Bailard Inc. Buys 5,223 Shares of Apple Inc. $AAPL

Key Points

• Bailard Inc. increased its Apple stake by 5,223 shares, or 0.6%, bringing its holdings to 826,569 shares valued at approximately $239.2 million. Apple represents 4.9% of Bailard’s portfolio and is its second-largest position.
• Institutional investors own 67.73% of Apple, with Vanguard, State Street, Geode Capital and Morgan Stanley among the largest holders. Apple insiders sold 5,872 shares worth $1.82 million over the past three months.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $330.61, although one firm downgraded the stock to neutral. Apple recently exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, reporting $2.02 EPS and $109.42 billion in revenue.

Bailard Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 826,569 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after acquiring an additional 5,223 shares during the quarter. Apple accounts for 4.9% of Bailard Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 2nd largest position. Bailard Inc.'s holdings in Apple were worth $239,176,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Apple by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,426,283,914 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $387,749,545,000 after buying an additional 26,856,752 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Apple by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 604,056,505 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $164,218,801,000 after purchasing an additional 6,555,392 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Apple by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 358,032,517 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $97,031,587,000 after buying an additional 1,866,103 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley increased its position in shares of Apple by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 230,483,035 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $62,659,118,000 after buying an additional 1,379,651 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter worth approximately $52,266,468,000. 67.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Apple

In related news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $317.01, for a total value of $456,177.39. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 35,790 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,345,787.90. This trade represents a 3.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total value of $34,236.24. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 38,713 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. This represents a 0.30% 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 5,872 shares of company stock valued at $1,823,201 in the last three months. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on AAPL. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $365.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Maxim Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $350.00 price target (up from $310.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Apple from $345.00 to $340.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Seaport Research Partners lowered Apple from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $330.61.

More Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, at John Ternus’s first major keynote as CEO. Analysts at Morgan Stanley estimate the foldable could represent a roughly $14 billion revenue opportunity if Apple can stimulate premium-device demand. Apple Faces Its Biggest iPhone Test in Years
• Positive Sentiment: Recent iPhone sales growth of more than 20% for three consecutive quarters, a large installed base and potential on-device artificial-intelligence features provide a favorable backdrop for the launch. Apple’s higher Apple TV and Apple One prices could also support Services revenue and margins. Apple’s New Mac Mini and Studio Bet Big on On-Device AI
• Neutral Sentiment: The leadership transition from Tim Cook to John Ternus is placing additional importance on Wednesday’s event. Investors are looking for evidence that Ternus can maintain Apple’s long-term innovation and shareholder-return record while emphasizing hardware development. Tim Cook Delivered a 2,720% Total Return
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple’s broad ecosystem and substantial cash generation remain important supports for the investment case, but the stock’s premium valuation means the market may already be pricing in a successful product cycle and strong demand.
• Negative Sentiment: KeyBanc warned that rising memory and component costs could force Apple to raise prices. Broad price increases could cause “sticker shock” and reduce unit volumes, while selective increases could pressure gross margins. KeyBanc Delivers Stark Warning on Apple Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Huawei and Xiaomi have introduced premium foldable devices ahead of Apple’s launch, intensifying competition—particularly in China, an important but challenging market for Apple. Huawei’s tri-fold Mate XT2 raises the bar on design and pricing. Huawei Unveils New Tri-Fold Smartphone
• Negative Sentiment: Apple faces a costly execution test: a premium foldable near $2,000 must generate meaningful incremental demand without weakening margins or cannibalizing existing iPhone sales. Disappointing specifications, pricing or guidance could weigh on the shares after the event.

Apple Stock Performance

NASDAQ AAPL opened at $319.97 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.67 trillion, a P/E ratio of 36.69, a PEG ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 1.08. The firm's 50-day moving average is $316.41 and its two-hundred day moving average is $290.98. Apple Inc. has a 12 month low of $225.95 and a 12 month high of $344.57.

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, 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 period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.57 EPS. The business's revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Shareholders 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 payout ratio is currently 12.39%.

Apple Company Profile

Apple Inc NASDAQ: AAPL is a multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. The company designs, develops and sells consumer electronics, software and services. Over its history Apple has evolved from personal computers to a broad portfolio that spans mobile devices, wearables, home entertainment and digital services.

Apple's principal hardware products include the iPhone smartphone, iPad tablet, Mac personal computers, Apple Watch wearable devices and a range of accessories such as AirPods and HomePod.

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