Apple Inc. $AAPL Stock: Lighthouse Financial LLC Grows Stake

Lighthouse Financial LLC boosted its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 55.3% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 22,666 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,070 shares during the period. Apple makes up 3.4% of Lighthouse Financial LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest holding. Lighthouse Financial LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $7,548,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Towercrest Capital Management lifted its stake in Apple by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Towercrest Capital Management now owns 33,984 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $11,317,000 after acquiring an additional 257 shares during the period. Capital Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Apple by 0.7% in the third quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 490,862 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $163,467,000 after acquiring an additional 3,273 shares during the period. Atala Financial Inc grew its stake in shares of Apple by 13.7% in the third quarter. Atala Financial Inc now owns 12,821 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $4,270,000 after acquiring an additional 1,549 shares during the period. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Apple by 0.5% in the third quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 422,064 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $140,556,000 after acquiring an additional 2,142 shares during the period. Finally, Opulen Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Apple by 13.6% during the third quarter. Opulen Financial Group LLC now owns 6,401 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $2,132,000 after purchasing an additional 768 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AAPL has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Daiwa Securities Group increased their price objective on shares of Apple from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. CICC Research raised their target price on shares of Apple from $310.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. BTIG Research started coverage on shares of Apple in a research report on Monday, August 17th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Phillip Securities lowered shares of Apple from a “hold” rating to a “moderate sell” rating in a research note on Friday, November 6th. Finally, Piper Sandler started coverage on Apple in a report on Monday, August 17th. They set an “overweight” rating on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $347.11.

Apple Trading Down 0.2%

Apple stock opened at $354.88 on Friday. Apple Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.42 and a 52-week high of $359.37. The company has a market cap of $5.16 trillion, a P/E ratio of 39.56, a P/E/G ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $338.48 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $300.56.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 2nd. The iPhone maker reported $2.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.99 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $114.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $113.40 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.60% and a return on equity of 125.35%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.85 EPS. Analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 9.45 EPS for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 16th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.27 per share. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 12th. Apple’s dividend payout ratio is currently 12.04%.

Apple News Summary

These are some of the AAPL news items that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple recently reached a record high, with one analyst describing the stock as a “safe haven” amid market turmoil. CIBC also included AAPL among its post-election stock picks. Apple Stock Called ‘Safe Haven,’ Hits Record High
• Negative Sentiment: Higher memory-chip prices are a near-term margin risk. Apple’s December-quarter gross-margin outlook was reported below analyst expectations, despite record quarterly sales, raising concerns that component costs could weigh on profitability. Why Apple Stock Fell Despite a Record Quarter
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts and investors view AAPL as expensive after its strong run, while recent coverage shows disagreement on the outlook, including a DZ Bank downgrade to Sell. Rich valuation leaves less room for disappointment. Apple Shares Look Expensive Heading into 2027

Insider Buying and Selling at Apple

In other Apple news, CEO John Ternus sold 25,412 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $332.94, for a total value of $8,460,671.28. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 59,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,832,236.98. This trade represents a 29.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 2,399 shares of Apple stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $351.36, for a total transaction of $842,912.64. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 27,598 shares in the company, valued at $9,696,833.28. This represents a 8.00% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 292,611 shares of company stock valued at $97,482,597 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

About Apple

Apple Inc. designs, manufactures and markets consumer electronics, software and digital services. Its products include the iPhone, Mac computers, iPad, Apple Watch and AirPods, along with operating systems and applications such as iOS, macOS and iPadOS. The company also offers services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+, iCloud and Apple Pay. These products and services are integrated across Apple’s devices and are sold to consumers, businesses and institutions around the world. Founded in 1976 and headquartered in Cupertino, California, Apple serves customers globally through online and retail stores, wireless carriers and other resellers.