Apple Inc. $AAPL Stock Purchased by Lincoln Capital LLC

Key Points

• Lincoln Capital increased its Apple position by 3.4% in the third quarter, holding 58,198 shares valued at approximately $19.2 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 67.73% of Apple.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive overall, with Apple carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $340.62, despite ratings ranging from “Strong Buy” to “Sell.”
• Apple reported quarterly earnings and revenue above expectations, with year-over-year revenue growth of 16.4%, and maintains a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share. Insiders recently sold shares primarily to cover tax obligations tied to equity awards.

Lincoln Capital LLC raised its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 3.4% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 58,198 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after acquiring an additional 1,896 shares during the quarter. Apple makes up about 3.4% of Lincoln Capital LLC's holdings, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. Lincoln Capital LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $19,224,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Prospect Hill Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Apple in the 2nd quarter valued at about $146,370,000. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Apple during the 2nd quarter worth about $168,646,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Apple during the 2nd quarter worth about $482,388,000. Satovsky Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Apple during the second quarter worth approximately $16,064,000. Finally, Saranac Partners Ltd purchased a new stake in Apple during the second quarter worth approximately $9,513,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, September 25th. Yorkville Ives started coverage on shares of Apple in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $400.00 price objective on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reissued an "underperform" rating on shares of Apple in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. Rosenblatt Securities restated a "neutral" rating and set a $303.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, Piper Sandler initiated coverage on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, August 17th. They issued an "overweight" rating for the company. One 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. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $340.62.

Apple Price Performance

Apple stock opened at $342.94 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $5.00 trillion, a P/E ratio of 39.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 1.07. Apple Inc. has a one year low of $243.42 and a one year high of $348.15. The business has a fifty day moving average of $326.53 and a two-hundred day moving average of $307.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.00.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly 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 business had revenue of $109.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $109.04 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The business'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 posted $1.57 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th were paid a $0.27 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 10th. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Apple's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 12.39%.

Key Stories Impacting Apple

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.

Insider Activity

In other Apple news, insider Ben Borders sold 1,280 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $345.40, for a total value of $442,112.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 38,288 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $13,224,675.20. This trade represents a 3.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 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 Apple stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.42, for a total transaction 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. The trade was a 25.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold 284,454 shares of company stock valued at $94,662,594 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

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.

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.