Rep. Mark Alford Unloads Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Stock

Representative Mark Alford (Republican-Missouri) recently sold shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). In a filing disclosed on March 31st, the Representative disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in Apple stock on March 16th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “PUTNAM INVESTMENTS” account.

Representative Mark Alford also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.B) on 3/16/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of AT&T (NYSE:T) on 3/16/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) on 3/16/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of SPDR S&P 500 Buyback ETF (NYSEARCA:SPYB) on 3/16/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) on 3/16/2026.

Apple Price Performance

NASDAQ:AAPL remained flat at $255.92 on Friday. 31,257,484 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 40,994,768. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.76 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 0.97. The company has a 50 day moving average of $260.51 and a two-hundred day moving average of $263.08. Apple Inc. has a 12-month low of $169.21 and a 12-month high of $288.62.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The iPhone maker reported $2.84 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.67 by $0.17. Apple had a net margin of 27.04% and a return on equity of 159.94%. The company had revenue of $143.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $138.25 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.40 EPS. Apple’s revenue was up 15.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 7.28 EPS for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 12th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 9th were given a dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 9th. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.15%.

Trending Headlines about Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst backing for services and on‑device AI: Bank of America reiterated a Buy and argued accelerating services revenue plus on‑device AI upside justify a premium multiple, supporting upside expectations for revenue diversification and margin expansion. Apple: Accelerating Services Growth and On‑device AI Upside Support Premium Valuation and Buy Rating
• Positive Sentiment: U.S. manufacturing investment: Apple expanded its U.S. manufacturing program with a $400M commitment to partners and component production through 2030 — a positive for supply‑chain resilience, political goodwill, and potential PR/contract benefits. Apple Inc. (AAPL) expands US manufacturing program with $400M investment
• Positive Sentiment: Services/financial product rollout: Coverage of Apple’s Savings account highlights expansion of financial‑services offerings that can boost recurring revenue and deepen ecosystem engagement. Everything you need to know about the Apple Savings account
• Neutral Sentiment: 50th anniversary focus and strategic shifts: Broad coverage of Apple at 50 highlights product roadmap, CEO succession discussion, and reported moves like opening Siri to third‑party assistants — important context but longer‑term in nature. Apple At 50 Weighs AI Partnerships Satellite Ties And Succession
• Neutral Sentiment: Product pipeline chatter (iPhone 18 leaks, AirTag update): positive for long‑term product cycle expectations but not immediate earnings drivers. Apple Just Turned 50 Years Old. Is the AAPL Stock Cake Stale or Sweet?
• Negative Sentiment: Potential competitor move on Apple’s satellite partner: reports Amazon is in talks to buy Globalstar (used for Emergency SOS and satellite messaging) — that could complicate Apple’s satellite roadmap or increase costs if partnerships shift. Amazon is Considering a $9 Billion Deal to Acquire Satellite Communications Company Globalstar. Here’s Why Amazon, Apple, and Tesla Investors Should Pay Attention.
• Negative Sentiment: Geopolitical/security headlines: Iran’s threats against major U.S. tech firms (including Apple) add short‑term operational and sentiment risk, which can pressure shares in risk‑off episodes. AAPL Stock on Watch: Iran Threatens Retaliatory Strikes Could Hit Apple Next
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and Mag‑7 weakness: commentary on elevated P/E and the group’s recent underperformance is keeping some investors cautious despite Apple’s fundamentals — a likely headwind for near‑term multiple expansion. Is Apple Stock Overvalued Or Undervalued?

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Isthmus Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Apple by 6.4% in the third quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 97,177 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 5,808 shares during the last quarter. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Apple by 110.9% during the 3rd quarter. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC now owns 135 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new position in Apple in the fourth quarter worth $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC grew its position in Apple by 1,800.0% in the first quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LSV Asset Management bought a new position in Apple in the fourth quarter valued at $65,000. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on AAPL. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $330.00 price target on Apple in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Moffett Nathanson boosted their price objective on Apple from $241.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Raymond James Financial restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, January 2nd. Finally, KGI Securities raised Apple to an “outperform” rating and set a $306.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday, January 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $297.58.

About Representative Alford

Mark Alford (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Missouri’s 4th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2023. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Alford (Republican Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Missouri’s 4th Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.

Mark Alford graduated from Baytown Sterling High School in 1982. Alford’s career experience includes working as a team lead and realtor with ReeceNichols Real Estate and the team lead manager with VortexKC/Chartwell.

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.