Formuepleje A S Purchases 77,122 Shares of Apple Inc. $AAPL

Key Points

• Formuepleje A/S acquired 77,122 Apple shares during the second quarter, valued at approximately $22.3 million and representing 1.7% of its portfolio. Institutional investors collectively own 67.73% of Apple.
• Apple reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with earnings of $2.02 per share and revenue of $109.42 billion, while analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $340.02.
• Investors face both growth opportunities and risks: potential AI and smart-home expansion could support the stock, but concerns over iPhone demand, elevated valuation, margin pressure, and recent insider sales remain.

Formuepleje A S bought a new stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 77,122 shares of the iPhone maker's stock, valued at approximately $22,316,000. Apple accounts for about 1.7% of Formuepleje A S's portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest position.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Berkshire Hathaway Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Apple in the 2nd quarter valued at $65,950,297,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in Apple during the second quarter worth about $36,986,090,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in shares of Apple in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,443,242,000. Nuveen LLC grew its position in Apple by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Nuveen LLC now owns 75,000,920 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $20,389,750,000 after acquiring an additional 2,725,121 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi raised its position in Apple by 23.2% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 73,082,616 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $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.

Apple Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $336.64 on Friday. Apple Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.42 and a 1 year high of $345.34. 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 business's 50-day moving average is $322.61 and its 200-day moving average is $302.99. The company has a market capitalization of $4.91 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.61, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.07.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last issued its 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.04 billion. Apple had a return on equity of 135.46% and a net margin of 27.62%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.57 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 earnings per share for the current 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 issued a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 10th. Apple's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.39%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating and issued a $400.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Maxim Group increased their target price on Apple from $350.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. KeyCorp reissued an "underweight" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, September 4th. Rosenblatt Securities reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $303.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, BTIG Research assumed coverage on Apple in a report on Monday, August 17th. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have issued a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $340.02.

Apple News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Potential AI upside: Analyst Dan Ives said Apple could become a “toll collector” for consumer AI by monetizing its more than 2.5 billion active devices and Services ecosystem. He estimates AI could add approximately $75 per share to the company’s value. Apple Could Be the Toll Collector of Consumer AI
• Positive Sentiment: Smart-home expansion: Apple’s planned October 13 “Welcome Home” event could introduce products such as a smart lock, thermostat and doorbell. The initiative may expand Apple’s hardware and Services opportunities and strengthen its position against Amazon and Google. Apple Smart Home Push
• Neutral Sentiment: Possible seasonal order adjustment: Bespoke Investment Group noted that Apple’s autumn iPhone order reductions have occurred in prior years and have sometimes been followed by a stock recovery. Investors will look for evidence that the latest cuts reflect normal supply-chain management rather than lasting demand weakness. Apple’s iPhone Order Cut and Stock Rebound
• Negative Sentiment: iPhone demand concerns: Nikkei Asia reported that Apple asked suppliers to cut iPhone 18 Pro component production, raising concerns that premium pricing is discouraging consumers. The reports are particularly important because Apple is preparing to pursue an even higher-priced product strategy, including a rumored $1,999 foldable iPhone. Apple Cuts iPhone 18 Pro Orders Due to Soft Demand
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution risks: Apple’s elevated earnings multiple leaves less room for disappointment, while higher memory costs could pressure margins. A recent senior vice president stock sale was relatively small but adds to near-term caution. Apple Senior Vice President Stock Sale

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO John Ternus sold 25,412 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.94, for a total value of $8,460,671.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 59,567 shares of the company's stock, valued at $19,832,236.98. This represents a 29.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 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 stock in a transaction on Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.42, for a total value of $15,467,020.38. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 136,810 shares of the company's stock, valued at $45,615,190.20. The trade was a 25.32% 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. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 279,383 shares of company stock valued at $92,912,517. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

About Apple

Apple Inc is a technology company that designs, develops and markets 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 software platforms, including iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS and visionOS.

Apple's services business includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+ and iCloud.

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