Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Sold by Morningstar Investment Management LLC

Morningstar Investment Management LLC cut its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 2.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 202,910 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 4,300 shares during the period. Apple makes up approximately 3.2% of Morningstar Investment Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest position. Morningstar Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $51,497,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in AAPL. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new position in Apple during the fourth quarter worth $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC increased its stake in Apple by 1,800.0% in the first quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management bought a new stake in Apple in the fourth quarter valued at $65,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Apple during the fourth quarter valued at about $69,000. Finally, 49 Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Apple by 15.7% during the third quarter. 49 Wealth Management LLC now owns 298,920 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $76,000 after purchasing an additional 40,543 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Apple Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $313.33 on Monday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $309.45 and its 200 day moving average is $283.42. Apple Inc. has a 12-month low of $219.25 and a 12-month high of $344.57. The stock has a market cap of $4.57 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.93, a PEG ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.13. Apple had a return on equity of 135.46% and a net margin of 27.62%.The business had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.57 EPS. Apple’s quarterly revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently commented on AAPL. Wedbush restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $400.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, June 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $360.00 price target (down from $370.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Barclays reiterated an “underweight” rating and issued a $245.00 price target (down from $253.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. DZ Bank cut Apple from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $310.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, June 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $330.44.

Insider Activity at Apple

In related news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total transaction of $34,236.24. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,425,754.82. This trade represents a 0.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Apple News Summary

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.