Apple Inc. $AAPL Stock Holdings Increased by Wedbush Fund Advisers LLC

Key Points

• Wedbush Fund Advisers increased its Apple stake by 5.4% in the second quarter, bringing its holdings to 183,300 shares valued at approximately $53.04 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 67.73% of Apple.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with Apple receiving a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $340.14, although targets range from $245 to $370 and Barclays maintains an underweight rating.
• Apple’s shares opened at $341.07 near their 52-week high, supported by strong quarterly results and 16.4% year-over-year revenue growth. However, the stock’s roughly 39 price-to-earnings ratio, rising component costs, AI competition, legal issues and product concerns present risks.

Wedbush Fund Advisers LLC raised its stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 5.4% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 183,300 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after buying an additional 9,414 shares during the quarter. Apple comprises about 4.7% of Wedbush Fund Advisers LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest holding. Wedbush Fund Advisers LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $53,040,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC purchased a new position in shares of Apple during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new stake in shares of Apple in the 4th quarter valued at $41,000. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Apple by 822.7% in the 2nd quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 292,493 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $85,000 after buying an additional 260,792 shares during the period. Basso Capital Management L.P. acquired a new position in Apple during the 4th quarter worth about $88,000. Finally, Bard Associates Inc. acquired a new position in Apple during the 4th quarter worth about $109,000. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Barclays reaffirmed an "underweight" rating and issued a $245.00 target price (down from $253.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $365.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Bank of America reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $370.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday. Arete Research lifted their price objective on shares of Apple from $305.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their target price 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have given a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $340.14.

Apple News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: iPhone 18 demand remains encouraging. Long lines in India and strong interest in the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max suggest Apple’s premium pricing is holding up in an important growth market. Evercore ISI raised its price target to $380 from $365 while maintaining an outperform rating. Apple iPhone demand in India
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum and technical positioning remain supportive. AAPL has gained roughly 10% over the past month and is approaching a potential buy point, helping sustain investor interest. Bank of America and JPMorgan have reiterated bullish ratings, while several analysts maintain targets above the current trading range. Apple stock approaches buy point
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple is expanding its product ecosystem. The company plans a refreshed HomePod mini, while reports suggest it may develop its own AI server chips. These initiatives could support future ecosystem engagement and infrastructure efficiency, but they are not yet material earnings drivers. Apple to release new HomePod mini
• Negative Sentiment: Rising component costs could pressure margins. Bernstein warned that surging memory and other smartphone component costs may weigh on gross margins and earnings in the December quarter, particularly as Apple introduces more expensive iPhones. Apple’s expensive new iPhones and margins
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and AI execution remain key risks. At nearly $5 trillion in market value and about 38–39 times earnings, Apple requires continued earnings growth to justify its valuation. Analysts argue Alphabet’s Gemini ecosystem and monetization progress currently give it an edge in consumer AI, while Meta’s AI devices add competitive pressure. Alphabet versus Apple in consumer AI
• Negative Sentiment: Legal and product issues add uncertainty. A judge certified a class of payment card issuers in an Apple Pay antitrust lawsuit alleging improper fees. Separately, Apple is preparing a software fix for an iPhone 18 Pro reboot problem. Apple Pay class-action lawsuit

Apple Stock Performance

Shares of AAPL opened at $341.07 on Friday. Apple Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.42 and a 1 year high of $345.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.98 trillion, a PE ratio of 39.11, a PEG ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 1.08. 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 50-day simple moving average of $321.56 and a 200-day simple moving average of $297.37.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. 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 earned $1.57 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The company 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 10th. Apple's payout ratio is 12.39%.

Insider Activity at Apple

In other Apple news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 2,399 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $340.06, for a total value of $815,803.94. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 44,391 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $15,095,603.46. This represents a 5.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 11,031 shares of company stock valued at $3,535,759. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Apple Profile

Apple Inc is a technology company that designs, develops and markets consumer electronics, software and digital services. Its principal products include the iPhone, Mac computers, iPad tablets, Apple Watch, AirPods and other accessories. The company also develops operating systems and applications that support its hardware products.

Apple's services business includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple News+, Apple Pay and iCloud. These services provide digital content, payments, cloud storage and subscription offerings across the company's ecosystem of devices.

Founded in 1976, Apple is headquartered in Cupertino, California, and serves consumers, businesses, educational institutions and government customers worldwide.

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