Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Buys New Shares in Apple Inc. $AAPL

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 36,594,139 shares of the iPhone maker's stock, valued at approximately $10,588,946,000. Apple comprises about 5.9% of Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest position. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned approximately 0.25% of Apple at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Apple by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,426,283,914 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $387,749,545,000 after acquiring an additional 26,856,752 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen LLC increased its stake in Apple by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Nuveen LLC now owns 75,000,920 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $20,389,750,000 after purchasing an additional 2,725,121 shares during the period. Amundi lifted its position in Apple by 23.2% in the first 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. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Apple by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 55,146,752 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $14,992,196,000 after purchasing an additional 704,293 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Apple by 1.7% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 58,554,032 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $14,858,200,000 after purchasing an additional 979,832 shares during the period. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Apple

In related news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares of Apple stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $317.01, for a total transaction of $456,177.39. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 35,790 shares in the company, valued at $11,345,787.90. The trade was a 3.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In the last three months, insiders sold 7,194 shares of company stock valued at $2,245,142. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AAPL has been the topic of several analyst reports. Loop Capital decreased their target price on shares of Apple from $350.00 to $340.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. CICC Research increased their price target on shares of Apple from $310.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Barclays reissued an "underweight" rating and issued a $245.00 price target (down from $253.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. DA Davidson restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $270.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Finally, HSBC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $366.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research note on Tuesday, September 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have given a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $338.80.

Apple Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of AAPL opened at $331.34 on Wednesday. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $319.02 and its 200-day moving average price is $293.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.84 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.00, a PEG ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 1.08. 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 1-year low of $236.32 and a 1-year high of $344.57.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.04 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. Apple's revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.57 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 EPS for the current year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th were paid 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 presently 12.39%.

Apple News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple’s new iPhone Duo foldable is generating significant investor interest. Analysts and commentators including Jim Cramer and Gary Black believe demand could be substantial, while some coverage suggests the device could expand Apple’s addressable market and support a longer-term upgrade cycle. Jim Cramer on Apple foldable demand
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts remain bullish. Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating with a $370 price target, JPMorgan reaffirmed its Buy rating, and Morgan Stanley reportedly increased its conviction as Apple’s hardware and AI offerings become more compelling. Bank of America Apple rating
• Positive Sentiment: Apple had a record Emmy performance, taking home the most awards and strengthening Apple TV+’s position in streaming. The recognition could support customer engagement and Apple’s services strategy, although the direct financial effect is difficult to quantify. Apple Emmy coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Early iPhone 18 Pro delivery times are shorter than last year’s, producing mixed interpretations: they may indicate softer demand, or consumers may be waiting for the foldable Duo. Apple’s stock is also roughly 4% below its recent high, limiting the margin for disappointment.
• Negative Sentiment: Reports describe iPhone 18 Pro demand as lukewarm, with shorter lead times and some indications of surprisingly weak preorders. Investors are concerned that the standard premium iPhone cycle may not justify Apple’s valuation. Apple iPhone 18 Pro demand
• Negative Sentiment: The redesigned Siri is launching under a beta label with language, regional, device and waitlist restrictions. Reported usage caps and response times of five to 15 seconds could delay the expected AI-driven upgrade cycle. Apple Siri AI rollout
• Negative Sentiment: India’s consumer regulator escalated an investigation into Apple’s software warranty terms and repair costs, creating potential regulatory, reputational and financial risk in an important growth market. India investigation into Apple

Apple Company Profile

Apple Inc is a technology company that designs, develops and markets consumer electronics, software and digital services. Its principal products include the iPhone, Mac computers, iPad tablets, Apple Watch, AirPods and other accessories. The company also develops operating systems and applications that support its hardware products.

Apple's services business includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple News+, Apple Pay and iCloud. These services provide digital content, payments, cloud storage and subscription offerings across the company's ecosystem of devices.

Founded in 1976, Apple is headquartered in Cupertino, California, and serves consumers, businesses, educational institutions and government customers worldwide.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.