral Sentiment: The next major test is earnings. Apple’s fiscal fourth-quarter results are expected November 2, with investors looking for evidence that iPhone Duo demand, holiday sales and margins justify a stock trading near 40 times earnings. Analysts remain broadly constructive, but the average price target is close to recent trading levels.
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and valuation risks remain significant. Some early users have reported cracked foldable screens, while reviews cite first-generation glitches, a $2,000 price and limitations involving the camera and apps. These issues could affect returns, customer satisfaction and adoption.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling adds a modest cautionary signal. Senior Vice President Jennifer Newstead sold approximately $815,000 of AAPL shares, following several similar sales. The transaction is small relative to Apple’s size but may reinforce concerns that the stock has become expensive.

About Apple

Apple Inc designs, develops and sells 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 applications that support its hardware ecosystem.

Apple's services business includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade, iCloud, Apple Pay and other subscription, payment and digital-content offerings.

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