Liberty Atlantic Advisors LLC Purchases 1,948 Shares of Apple Inc. $AAPL

Key Points

• Liberty Atlantic Advisors increased its Apple position by 169.1% in the third quarter, acquiring 1,948 additional shares for a total of 3,100 shares worth approximately $1.03 million.
• Apple reported quarterly EPS of $2.02 and revenue of $109.42 billion, exceeding estimates, while revenue rose 16.4% year over year. The company also pays a $0.27 quarterly dividend, equating to a 0.3% yield.
• Apple shares traded near their 12-month high at $347.73, but valuation risks remain with a P/E ratio near 40; analysts hold a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $340.12, while executives recently sold shares to cover tax obligations.

Liberty Atlantic Advisors LLC boosted its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 169.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,100 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after acquiring an additional 1,948 shares during the period. Apple comprises approximately 0.7% of Liberty Atlantic Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Liberty Atlantic Advisors LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $1,033,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AAPL. Berkshire Hathaway Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Apple in the second quarter valued at $65,950,297,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in Apple in the second quarter valued at $36,986,090,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in Apple during the second quarter worth about $30,443,242,000. Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new position in Apple during the second quarter worth about $13,658,359,000. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Apple during the second quarter worth about $10,588,946,000. 67.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Apple Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $347.73 on Friday. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $329.75 and its 200 day simple moving average is $309.34. 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 Inc. has a twelve month low of $243.42 and a twelve month high of $351.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.07 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.88, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.07.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 firm 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 firm earned $1.57 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th were paid a dividend of $0.27 per share. 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 payout ratio is currently 12.39%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO John Ternus sold 25,412 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Timothy Cook sold 191,753 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $332.96, for a total value of $63,846,078.88. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 3,264,168 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,086,837,377.28. This trade represents a 5.55% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 286,853 shares of company stock worth $95,477,342. 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: Strong iPhone Duo demand is the primary catalyst. The foldable phone launched globally Friday amid long lines, limited store inventory and reports that preorders are backordered into 2027. Supply-chain reports indicate Apple raised its first-year shipment target by 44%, to roughly 14 million units. The premium product could expand Apple’s addressable market and support revenue growth. Apple fans react as iPhone Duo hits stores
• Positive Sentiment: The launch strengthens Apple’s broader hardware and services roadmap. Analysts are evaluating whether the Duo can drive accessory, software and services revenue, while potential touchscreen Macs, smart-home products and an Apple-Schneider Electric energy-management partnership provide additional growth opportunities. Will Apple take over the smart home
• Positive Sentiment: Apple briefly reclaimed the title of world’s most valuable public company. AAPL approached or surpassed Nvidia’s approximately $5 trillion valuation as Nvidia shares weakened during a broader AI-stock selloff. Investors are treating Apple’s substantial cash generation and lower AI infrastructure spending as a relative safe haven. Apple tops Nvidia in market value
• Neutral Sentiment: The next major test is earnings. Apple’s fiscal fourth-quarter results are expected November 2, with investors looking for evidence that iPhone Duo demand, holiday sales and margins justify a stock trading near 40 times earnings. Analysts remain broadly constructive, but the average price target is close to recent trading levels.
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and valuation risks remain significant. Some early users have reported cracked foldable screens, while reviews cite first-generation glitches, a $2,000 price and limitations involving the camera and apps. These issues could affect returns, customer satisfaction and adoption.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling adds a modest cautionary signal. Senior Vice President Jennifer Newstead sold approximately $815,000 of AAPL shares, following several similar sales. The transaction is small relative to Apple’s size but may reinforce concerns that the stock has become expensive.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Thursday, October 1st. HSBC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $366.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research note on Tuesday, September 8th. Evercore set a $380.00 price objective on shares of Apple and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, September 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, August 17th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Finally, Oppenheimer reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have given a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $340.12.

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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