Apple Inc. $AAPL Stock: Gouws Capital LLC Raises Holdings

Key Points

• Gouws Capital increased its Apple stake by 136.9% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 37,504 shares valued at approximately $12.49 million. Apple now represents about 6.1% of the firm’s portfolio, while institutional investors collectively own 67.73% of AAPL.
• Apple reported quarterly earnings and revenue above analyst expectations, with revenue up 16.4% year over year. Analysts maintain a broadly favorable view, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $340.62.
• Valuation and demand risks remain: AAPL trades near its 52-week high at roughly 39 times earnings, while surveys point to weaker iPhone upgrade intentions and potential UK regulatory pressure on Apple Pay. Recent insider sales were attributed to tax withholding on vested equity awards.

Gouws Capital LLC boosted its stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 136.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 37,504 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after buying an additional 21,676 shares during the quarter. Apple makes up about 6.1% of Gouws Capital LLC's holdings, making the stock its 4th biggest position. Gouws Capital LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $12,490,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AAPL. Sterling Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Apple by 0.3% during the second quarter. Sterling Wealth Management Inc. now owns 11,579 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $3,351,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Evansbrook LLC increased its position in Apple by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Evansbrook LLC now owns 8,095 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $2,054,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. JMG Financial Group Ltd. increased its position in Apple by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. JMG Financial Group Ltd. now owns 5,102 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $1,295,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Advocate Investing Services LLC increased its position in Apple by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. Advocate Investing Services LLC now owns 7,847 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $2,271,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sugar Maple Asset Management LLC increased its position in Apple by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Sugar Maple Asset Management LLC now owns 2,029 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $515,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Key Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong iPhone Duo demand: Preorders for Apple’s $1,999 foldable iPhone reportedly sold out quickly, with delivery estimates extending into January 2027. The robust response supports near-term revenue expectations and strengthens the case for Apple’s foldable-device strategy. Apple’s iPhone Duo Demand Soars as Deliveries Stretch Into January 2027
• Positive Sentiment: New product event announced: Apple will host its “Pro and Tell” event on October 28. Analysts expect new Macs and potentially the company’s first touchscreen MacBook, which could provide a catalyst for Mac growth and investor sentiment. Apple announces product launch event for Oct. 28
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains favorable: Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating with a $370 price target, while JPMorgan maintained its Overweight rating and $360 target, citing healthy demand trends and longer-term AI potential. Apple Maintained at Buy With Unchanged $370 Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider transactions: CFO Kevan Parekh and insider Ben Borders sold shares to cover tax withholding related to vested equity awards. The sales modestly reduced their holdings but do not appear to represent discretionary bearish bets.
• Negative Sentiment: Demand concerns and valuation risk: A KeyBanc survey indicated weaker consumer intentions to upgrade iPhones over the next year, despite better early iPhone 18 interest. With AAPL trading near its 52-week high at a premium earnings multiple, disappointment in future iPhone growth could pressure the stock. Apple Stock Escaped the AI Downturn
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory pressure: UK regulators are reportedly preparing to push Apple to allow alternative default payment services on iPhones, potentially weakening Apple Pay’s ecosystem advantages and services revenue.

Apple Price Performance

AAPL stock opened at $342.94 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.00 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 1.07. 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 Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.42 and a 52-week high of $348.15. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $326.53 and its 200-day simple moving average is $307.21.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.04 billion. Apple had a return on equity of 135.46% and a net margin of 27.62%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.57 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 EPS for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at Apple

In other news, CEO John Ternus sold 25,412 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $332.94, for a total transaction 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 represents a 29.90% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, 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 company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.42, for a total transaction of $15,467,020.38. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 136,810 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $45,615,190.20. This represents a 25.32% decrease in their position. 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 sold 284,454 shares of company stock worth $94,662,594 in the last quarter. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have issued reports on AAPL. Moffett Nathanson restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $304.00 target price (up from $270.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. Loop Capital cut shares of Apple from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $330.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Tuesday. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Apple in a report on Thursday, October 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Apple from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Finally, Evercore set a $380.00 price objective on shares of Apple and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, September 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have assigned a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $340.62.

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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