Apple Inc. $AAPL Stock Sold by Fermata Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Fermata Advisors reduced its Apple stake by 7.5% in the third quarter, selling 4,662 shares and retaining 57,818 shares worth approximately $19.3 million. Apple remains the firm’s largest holding, representing 3.7% of its portfolio.
• Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 67.73% of Apple, while several other investment firms modestly increased their positions during recent quarters.
• Apple shares were trading near their 52-week high at roughly $344, with a consensus analyst rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $340.12; however, analysts cited valuation, weaker iPhone shipment expectations, and potential margin pressure as risks.

Fermata Advisors LLC lessened its stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 7.5% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 57,818 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 4,662 shares during the quarter. Apple accounts for 3.7% of Fermata Advisors LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its largest position. Fermata Advisors LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $19,254,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sterling Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in Apple by 0.3% in the second quarter. Sterling Wealth Management Inc. now owns 11,579 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $3,351,000 after buying an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Evansbrook LLC lifted its position in shares of Apple by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Evansbrook LLC now owns 8,095 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $2,054,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the period. JMG Financial Group Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Apple by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. JMG Financial Group Ltd. now owns 5,102 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $1,295,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Advocate Investing Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Apple by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. Advocate Investing Services LLC now owns 7,847 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $2,271,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sugar Maple Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Apple by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Sugar Maple Asset Management LLC now owns 2,029 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $515,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong iPhone Duo demand: Apple said only limited quantities of its $1,999 foldable iPhone Duo will be available for walk-in customers when it launches October 23. Online orders reportedly sold out within minutes, with some delivery estimates extending into January 2027. The demand signals support premium pricing and could make the new product a meaningful revenue catalyst. Apple will have limited iPhone Duo units available in stores
• Positive Sentiment: Upcoming product catalyst: Apple’s October 28 event is expected to feature new Pro Macs, potentially including a touchscreen MacBook Pro and M6-powered systems. A successful launch could strengthen expectations for renewed Mac growth and broaden Apple’s hardware lineup. Apple product event scheduled for October 28
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion and ecosystem support: Apple’s India business reportedly delivered 31% revenue growth and 66% profit growth in fiscal 2026. Separately, Apple Wallet car-key support is expanding to selected General Motors vehicles, extending the reach of Apple’s services ecosystem.
• Neutral Sentiment: Supply-chain investment: Apple plans to commit up to $100 million to a U.S. titanium supplier over three years. The move may improve domestic sourcing and support iPhone Duo production, but it also highlights manufacturing constraints and does not immediately change earnings expectations. Apple commits to U.S. titanium manufacturing
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider selling: Two Apple insiders sold shares, with at least one transaction identified as covering tax withholding on vested equity awards. The sales are relatively small and do not clearly indicate weakening confidence.
• Negative Sentiment: Downgrade and valuation concerns: Loop Capital cut AAPL to Hold and lowered its price target to $330, citing weaker iPhone shipment expectations. UBS also warned that rising memory and component costs could pressure gross margins ahead of the November 2 earnings report. With Apple trading at roughly 39 times earnings and near its annual high, investors may demand stronger growth to justify the premium valuation. Loop Capital downgrades Apple on iPhone concerns
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk: UK competition regulators are proposing easier access for rival contactless payment services on the iPhone, which could increase competition for Apple Pay and modestly weaken the services ecosystem.

Apple Trading Up 1.3%

Apple stock opened at $343.99 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $5.02 trillion, a PE ratio of 39.45, a P/E/G ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 1.07. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $328.05 and a 200 day moving average price of $308.42. Apple Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.42 and a 52 week high of $348.15. 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 (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.04 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.57 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 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. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th were issued a dividend of $0.27 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 10th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Apple's payout ratio is 12.39%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AAPL has been the topic of a number of research reports. Bank of America restated a "buy" rating and issued a $370.00 price target on shares of Apple in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Moffett Nathanson set a $283.00 price objective on Apple and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday. Phillip Securities lifted their price objective on Apple from $290.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Raymond James Financial reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have given a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $340.12.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO John Ternus sold 25,412 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 2nd. The shares were 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 $19,832,236.98. The trade was a 29.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at 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 the company's 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 transaction, 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 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 three months, insiders sold 284,454 shares of company stock worth $94,662,594. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

About Apple

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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