Local Pensions Partnership Investment Ltd Cuts Stock Position in Apple Inc. $AAPL

Key Points

• Local Pensions Partnership Investment Ltd cut its Apple stake by 7.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 71,100 shares and ending with 860,880 shares worth about $234.1 million.
• Apple’s recent results were strong, with quarterly EPS of $2.01 beating estimates and revenue of $111.18 billion topping expectations; revenue also rose 16.6% year over year.
• Analysts remain broadly upbeat on Apple, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $305.74, while the stock recently traded near its 52-week high.

Local Pensions Partnership Investment Ltd decreased its holdings in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 7.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 860,880 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 71,100 shares during the quarter. Apple comprises about 4.1% of Local Pensions Partnership Investment Ltd's portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Local Pensions Partnership Investment Ltd's holdings in Apple were worth $234,065,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Apple by 110.9% during the third quarter. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC now owns 135 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC grew its holdings in shares of Apple by 1,800.0% in the first quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of Apple in the fourth quarter valued at about $65,000. PayPay Securities Corp grew its holdings in shares of Apple by 52.1% in the fourth quarter. PayPay Securities Corp now owns 365 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $99,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Finally, eCIO Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Apple in the fourth quarter valued at about $112,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $325.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $330.00 price objective (up from $315.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, May 1st. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Apple from $320.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Apple from $315.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Moffett Nathanson upped their target price on shares of Apple from $241.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $305.74.

Apple Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of AAPL opened at $298.87 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.39 trillion, a PE ratio of 36.14, a P/E/G ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 1.06. Apple Inc. has a 1 year low of $193.46 and a 1 year high of $300.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.07. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $263.92 and its 200-day simple moving average is $267.00.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.95 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $111.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.65 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 14th. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.27 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 11th. This is a positive change from Apple's previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Apple's payout ratio is currently 13.06%.

More Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple is reportedly preparing major iPhone software changes, including a more customizable Camera app, a rebuilt Siri, and broader interface updates, which investors view as a sign the company is sharpening its product roadmap ahead of future iPhone and WWDC-related announcements. Apple Stock Is Gaining Today: What's Happening Behind The Scenes?
• Positive Sentiment: Apple is being helped by rising AI optimism, with commentary highlighting strong iPhone demand, solid Services performance, and potential AI partnerships such as Google Gemini, all of which support the case for continued upside. Ca$htag$: AAPL Hits Record High as AI Optimism Grows
• Positive Sentiment: Apple is also getting support from reports that WWDC could be a major catalyst if it resets the market’s AI expectations and strengthens confidence in future software and ecosystem growth. The Event That Could Redefine Apple’s Summer Rally
• Positive Sentiment: Apple’s efforts to expand the App Store for autonomous AI agents suggest the company is trying to capture more of the next wave of AI-powered software while maintaining its security standards. Apple Prepares App Store for Autonomous AI Agents
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple’s participation in U.S.-China diplomatic and business discussions could matter for supply-chain and market-access issues, but the near-term financial impact is still uncertain. Trump Arrives in Beijing for High-Stakes Xi Summit Focused on Trade, AI, and Iran
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports that Apple is opposing EU AI-related measures and arguing they could hurt privacy and security are more about regulatory positioning than an immediate earnings driver. Apple criticises EU measures to help AI rivals access Google services
• Negative Sentiment: Fresh tariff headlines could keep pressure on Apple’s hardware costs and supply chain if higher import duties remain in place for longer. Appeals Court Temporarily Reinstates Trump’s 10% Global Tariffs
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider selling, including a modest sale by Ben Borders, may slightly temper sentiment, though it is small relative to Apple’s size and the broader bullish backdrop. SEC insider filing

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Timothy D. Cook sold 64,949 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $254.23, for a total transaction of $16,511,984.27. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 3,280,418 shares in the company, valued at approximately $833,980,668.14. This represents a 1.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, SVP Deirdre O'brien sold 30,002 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $255.35, for a total transaction of $7,661,010.70. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 136,810 shares in the company, valued at $34,934,433.50. The trade was a 17.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 97,759 shares of company stock valued at $24,964,305 over the last three months. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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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