Athena Wealth Management LLC Buys 1,610 Shares of Apple Inc. $AAPL

Key Points

• Athena Wealth Management increased its Apple position by 8.1% in the third quarter, purchasing 1,610 additional shares for a total of 21,477 shares valued at approximately $7.15 million. Apple now represents 5.2% of the firm’s portfolio.
• Apple’s institutional ownership stands at 67.73%, while analysts maintain an overall “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $340.62. However, some analysts have downgraded the stock amid concerns about iPhone upgrade demand and its elevated valuation.
• Insiders sold shares primarily to cover tax obligations from vested equity awards, including substantial sales by CEO Tim Cook and CEO John Ternus. Apple shares opened at $342.94, near their 52-week high, with a market capitalization of roughly $5 trillion and a price-to-earnings ratio near 40.

Athena Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 8.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 21,477 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after buying an additional 1,610 shares during the quarter. Apple accounts for approximately 5.2% of Athena Wealth Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 2nd largest position. Athena Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $7,152,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of AAPL. Avenir Tech Ltd bought a new position in Apple in the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC bought a new stake in Apple during the second quarter valued at about $30,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new stake in Apple during the fourth quarter valued at about $41,000. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Apple by 822.7% during the second quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 292,493 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $85,000 after purchasing an additional 260,792 shares during the period. Finally, Bamco Inc. NY purchased a new stake in Apple in the second quarter worth about $118,000. 67.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Apple News Roundup

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 at Apple

In related news, CEO John Ternus sold 25,412 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Timothy D. Cook sold 191,753 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $332.96, for a total transaction of $63,846,078.88. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 3,264,168 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,086,837,377.28. The trade was a 5.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 284,454 shares of company stock worth $94,662,594 over the last ninety days. 0.06% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an "underperform" rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. Seaport Research Partners downgraded Apple from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Arete Research increased their target price on shares of Apple from $305.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. KGI Securities lowered shares of Apple from an "outperform" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $315.00 target price for the company. in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating and set a $400.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have assigned a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Apple has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $340.62.

Apple Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of AAPL opened at $342.94 on Tuesday. The business's 50 day moving average is $326.53 and its 200 day moving average is $307.21. The company has a market capitalization of $5.00 trillion, a PE ratio of 39.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 1.07. Apple Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.42 and a 12-month 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 posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.13. Apple had a return on equity of 135.46% and a net margin of 27.62%. The business 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 company posted $1.57 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th were given a dividend of $0.27 per share. 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 presently 12.39%.

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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