Welch Group LLC Sells 2,238 Shares of Apple Inc. $AAPL

Key Points

• Welch Group LLC trimmed its Apple stake by 0.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 2,238 shares but still holding 375,861 shares worth about $102.2 million. Apple remains its largest portfolio position, representing 3.9% of assets.
• Apple saw continued insider selling, including CEO Tim Cook and SVP Deirdre O'Brien, with insiders selling 96,485 shares worth about $24.6 million over the last quarter. Company insiders now own just 0.06% of the stock.
• Despite the selling, Apple reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $2.01 on revenue of $111.18 billion, and it raised its quarterly dividend to $0.27 per share. Wall Street sentiment remains broadly positive, with a consensus Moderate Buy rating and a target price of $305.74.

Welch Group LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) by 0.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 375,861 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 2,238 shares during the quarter. Apple makes up 3.9% of Welch Group LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its largest position. Welch Group LLC's holdings in Apple were worth $102,182,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. Overbrook Management Corp lifted its position in Apple by 57.4% during the fourth quarter. Overbrook Management Corp now owns 104,648 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $28,449,000 after buying an additional 38,174 shares in the last quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI grew its position in Apple by 48.4% in the third quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 1,426,605 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $363,256,000 after acquiring an additional 465,393 shares in the last quarter. Tufton Capital Management boosted its position in Apple by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter. Tufton Capital Management now owns 100,130 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $25,496,000 after buying an additional 4,157 shares during the last quarter. Montis Financial LLC increased its holdings in Apple by 15.8% during the 3rd quarter. Montis Financial LLC now owns 77,919 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $19,841,000 after purchasing an additional 10,640 shares during the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV boosted its stake in shares of Apple by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 7,044,697 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $1,915,172,000 after buying an additional 214,215 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Apple

In related news, CEO Timothy D. Cook sold 64,949 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $254.23, for a total transaction of $16,511,984.27. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 3,280,418 shares of the company's stock, valued at $833,980,668.14. The trade was a 1.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at 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 value of $7,661,010.70. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 136,810 shares of the company's stock, valued at $34,934,433.50. This trade represents 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 96,485 shares of company stock worth $24,594,845 over the last quarter. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AAPL has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Stephens set a $315.00 price target on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, January 26th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Moffett Nathanson increased their target price on shares of Apple from $241.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Scotiabank set a $330.00 target price on Apple in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. One 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 issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Apple presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $305.74.

Key Stories Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple’s latest earnings call hinted at a more aggressive growth strategy, which could signal faster investment in new products, services, and AI-driven opportunities. Did Apple Just Drop a Big Hint About Its Future Growth Strategy?
• Positive Sentiment: Apple is rolling out end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging for iPhone and Android users in iOS 26.5, a consumer-friendly update that strengthens the ecosystem and could improve user loyalty. Apple And Google Finally Close SMS Security Gap As iOS 26.5 Brings End-To-End Encrypted RCS Messaging For Android And iPhone Conversations
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street remains constructive, with analysts citing Apple’s supply-chain strength and potential AI services upside, reinforcing the bull case for continued earnings and margin expansion. Apple (AAPL) Gains Wall Street Confidence on Supply Chain Strength and AI Services Potential
• Positive Sentiment: Apple raised the price of the Mac mini as AI-related demand created back orders, suggesting stronger demand for higher-end Mac products and potential pricing power. Apple Raises Mac Mini Price As AI Demand Drives 3-Month Back Orders
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple reports framed Apple as a beneficiary of the growing AI cycle, with rising R&D spending and upcoming WWDC likely to keep investors focused on product and platform catalysts. Apple’s Higher R&D Signals Deeper AI Push And Investor Reassessment
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple was also featured in broader industry reports on mobile gaming and autonomous vehicles, which highlight the company’s platform reach but do not point to an immediate fundamental catalyst. Video Games Strategic Intelligence Report 2026: A $352 Billion Market by 2030 with Mobile Gaming Accounting for More Than Half of Revenue - Apple, Alphabet, and Valve Control Key Distribution Channels
• Negative Sentiment: Some headlines could temper enthusiasm, including reports of a board veteran selling $71 million in Apple shares, which may be seen as insider caution even after strong results. Apple Director Sells $71 Million in Shares
• Negative Sentiment: One report said Apple’s next Vision Pro headset is years away, suggesting the mixed-reality product line may not contribute meaningfully to near-term growth. Apple's Next Vision Pro Headset Is Reportedly Years Away

Apple Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of Apple stock opened at $292.68 on Tuesday. Apple Inc. has a 1-year low of $193.46 and a 1-year high of $294.76. The company has a market capitalization of $4.30 trillion, a P/E ratio of 35.39, a PEG ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.06. The business's fifty day moving average price is $262.63 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $266.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 1.02.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.01 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 company's revenue was up 16.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.65 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 EPS for the current year.

Apple Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 11th will be issued a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. This is a boost from Apple's previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 11th. Apple's payout ratio is 12.58%.

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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