Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Sold by First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.

First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. trimmed its position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 0.6% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 642,203 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 4,161 shares during the quarter. Apple makes up about 2.8% of First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest holding. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.’s holdings in Apple were worth $162,985,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AAPL. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new position in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter worth about $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC lifted 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 purchasing an additional 180 shares during the period. Timmons Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter valued at about $69,000. LSV Asset Management acquired a new stake in Apple during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $65,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC acquired a new stake in Apple in the 4th quarter valued at $76,000. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Apple Price Performance

Apple stock opened at $313.33 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $309.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is $283.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The stock has a market cap of $4.57 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 1.09. Apple Inc. has a 12-month low of $219.25 and a 12-month high of $344.57.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $109.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.04 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The company’s revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.57 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 13th. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th will be issued a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 10th. Apple’s dividend payout ratio is currently 12.39%.

Insider Transactions at Apple

In other Apple news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of Apple stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total transaction of $34,236.24. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. The trade was a 0.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. China Renaissance lowered Apple from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $280.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday. BNP Paribas Exane raised shares of Apple from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $300.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, April 17th. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $270.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, July 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $360.00 target price (down from $370.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Finally, DZ Bank lowered shares of Apple from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $310.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Apple has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $330.44.

Key Headlines Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Planned CEO transition appears orderly. Tim Cook will step down in September and be succeeded by longtime Apple executive John Ternus, a veteran with experience dating back to the Steve Jobs era. Cook’s endorsement and Ternus’ familiarity with Apple’s products may reduce concerns about strategic disruption. Tim Cook Says There’s ‘No Better Person’ to Take Over at Apple
• Positive Sentiment: Core business momentum remains strong. Apple’s latest quarter exceeded earnings and revenue expectations, with revenue up roughly 16% year over year. Broad iPhone, Mac and Services demand continues to support the bullish case. Tim Cook’s Last Quarter as CEO Was Apple’s Best June Quarter Ever
• Positive Sentiment: App Store monetization is holding up. App Store revenue increased slightly despite a 4% decline in iPhone and iPad downloads, as revenue per download rose 4.7%. This suggests continued pricing and engagement resilience in a key Services business. Apple App Store Revenue Ticks Up Despite Falling Downloads
• Neutral Sentiment: OpenAI is seeking dismissal of Apple’s trade-secrets lawsuit. OpenAI denies misappropriating confidential information related to Apple’s consumer-hardware efforts. The filing does not resolve the dispute, leaving legal and competitive uncertainty in place. OpenAI Seeks Dismissal of Apple’s Trade Secrets Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term cost and growth pressures are weighing on sentiment. Rising memory prices, supply constraints and policy risks could pressure margins, while slower Services growth has prompted some firms to downgrade Apple to Hold or Moderate Sell. Apple’s Capex Strategy Worked But Other Pressures Are Mounting
• Negative Sentiment: Competition in emerging hardware is increasing. Samsung reported a 30% rise in foldable-device preorders, highlighting a market Apple has yet to enter. Investors may view future Apple foldables as an opportunity, but execution and timing remain uncertain. Samsung Foldable Preorders Jump 30%

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.