Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Newly Acquired by Schulz Wealth LTD.

Schulz Wealth LTD. bought a new stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 3,538 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock, valued at approximately $1,024,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in AAPL. Prospect Hill Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Apple during the 2nd quarter valued at about $146,370,000. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC acquired a new position in Apple in the second quarter worth about $168,646,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Apple in the second quarter worth about $482,388,000. Satovsky Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Apple during the second quarter worth about $16,064,000. Finally, Saranac Partners Ltd bought a new position in Apple during the second quarter worth about $9,513,000. 67.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Apple news, CEO John Ternus sold 25,412 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $332.94, for a total transaction of $8,460,671.28. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 59,567 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,832,236.98. This represents a 29.90% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed 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 the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.01, for a total transaction of $796,491.99. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 39,593 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,145,271.93. This represents a 5.71% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 279,383 shares of company stock valued at $92,912,517. 0.06% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Apple Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $336.64 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.91 trillion, a P/E ratio of 38.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. Apple Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.42 and a 1 year high of $345.34. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $322.61 and a 200-day moving average of $302.99.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.57 EPS. Apple’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

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

Apple News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Potential AI upside: Analyst Dan Ives said Apple could become a “toll collector” for consumer AI by monetizing its more than 2.5 billion active devices and Services ecosystem. He estimates AI could add approximately $75 per share to the company’s value. Apple Could Be the Toll Collector of Consumer AI
• Positive Sentiment: Smart-home expansion: Apple’s planned October 13 “Welcome Home” event could introduce products such as a smart lock, thermostat and doorbell. The initiative may expand Apple’s hardware and Services opportunities and strengthen its position against Amazon and Google. Apple Smart Home Push
• Neutral Sentiment: Possible seasonal order adjustment: Bespoke Investment Group noted that Apple’s autumn iPhone order reductions have occurred in prior years and have sometimes been followed by a stock recovery. Investors will look for evidence that the latest cuts reflect normal supply-chain management rather than lasting demand weakness. Apple’s iPhone Order Cut and Stock Rebound
• Negative Sentiment: iPhone demand concerns: Nikkei Asia reported that Apple asked suppliers to cut iPhone 18 Pro component production, raising concerns that premium pricing is discouraging consumers. The reports are particularly important because Apple is preparing to pursue an even higher-priced product strategy, including a rumored $1,999 foldable iPhone. Apple Cuts iPhone 18 Pro Orders Due to Soft Demand
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution risks: Apple’s elevated earnings multiple leaves less room for disappointment, while higher memory costs could pressure margins. A recent senior vice president stock sale was relatively small but adds to near-term caution. Apple Senior Vice President Stock Sale

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently weighed in on AAPL. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $400.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a “buy” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Arete Research upped their price target on Apple from $305.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Apple from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have given a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $340.02.

Apple Profile

Apple Inc is a technology company that designs, develops and markets consumer electronics, software and digital services. Its best-known products include the iPhone smartphone, Mac personal computers, iPad tablets, Apple Watch, AirPods and other accessories. The company also develops operating systems and software platforms, including iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS and visionOS.

Apple’s services business includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+ and iCloud.