Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Sold by Paul R. Ried Financial Group LLC

Paul R. Ried Financial Group LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 6.1% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 29,176 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 1,909 shares during the quarter. Apple comprises 3.4% of Paul R. Ried Financial Group LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 10th largest holding. Paul R. Ried Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $7,405,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Apple by 11.1% during the 1st quarter. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 199,214 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $50,559,000 after purchasing an additional 19,960 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth Financial Services LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Apple by 12.3% in the first quarter. Commonwealth Financial Services LLC now owns 25,018 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $6,349,000 after buying an additional 2,750 shares during the period. Carson Advisory Inc. increased its position in shares of Apple by 1.3% during the first quarter. Carson Advisory Inc. now owns 18,963 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $4,813,000 after acquiring an additional 241 shares in the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Apple by 25.7% during the first quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 443,723 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $112,612,000 after acquiring an additional 90,693 shares during the period. Finally, Meeder Advisory Services Inc. lifted its position in Apple by 1.5% in the 1st quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. now owns 381,218 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $96,749,000 after acquiring an additional 5,750 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity 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 stock was sold at an average price of $290.00, for a total transaction of $369,460.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,226,770. This represents a 3.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

More Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong iPhone demand supports the recovery. Apple’s fiscal third-quarter revenue reached a June-quarter record of $109.4 billion, while external data indicate quarterly iPhone sales were stronger than headline disclosures suggested. India sales reportedly exceeded $10 billion, highlighting potential for further geographic growth. Apple’s Quarterly iPhone Sales Were Even Better Than They Seem
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts and commentators view the selloff as excessive. Bullish coverage points to Apple’s ecosystem, balance sheet, recurring services revenue and long-term ability to benefit from artificial intelligence, while CNBC commentators recommended remaining long AAPL. Apple’s Selloff Is Overdone
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple is preparing for a leadership transition. Tim Cook’s final quarter as CEO was a record June quarter, but John Ternus now inherits questions about AI execution, product innovation and growth. September product rumors, including a possible foldable iPhone, could provide a future catalyst but remain unconfirmed. Tim Cook’s Last Quarter as CEO Was Apple’s Best June Quarter Ever
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple’s legal battle with OpenAI is escalating. Apple is seeking an injunction over alleged trade-secret misuse, while OpenAI has publicly challenged Apple’s claims. The dispute may protect Apple’s technology but also introduces legal and strategic uncertainty around AI hardware plans. Apple Seeks Preliminary Injunction Against OpenAI
• Negative Sentiment: Cost pressures and cautious guidance remain the main overhangs. Reports say memory prices are expected to rise, potentially compressing margins and increasing iPhone costs. Analysts including DZ Bank, China Renaissance and Phillip Securities downgraded AAPL, citing persistent component inflation, slower Services growth and an unclear AI payoff. AAPL Downgrades as Wall Street Sees Memory Inflation Pressures Persisting
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation leaves little room for disappointment. Despite an earnings beat, AAPL trades at a premium multiple, while Services growth slowed and guidance raised concerns that near-term earnings may not justify the valuation. Google’s expected Pixel Tag could also create incremental competition for AirTag, though the financial impact is likely limited. Apple: A Price That Leaves Nothing for the Buyer

Apple Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of AAPL stock opened at $311.00 on Thursday. Apple Inc. has a 52-week low of $205.59 and a 52-week high of $344.57. The stock has a market cap of $4.54 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.67, a PEG ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.09. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $309.43 and its 200-day moving average is $282.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.00.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.04 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.57 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 EPS for the current year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 13th. Shareholders 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 dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 10th. Apple’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.39%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on AAPL shares. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $365.00 price objective (up from $315.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, July 13th. KeyCorp restated an “underweight” rating and issued a $250.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Phillip Securities downgraded Apple from a “hold” rating to a “moderate sell” rating in a research report on Monday. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $270.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane upgraded 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. One investment 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 issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Apple presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $330.44.

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.