Apple Inc. $AAPL Stock: Guardian Asset Advisors LLC Reduces Stake

Key Points

• Guardian Asset Advisors cut its Apple stake by 2.4%, selling 2,108 shares and retaining 85,796 shares worth approximately $28.6 million. Apple remains the firm’s largest holding, representing 12.8% of its portfolio.
• Apple reported quarterly EPS of $2.02, beating estimates of $1.89, while revenue rose 16.4% year over year to $109.42 billion. Institutional investors collectively own 67.73% of the company.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $340.49, although insiders sold roughly $96.3 million of stock over the past three months.

Guardian Asset Advisors LLC lowered its position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 85,796 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 2,108 shares during the period. Apple comprises approximately 12.8% of Guardian Asset Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its largest holding. Guardian Asset Advisors LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $28,580,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sterling Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in Apple by 0.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sterling Wealth Management Inc. now owns 11,579 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $3,351,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Thor Investment Management Inc. OH ADV lifted its holdings in shares of Apple by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. Thor Investment Management Inc. OH ADV now owns 1,912 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $637,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the period. Evansbrook LLC boosted its position in Apple by 0.4% in 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. boosted its holdings in Apple by 0.7% during the first quarter. JMG Financial Group Ltd. now owns 5,102 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $1,295,000 after buying an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Forward LLC boosted its stake in shares of Apple by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Forward LLC now owns 13,327 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $4,438,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Apple Stock Down 1.2%

Apple stock opened at $344.63 on Friday. Apple Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.42 and a fifty-two week high of $351.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.00. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $333.04 and a 200 day moving average price of $296.38. The company has a market capitalization of $5.03 trillion, a PE ratio of 39.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.07.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $109.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.57 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Apple news, CFO Kevan Parekh sold 1,392 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $345.05, for a total transaction of $480,309.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 17,539 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,051,831.95. This represents a 7.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 2,399 shares of Apple stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $343.36, for a total transaction of $823,720.64. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 32,396 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,123,490.56. The trade was a 6.89% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 289,252 shares of company stock worth $96,301,063. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on AAPL shares. Citic Securities boosted their price target on shares of Apple from $300.00 to $349.00 in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Tuesday. Citigroup restated a "buy" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $370.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $340.49.

Apple News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple acquired Ascension Labs, which operates as Ascend.io, gaining access to agentic artificial-intelligence talent and intellectual property. The deal supports Apple’s effort to strengthen its AI capabilities, although financial terms were not disclosed. Apple Acquires AI Firm Ascend.io Talent and Patents
• Positive Sentiment: Demand indicators remain supportive: the foldable iPhone Duo reportedly sold out quickly, orders are backed up, and Apple is positioned to benefit from strong iPhone, Mac and Services demand. Analysts including Bank of America and Goldman Sachs remain constructive, with BofA reiterating a Buy rating and a $370 price target. Analyst Reiterates Buy on Apple
• Positive Sentiment: The first touchscreen MacBook Pro, equipped with OLED displays and M5 Pro or M5 Max chips, expands Apple’s premium hardware lineup and could support a new product-cycle catalyst. Apple Shows First Touchscreen Laptops
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple’s earnings report is the immediate focus. Investors will look for evidence that revenue growth, Services momentum and AI investments can offset rising component costs and potentially slower holiday growth. Options activity suggests substantial volatility around the release. Apple November 2 Earnings Preview
• Negative Sentiment: AI-related demand has sharply increased flash-memory prices, raising concerns that Apple’s gross margin will come under pressure. Qualcomm also indicated that Apple-related revenue is declining faster than previously expected, reinforcing concerns about the pace of future iPhone growth. AI Has Made Flash Memory More Expensive
• Negative Sentiment: At roughly 40 times earnings and near its yearly high, Apple has limited room for an earnings or guidance disappointment. A senior vice president’s repeated stock sales and a South Korean fine related to app-market practices add modest additional caution. Apple Insider Selling

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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