Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Sold by Waycross Partners LLC

Waycross Partners LLC reduced its stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 5.5% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 245,448 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 14,327 shares during the period. Apple makes up approximately 6.0% of Waycross Partners LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest position. Waycross Partners LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $62,292,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter worth $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC increased its position in shares of 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 position in Apple in the fourth quarter valued at about $69,000. LSV Asset Management acquired a new position in Apple in the fourth quarter valued at about $65,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC bought a new stake in Apple during the fourth quarter worth about $76,000. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Apple News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: India proposed extending tax exemptions for equipment suppliers to contract manufacturers through 2041. The policy could support Apple’s effort to expand iPhone production in India and reduce reliance on China. India proposes extending tax breaks for contract manufacturing in a boost for Apple
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and bullish investors argue that Apple’s capital-light AI strategy could eventually pay off through its enormous installed base, device upgrades and Services ecosystem, without the infrastructure spending burden faced by hyperscalers. Apple’s AI Strategy Looks Different—Will It Pay Off?
• Positive Sentiment: Apple’s acquisition of PlasmaSolve could improve manufacturing simulations, device coatings and production yields, potentially supporting thinner and stronger future hardware. AAPL Stock Alert: What to Know as Apple Acquires PlasmaSolve
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple asked a U.S. court to block OpenAI and two former employees from using alleged trade secrets. OpenAI has responded by calling the case careless and publishing private communications; the dispute could affect OpenAI’s hardware plans but remains legally unresolved. Apple seeks preliminary injunction against OpenAI in trade secrets case
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple is also challenging a U.K. demand for access to encrypted user data. A favorable outcome could protect its privacy positioning, while prolonged regulatory litigation creates uncertainty. Apple launches fresh legal challenge against UK encrypted data access demand
• Negative Sentiment: The strongest pressure remains financial: Apple exceeded quarterly EPS and revenue estimates, but its outlook was viewed as disappointing. Higher memory and component costs, supply constraints, a Services revenue miss and delayed Apple Intelligence features have undermined confidence in near-term growth.
• Negative Sentiment: China Renaissance, DZ Bank and Phillip Securities downgraded AAPL, citing persistent memory inflation, supply risks and uncertainty over Apple Intelligence returns. With the stock trading around 35 times earnings and a PEG ratio above 2.6, investors are demanding substantial growth to justify the valuation.
• Negative Sentiment: The CEO transition adds execution risk. While some coverage views Cook’s departure as a well-prepared succession, investors will watch whether John Ternus can accelerate AI development and sustain Apple’s growth momentum.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on AAPL. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday, June 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Apple from $345.00 to $340.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $360.00 price target (down from $370.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Apple from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $330.44.

Apple Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $309.46 on Wednesday. Apple Inc. has a twelve month low of $202.16 and a twelve month high of $344.57. 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’s 50-day simple moving average is $309.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $282.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.52 trillion, a PE ratio of 35.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 1.09.

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

Apple Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 13th. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th will be given 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 is Monday, August 10th. Apple’s dividend payout ratio is currently 12.39%.

Insider Transactions at Apple

In related news, insider Ben Borders sold 1,274 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.00, for a total value of $369,460.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,226,770. This represents a 3.19% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Apple Profile

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.