Northstar Financial Companies Inc. Takes Position in Apple Inc. $AAPL

Key Points

• Northstar Financial Companies bought 18,132 Apple shares worth approximately $5.25 million, making Apple its fourth-largest holding and 3.5% of its portfolio. Institutional investors collectively own 67.73% of Apple.
• Apple exceeded quarterly expectations with $2.02 in EPS and $109.42 billion in revenue, up 16.4% year over year. The company also paid a $0.27 quarterly dividend, equivalent to a 0.3% annual yield.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $338.80, although Apple’s premium valuation, potential memory-cost pressures and mixed iPhone demand signals remain risks.

Northstar Financial Companies Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 18,132 shares of the iPhone maker's stock, valued at approximately $5,247,000. Apple comprises about 3.5% of Northstar Financial Companies Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest holding.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new position in shares of Apple during the fourth quarter valued at about $41,000. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Apple by 822.7% in the 2nd quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 292,493 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $85,000 after acquiring an additional 260,792 shares during the last quarter. Basso Capital Management L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Apple in the 4th quarter valued at about $88,000. Bard Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in Apple during the 4th quarter valued at about $109,000. Finally, MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Apple during the 4th quarter valued at about $187,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Apple Price Performance

AAPL opened at $333.08 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.86 trillion, a PE ratio of 38.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 1.08. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $318.61 and its 200-day moving average price is $293.06. Apple Inc. has a 52-week low of $235.03 and a 52-week high of $344.57.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 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 analyst estimates of $109.04 billion. Apple had a return on equity of 135.46% and a net margin of 27.62%.The firm's revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.57 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 EPS for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th were given a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 10th. Apple's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.39%.

Insider Activity at Apple

In other news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,438 shares of Apple stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $317.23, for a total transaction of $456,176.74. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 34,352 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,897,484.96. The trade was a 4.02% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 7,194 shares of company stock valued at $2,245,142. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain bullish on the iPhone cycle. Bank of America reaffirmed its Buy rating and $370 price target, citing encouraging iPhone 18 trends and potential artificial-intelligence upside. JPMorgan also maintained a Buy rating, pointing to the longer-term opportunity from the iPhone 18 cycle and foldable Duo. Apple Buy Rating Reaffirmed
• Positive Sentiment: The iPhone Duo is fueling growth expectations. Analysts and industry observers believe Apple’s first foldable iPhone could expand the premium smartphone market, strengthen the product cycle and create a new source of revenue and earnings growth. Can New iPhone Duo Power Apple's Stock Higher?
• Positive Sentiment: Apple’s antitrust exposure has eased. Elon Musk’s X Corp. and SpaceXAI moved to resolve or dismiss their antitrust claims against Apple related to its ChatGPT integration, reducing one legal overhang, although related claims against OpenAI continue. Musk's X Corp and SpaceXAI Resolve Antitrust Lawsuit
• Neutral Sentiment: iPhone 18 Pro pre-orders are sending mixed signals. Delivery estimates are generally shorter than during last year’s iPhone 17 launch, which could indicate softer demand, but may also reflect supply improvements or customers waiting for the iPhone Duo. Apple iPhone 18 Pro Pre-orders Point to Mixed Demand Signals
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple released iOS 27 with a redesigned Siri. The update expands Apple’s AI capabilities, but the initial waitlist and support for existing devices could limit near-term iPhone replacement demand. Apple Releases Redesigned Siri AI
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and cost risks remain. With Apple trading near its 52-week high at a premium earnings multiple, investors may demand strong Duo adoption. Reports of sharply higher memory prices could pressure hardware margins or force price increases, while OpenAI’s acquisition of an AI-camera startup founded by former Apple employees highlights intensifying competition in AI-enabled devices. Apple CEO Warns of Memory Price Crisis

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AAPL has been the topic of several recent research reports. BTIG Research started coverage on Apple in a research report on Monday, August 17th. They set a "neutral" rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded Apple from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Barclays reissued an "underweight" rating and set a $245.00 price objective (down from $253.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating and issued a $400.00 target price on shares of Apple in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have assigned a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $338.80.

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.

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