North Star Investment Management Corp. Purchases 4,365 Shares of Apple Inc. $AAPL

Key Points

• North Star Investment Management increased its Apple position by 1.9% in the second quarter, purchasing 4,365 shares and bringing its total to 239,122 shares valued at approximately $69.2 million. Apple represents 3.8% of the firm’s holdings and is its third-largest position.
• Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of Apple’s outstanding shares, with Vanguard, State Street, Geode Capital and Morgan Stanley among the company’s largest holders.
• Apple reported quarterly revenue of $109.42 billion and earnings of $2.02 per share, exceeding analyst expectations, while revenue rose 16.4% year over year. Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $330.61, though valuation, AI execution and potential margin pressure remain concerns.

North Star Investment Management Corp. grew its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 239,122 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after purchasing an additional 4,365 shares during the period. Apple comprises about 3.8% of North Star Investment Management Corp.'s holdings, making the stock its 3rd largest position. North Star Investment Management Corp.'s holdings in Apple were worth $69,192,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Apple by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,426,283,914 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $387,749,545,000 after purchasing an additional 26,856,752 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Apple by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 604,056,505 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $164,218,801,000 after buying an additional 6,555,392 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Apple by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 358,032,517 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $97,031,587,000 after buying an additional 1,866,103 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley lifted its position in shares of Apple by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 230,483,035 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $62,659,118,000 after buying an additional 1,379,651 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter worth about $52,266,468,000. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Apple

In other news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the insider owned 38,713 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. The trade was a 0.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.95, for a total value of $447,457.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 37,229 shares in the company, valued at $11,576,357.55. The trade was a 3.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 4,433 shares of company stock valued at $1,367,024. 0.06% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

More Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CEO transition initially welcomed: John Ternus officially became CEO on Sept. 1 after 25 years at Apple, while Tim Cook remains executive chairman. Investors view Ternus’s hardware expertise as providing continuity, and Apple shares rose sharply during his first day in the role. Apple shares rise as John Ternus takes over as CEO
• Positive Sentiment: Constructive analyst outlook: Morgan Stanley reaffirmed its overweight rating and set a $360 price target, while Bank of America reiterated Buy with a $380 target. Analysts see potential for Apple to strengthen its position in the AI era through hardware, services and a new product cycle.
• Positive Sentiment: Foldable iPhone could add significant revenue: Morgan Stanley estimates Apple’s anticipated foldable iPhone could contribute approximately $14 billion in December-quarter revenue, creating a potential new growth engine. Apple foldable iPhone revenue estimate
• Neutral Sentiment: Sept. 9 launch is the key near-term catalyst: Wall Street considers the upcoming iPhone event an important test of pricing power, consumer demand, AI capabilities and whether Apple can sustain growth beyond its mature smartphone franchise. Ternus has described the launch as “phenomenal.” Why the next iPhone launch matters
• Neutral Sentiment: Leadership incentives align with shareholders: Ternus’s approximately $55 million–$58 million compensation package is heavily tied to Apple’s performance relative to the S&P 500. Cook will receive about $47 million as executive chairman, supporting continuity but underscoring his continued influence.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and growth concerns remain: DA Davidson maintained a Neutral rating with a $270 target, and Rosenblatt kept Neutral despite raising its target to $303. Analysts warn that Apple may need the foldable iPhone and stronger AI execution to avoid a revenue slowdown next year, while its premium valuation leaves limited room for disappointment.
• Negative Sentiment: AI, memory costs and legal risks weigh on sentiment: Apple trails some rivals in AI, faces elevated memory-chip costs that could pressure margins, and is engaged in a contentious trade-secrets lawsuit with OpenAI. OpenAI denies Apple’s allegations, increasing uncertainty around the dispute.

Apple Stock Performance

AAPL opened at $324.96 on Thursday. Apple Inc. has a 12-month low of $225.95 and a 12-month high of $344.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.74 trillion, a P/E ratio of 37.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.09. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $313.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $289.62. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last announced its 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. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The business had revenue of $109.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.57 earnings per share. Apple's revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Investors 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 is presently 12.39%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on AAPL shares. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $360.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday. TD Cowen upped their target price on Apple from $350.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded Apple from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Bank of America reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $380.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Apple from $345.00 to $340.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $330.61.

About Apple

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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