Apple Inc. $AAPL Stock Holdings Boosted by First Financial Bank Trust Division

Key Points

• First Financial Bank Trust Division increased its Apple stake by 29.4% in the third quarter, adding 36,029 shares to own 158,616 shares valued at approximately $50.8 million. Institutional investors collectively own 67.73% of Apple.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with Apple carrying a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $340.39, despite some firms maintaining neutral or underweight views.
• Apple reported quarterly earnings of $2.02 per share on $109.42 billion in revenue, exceeding estimates, while insiders sold shares primarily to cover tax obligations tied to vested equity awards.

First Financial Bank Trust Division raised its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 29.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 158,616 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after acquiring an additional 36,029 shares during the quarter. Apple makes up approximately 3.9% of First Financial Bank Trust Division's portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest position. First Financial Bank Trust Division's holdings in Apple were worth $50,807,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Avenir Tech Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Apple in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC purchased a new stake in Apple during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new stake in Apple during the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,000. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Apple by 822.7% during the 2nd quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 292,493 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $85,000 after buying an additional 260,792 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Basso Capital Management L.P. purchased a new position in Apple in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $88,000. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on AAPL. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on shares of Apple from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. KeyCorp reiterated an "underweight" rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, September 4th. Seaport Research Partners cut Apple from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Piper Sandler initiated coverage on Apple in a report on Monday, August 17th. They issued an "overweight" rating for the company. Finally, Barclays reissued an "underweight" rating and set a $245.00 target price (down from $253.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have assigned a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Apple presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $340.39.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO John Ternus sold 25,412 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 2nd. The stock was 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 directly owned 59,567 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $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 can be accessed 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 stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 136,810 shares in the company, valued at approximately $45,615,190.20. The trade was 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 279,383 shares of company stock valued at $92,912,517 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Apple Price Performance

Apple stock opened at $340.97 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $323.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $303.99. The stock has a market cap of $4.98 trillion, a P/E ratio of 39.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 1.07. Apple Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.42 and a 12-month high of $345.34.

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, beating the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $109.42 billion for 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%. Apple's revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.57 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 EPS for the current fiscal 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. 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 payout ratio is 12.39%.

Key Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its Apple price target from $340 to $360 and maintained an “Overweight” rating, citing improved iPhone 18 Pro demand. Bank of America reiterated its Buy rating and kept a $370 target, viewing potential Starlink competition as manageable. Apple Stock Climbs as JPMorgan Lifts Target, BofA Reiterates Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Apple reportedly reached a 22% share of the global smartphone market in the third quarter, supported by premium iPhone 18 Pro demand despite an overall industry shipment decline. Reports of strong orders for a new foldable iPhone also provided an additional growth narrative. Apple Stock Nears Record High as iPhone Market Share Hits 22%
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are anticipating Apple’s expanded smart-home strategy, including a rumored HomeView hub and updated Apple TV and HomePod mini. A successful launch could strengthen Apple’s ecosystem and open a new product category. Will the HomeView Be Apple’s First Smart Home Success?
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO succession is proceeding with John Ternus replacing Tim Cook, while Cook becomes executive chairman. Apple also met with Chinese officials, underscoring the importance of maintaining stable business and trade relations in its largest overseas market. Tim Cook Meets China’s Vice Premier
• Negative Sentiment: SpaceX’s planned Starlink mobile service could pressure wireless-carrier subsidies that support iPhone sales and eventually create a competing smartphone ecosystem. SpaceX’s Starlink Could Pose Risks to Apple
• Negative Sentiment: Reported supplier order reductions and rising memory costs are renewing concerns about iPhone 18 demand and margins. Google’s integration of wearable data with more than 160 lab tests also increases competition for Apple’s health-platform advantage. iPhone 18 Demand and Supplier Order Cuts

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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