Hilltop Holdings Inc. Boosts Stock Holdings in Apple Inc. $AAPL

Key Points

• Hilltop Holdings increased its Apple stake by 251.3% in the first quarter, adding 103,558 shares to reach 144,764 shares valued at approximately $36.7 million. Apple now represents 3.3% of Hilltop’s portfolio and is its largest holding.
• Apple reported quarterly EPS of $2.02, beating estimates of $1.89, while revenue rose 16.4% year over year to $109.42 billion. Institutional investors collectively own 67.73% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $330.44. Apple also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share, equivalent to a 0.3% annualized yield.

Hilltop Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 251.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 144,764 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after purchasing an additional 103,558 shares during the quarter. Apple comprises 3.3% of Hilltop Holdings Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its largest position. Hilltop Holdings Inc.'s holdings in Apple were worth $36,740,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Rainier Family Wealth Inc. raised its holdings in Apple by 14.1% in the 1st quarter. Rainier Family Wealth Inc. now owns 24,386 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $6,189,000 after acquiring an additional 3,014 shares during the last quarter. Eaton Cambridge Inc. boosted its stake in Apple by 21.3% during the 1st quarter. Eaton Cambridge Inc. now owns 13,968 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $3,545,000 after purchasing an additional 2,450 shares during the last quarter. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Apple in the 4th quarter worth $1,178,000. Summit Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Apple by 108.3% in the 1st quarter. Summit Wealth Partners LLC now owns 34,989 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $8,880,000 after purchasing an additional 18,188 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Adventist Health System Sunbelt Healthcare Corp purchased a new position in shares of Apple in the fourth quarter worth $105,482,000. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Apple Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $313.33 on Monday. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $309.45 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $283.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.57 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.93, a PEG ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 1.09. Apple Inc. has a 52-week low of $219.25 and a 52-week high of $344.57. 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 (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.13. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The firm had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.04 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.57 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 EPS for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.27 per share. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 10th. Apple's dividend payout ratio is currently 12.39%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on AAPL shares. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. Weiss Ratings upgraded Apple from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. BNP Paribas Exane raised Apple from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $300.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Maxim Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $350.00 target price (up from $310.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $365.00 price target (up from $315.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, July 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $330.44.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Apple news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the insider directly owned 38,713 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. This trade represents a 0.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Planned CEO transition appears orderly. Tim Cook will step down in September and be succeeded by longtime Apple executive John Ternus, a veteran with experience dating back to the Steve Jobs era. Cook’s endorsement and Ternus’ familiarity with Apple’s products may reduce concerns about strategic disruption. Tim Cook Says There’s ‘No Better Person’ to Take Over at Apple
• Positive Sentiment: Core business momentum remains strong. Apple’s latest quarter exceeded earnings and revenue expectations, with revenue up roughly 16% year over year. Broad iPhone, Mac and Services demand continues to support the bullish case. Tim Cook's Last Quarter as CEO Was Apple's Best June Quarter Ever
• Positive Sentiment: App Store monetization is holding up. App Store revenue increased slightly despite a 4% decline in iPhone and iPad downloads, as revenue per download rose 4.7%. This suggests continued pricing and engagement resilience in a key Services business. Apple App Store Revenue Ticks Up Despite Falling Downloads
• Neutral Sentiment: OpenAI is seeking dismissal of Apple’s trade-secrets lawsuit. OpenAI denies misappropriating confidential information related to Apple’s consumer-hardware efforts. The filing does not resolve the dispute, leaving legal and competitive uncertainty in place. OpenAI Seeks Dismissal of Apple's Trade Secrets Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term cost and growth pressures are weighing on sentiment. Rising memory prices, supply constraints and policy risks could pressure margins, while slower Services growth has prompted some firms to downgrade Apple to Hold or Moderate Sell. Apple's Capex Strategy Worked But Other Pressures Are Mounting
• Negative Sentiment: Competition in emerging hardware is increasing. Samsung reported a 30% rise in foldable-device preorders, highlighting a market Apple has yet to enter. Investors may view future Apple foldables as an opportunity, but execution and timing remain uncertain. Samsung Foldable Preorders Jump 30%

Apple 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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