Apple Inc. $AAPL Stock Position Lowered by GEM Asset Management LLC

Key Points

• GEM Asset Management reduced its Apple position by 22.4% in the third quarter, selling 3,429 shares and retaining 11,865 shares valued at approximately $3.95 million.
• Institutional ownership remains substantial at 67.73%, with several hedge funds increasing their Apple holdings during the quarter, including B. Riley Wealth Advisors, which boosted its position by 56.2%.
• Analysts maintain a broadly positive outlook, with Apple carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $340.12; however, recent insider sales and the stock’s nearly 40 price-to-earnings ratio present cautionary signals.

GEM Asset Management LLC cut its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 22.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 11,865 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 3,429 shares during the period. Apple accounts for 1.6% of GEM Asset Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest position. GEM Asset Management LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $3,951,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of AAPL. Ifrah Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Apple by 10.0% in the 3rd quarter. Ifrah Financial Services Inc. now owns 37,510 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $12,293,000 after acquiring an additional 3,405 shares in the last quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Apple by 4.9% in the 3rd quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 108,879 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $36,259,000 after purchasing an additional 5,071 shares in the last quarter. Foster Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Apple by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Foster Group Inc. now owns 152,265 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $50,707,000 after purchasing an additional 757 shares during the last quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Apple by 56.2% during the 3rd quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 355,802 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $117,371,000 after purchasing an additional 128,075 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ulrich Consultants & Investment Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Apple during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,218,000. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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 transaction of $15,467,020.38. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 136,810 shares in the company, valued at $45,615,190.20. The trade was a 25.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed 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, CEO John Ternus sold 25,412 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.94, for a total value of $8,460,671.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 59,567 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $19,832,236.98. This trade represents a 29.90% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 286,853 shares of company stock worth $95,477,342. 0.06% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on AAPL. Phillip Securities boosted their target price on Apple from $290.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $303.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $400.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Seaport Research Partners downgraded shares of Apple from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Apple from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have given a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $340.12.

Apple News Roundup

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.

Apple Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of AAPL opened at $347.73 on Friday. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $329.75 and its 200-day moving average price is $309.34. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.07 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.88, a PEG ratio of 2.75 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 $351.73.

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, 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.57 earnings per share. Apple's revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 EPS for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

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

Apple Company 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.