Apple Inc. $AAPL Stock Holdings Boosted by Balefire LLC

Key Points

• Balefire LLC increased its Apple stake by 42.7% in the third quarter, purchasing 12,253 additional shares for a total of 40,967 shares valued at approximately $13.46 million. Institutional investors collectively own 67.73% of Apple.
• Apple reported quarterly earnings of $2.02 per share, exceeding estimates of $1.89, while revenue rose 16.4% year over year to $109.42 billion. The company also maintains a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with Apple carrying a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $340.62; however, insiders recently sold shares primarily to cover tax obligations tied to vested equity awards.

Balefire LLC raised its stake in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 42.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 40,967 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after buying an additional 12,253 shares during the quarter. Apple comprises 2.1% of Balefire LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest position. Balefire LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $13,464,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of AAPL. Avenir Tech Ltd acquired a new position in Apple during the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC acquired a new stake in Apple in the second quarter worth $30,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new stake in Apple in the fourth quarter worth $41,000. ABS Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Apple in the second quarter worth $376,168,000. Finally, Bamco Inc. NY bought a new position in shares of Apple during the second quarter worth $118,000. 67.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Apple Price Performance

AAPL stock opened at $342.94 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $326.53 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $307.21. The stock has a market cap of $5.00 trillion, a PE ratio of 39.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 1.07. 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 Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.42 and a 1 year high of $348.15.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $109.42 billion for 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 company's revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.57 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th were given 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 of this dividend was Monday, August 10th. Apple's dividend payout ratio is currently 12.39%.

Insider Transactions at Apple

In related news, SVP Deirdre O'brien sold 46,389 shares of Apple 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 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Timothy 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 in the company, valued at approximately $1,086,837,377.28. This represents a 5.55% 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 have sold a total of 284,454 shares of company stock valued at $94,662,594 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on AAPL. Oppenheimer reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Apple in a report on Thursday, September 10th. CICC Research upped their price objective on shares of Apple from $310.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. BTIG Research started coverage on Apple in a research note on Monday, August 17th. They set a "neutral" rating on the stock. Raymond James Financial reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Apple from $340.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, October 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have given a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $340.62.

Apple News Summary

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.

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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