Apple Inc. $AAPL Stock Sold by Firethorn Wealth Partners LLC

Key Points

• Firethorn Wealth Partners reduced its Apple position by 6.7% in the third quarter, selling 1,983 shares and retaining 27,784 shares valued at approximately $9.25 million. Apple remains the firm’s seventh-largest holding and represents about 3% of its portfolio.
• Institutional investors own 67.73% of Apple, with State Street increasing its stake and Berkshire Hathaway, Bank of America, Legal & General, and Amundi holding substantial positions. Apple insiders sold about $95.5 million in shares during the latest quarter, primarily to cover tax obligations on vested equity awards.
• Apple reported quarterly revenue of $109.42 billion and EPS of $2.02, exceeding analyst expectations, while shares traded near their 52-week high with a market value of roughly $5.07 trillion. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $340.12, though valuation and product-execution risks remain.

Firethorn Wealth Partners LLC lowered its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 6.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 27,784 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 1,983 shares during the period. Apple comprises approximately 3.0% of Firethorn Wealth Partners LLC's holdings, making the stock its 7th largest position. Firethorn Wealth Partners LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $9,253,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Apple by 4.7% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 630,662,494 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $182,897,769,000 after purchasing an additional 28,321,085 shares during the period. Berkshire Hathaway Inc acquired a new position in Apple in the 2nd quarter valued at about $65,950,297,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in Apple during the second quarter worth approximately $36,986,090,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in Apple during the second quarter worth about $30,443,242,000. Finally, Amundi increased its position in Apple by 23.2% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 73,082,616 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $18,547,637,000 after purchasing an additional 13,780,080 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Apple

In related news, insider Timothy D. Cook sold 191,753 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owned 3,264,168 shares in the company, valued at $1,086,837,377.28. This represents a 5.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 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 firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $332.94, for a total transaction of $8,460,671.28. Following the completion of the sale, 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 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. Insiders 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 Performance

Shares of AAPL opened at $347.73 on Friday. The company's 50 day moving average price is $329.75 and its 200 day moving average price is $309.34. 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 Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.42 and a 52 week high of $351.73. The company has a market capitalization of $5.07 trillion, a PE ratio of 39.88, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.07.

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 for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $109.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.57 EPS. Apple's revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th were given a $0.27 dividend. 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 12.39%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday. Daiwa Securities Group upped their price target on shares of Apple from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Citic Securities raised their price objective on Apple from $300.00 to $349.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Apple in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Yorkville Ives began coverage on shares of Apple in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $400.00 price objective on the stock. One investment 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 assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Apple has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $340.12.

Trending Headlines about Apple

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 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.

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