LGT Fund Management Co Ltd. Buys 346,039 Shares of Apple Inc. $AAPL

Key Points

• LGT Fund Management increased its Apple stake by 169.6% in the first quarter, buying 346,039 additional shares to reach 550,012 shares valued at approximately $139.6 million. Apple now represents 6.1% of the fund’s portfolio and is its largest holding.
• Apple reported quarterly earnings and revenue above analyst expectations, with EPS of $2.01 and revenue of $111.18 billion, up 16.6% year over year. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.27 per share.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $327.40, though some reports cautioned that Apple’s valuation is elevated ahead of earnings.

LGT Fund Management Co Ltd. raised its stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 169.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 550,012 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after buying an additional 346,039 shares during the period. Apple comprises about 6.1% of LGT Fund Management Co Ltd.'s portfolio, making the stock its biggest position. LGT Fund Management Co Ltd.'s holdings in Apple were worth $139,588,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new stake in Apple during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC lifted its position in shares of Apple by 1,800.0% in the 1st quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of Apple in the 4th quarter valued at $65,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Apple during the fourth quarter worth $69,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Apple during the fourth quarter worth $76,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Apple news, insider Ben Borders sold 1,274 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.00, for a total value of $369,460.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 38,713 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,226,770. This represents a 3.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Apple News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ford said it will embed Apple Maps into upcoming EVs, expanding Apple’s software reach and reinforcing the value of its ecosystem. Ford Embeds Apple Maps Directly into Upcoming EVs
• Positive Sentiment: Baird raised its price target on Apple and reiterated an Outperform rating, adding to bullish analyst momentum. Finviz
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary highlighted Apple as outperforming the broader market, supported by strong ratings and a favorable chart setup ahead of earnings. Why is Apple stock outperforming the broader market?
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple was also the subject of discussion around upcoming product launches, AI features, and a possible device-leasing program, which could support demand but remain unconfirmed or longer-term in nature.
• Negative Sentiment: Some reports noted concerns that Apple’s valuation is stretched heading into earnings, and insider sales plus short-interest chatter may temper enthusiasm if results disappoint.

Apple Stock Performance

AAPL opened at $333.02 on Monday. Apple Inc. has a 1-year low of $201.50 and a 1-year high of $334.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. The company has a market cap of $4.89 trillion, a P/E ratio of 40.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $306.62 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $279.09.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.01 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.95 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $111.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.46 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.15% and a return on equity of 146.69%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 16.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.65 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 14th. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th were paid a dividend of $0.27 per share. This is an increase from Apple's previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 11th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. Apple's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.06%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on AAPL shares. UBS Group set a $365.00 target price on shares of Apple in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $310.00 price objective (up from $300.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, May 1st. DA Davidson restated a "neutral" rating and set a $270.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, 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 note on Friday, April 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $327.40.

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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