Apple Inc. $AAPL Stock Holdings Increased by First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.

Key Points

• First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. increased its Apple stake by 15.1% in the third quarter, adding 100,172 shares to own 761,667 shares valued at approximately $252.3 million. Apple represents 3.4% of the bank’s portfolio and is its sixth-largest holding.
• Institutional ownership remains substantial at 67.73%, with several major investors—including Berkshire Hathaway, Bank of America and Legal & General—reportedly establishing or expanding Apple positions.
• Apple’s foldable iPhone Duo is driving investor optimism through strong early demand, but execution risks and a roughly 40-times earnings valuation remain concerns ahead of the company’s next earnings report.

First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. increased its holdings in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 15.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 761,667 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after buying an additional 100,172 shares during the quarter. Apple accounts for approximately 3.4% of First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.'s holdings, making the stock its 6th largest holding. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.'s holdings in Apple were worth $252,301,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AAPL. Berkshire Hathaway Inc bought a new position in shares of Apple during the 2nd quarter valued at about $65,950,297,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in Apple during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $36,986,090,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in Apple during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,443,242,000. Deutsche Bank AG bought a new stake in Apple during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $13,658,359,000. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Apple during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $10,588,946,000. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Apple News

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.

Insider Transactions at Apple

In related news, insider Timothy Cook sold 191,753 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.96, for a total transaction of $63,846,078.88. Following the sale, the insider owned 3,264,168 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,086,837,377.28. This trade represents a 5.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 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 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 in the company, valued at $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 have sold a total of 286,853 shares of company stock valued at $95,477,342 over the last quarter. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Apple Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of NASDAQ AAPL opened at $347.73 on Friday. The stock's fifty day moving average is $329.75 and its 200 day moving average is $309.34. Apple Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.42 and a 52 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 stock has a market capitalization of $5.07 trillion, a P/E ratio of 39.88, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.07.

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

Apple Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on AAPL. Yorkville Ives began coverage on Apple in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $400.00 target price on the stock. Piper Sandler initiated coverage on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, August 17th. They issued an "overweight" rating on the stock. Maxim Group raised their target price on shares of Apple from $350.00 to $380.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Apple in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on Apple from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. One research 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Apple currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $340.12.

Apple Profile

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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