Ramsay Stattman Vela & Price Inc. Sells 1,992 Shares of Apple Inc. $AAPL

Key Points

• Ramsay Stattman Vela & Price reduced its Apple holdings by 1.3%, selling 1,992 shares and retaining 149,094 shares worth approximately $43.1 million. Apple remains the firm’s largest position, representing 7.7% of its portfolio.
• Apple insiders sold 279,383 shares worth about $92.9 million over the past three months, while institutional investors own 67.73% of the company. Wall Street maintains a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $340.02.
• Investors are weighing potential upside from AI monetization and smart-home expansion against concerns about iPhone demand, elevated valuation, and margin pressure from higher memory costs.

Ramsay Stattman Vela & Price Inc. trimmed its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 149,094 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 1,992 shares during the period. Apple comprises about 7.7% of Ramsay Stattman Vela & Price Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its biggest position. Ramsay Stattman Vela & Price Inc.'s holdings in Apple were worth $43,142,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sterling Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Apple by 0.3% in the second quarter. Sterling Wealth Management Inc. now owns 11,579 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $3,351,000 after buying an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Evansbrook LLC boosted its position in shares of Apple by 0.4% during the first quarter. Evansbrook LLC now owns 8,095 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $2,054,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. JMG Financial Group Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Apple by 0.7% during the first quarter. JMG Financial Group Ltd. now owns 5,102 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $1,295,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Advocate Investing Services LLC grew its stake in Apple by 0.5% during the second quarter. Advocate Investing Services LLC now owns 7,847 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $2,271,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sugar Maple Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Apple by 2.0% during the first quarter. Sugar Maple Asset Management LLC now owns 2,029 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $515,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Apple news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 2,399 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.01, for a total transaction of $796,491.99. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 39,593 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,145,271.93. This trade represents a 5.71% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Deirdre O'brien sold 46,389 shares of Apple stock in a transaction on Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.42, for a total transaction of $15,467,020.38. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 136,810 shares in the company, valued at $45,615,190.20. This represents a 25.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 279,383 shares of company stock worth $92,912,517. 0.06% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AAPL has been the topic of a number of research reports. Maxim Group lifted their price target on shares of Apple from $350.00 to $380.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, August 17th. They set a "buy" rating for the company. CICC Research increased their price objective on shares of Apple from $310.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Seaport Research Partners lowered Apple from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Finally, KGI Securities lowered Apple from an "outperform" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $315.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have issued a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $340.02.

Key Headlines Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Potential AI upside: Analyst Dan Ives said Apple could become a “toll collector” for consumer AI by monetizing its more than 2.5 billion active devices and Services ecosystem. He estimates AI could add approximately $75 per share to the company’s value. Apple Could Be the Toll Collector of Consumer AI
• Positive Sentiment: Smart-home expansion: Apple’s planned October 13 “Welcome Home” event could introduce products such as a smart lock, thermostat and doorbell. The initiative may expand Apple’s hardware and Services opportunities and strengthen its position against Amazon and Google. Apple Smart Home Push
• Neutral Sentiment: Possible seasonal order adjustment: Bespoke Investment Group noted that Apple’s autumn iPhone order reductions have occurred in prior years and have sometimes been followed by a stock recovery. Investors will look for evidence that the latest cuts reflect normal supply-chain management rather than lasting demand weakness. Apple’s iPhone Order Cut and Stock Rebound
• Negative Sentiment: iPhone demand concerns: Nikkei Asia reported that Apple asked suppliers to cut iPhone 18 Pro component production, raising concerns that premium pricing is discouraging consumers. The reports are particularly important because Apple is preparing to pursue an even higher-priced product strategy, including a rumored $1,999 foldable iPhone. Apple Cuts iPhone 18 Pro Orders Due to Soft Demand
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution risks: Apple’s elevated earnings multiple leaves less room for disappointment, while higher memory costs could pressure margins. A recent senior vice president stock sale was relatively small but adds to near-term caution. Apple Senior Vice President Stock Sale

Apple Trading Down 1.1%

AAPL opened at $336.64 on Friday. Apple Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.42 and a fifty-two week high of $345.34. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.91 trillion, a PE ratio of 38.61, a P/E/G ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The company's 50-day moving average is $322.61 and its 200 day moving average is $302.99.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 firm 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 company's revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.57 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th were issued a dividend of $0.27 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 10th. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. Apple's dividend payout ratio is 12.39%.

About Apple

Apple Inc is a technology company that designs, develops and markets 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 software platforms, including iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS and visionOS.

Apple's services business includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+ and iCloud.

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