1,948 Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Purchased by Liberty Atlantic Advisors LLC

Liberty Atlantic Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 169.1% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 3,100 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after buying an additional 1,948 shares during the period. Apple makes up about 0.7% of Liberty Atlantic Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest position. Liberty Atlantic Advisors LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $1,033,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Foundation Wealth Management LLC PA boosted its stake in Apple by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Foundation Wealth Management LLC PA now owns 7,624 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $2,539,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Boyce & Associates Wealth Consulting Inc. increased its position in shares of Apple by 198.9% in the 3rd quarter. Boyce & Associates Wealth Consulting Inc. now owns 28,630 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $9,534,000 after purchasing an additional 19,053 shares during the last quarter. Clark & Stuart Inc increased its position in shares of Apple by 147.1% in the 3rd quarter. Clark & Stuart Inc now owns 23,534 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $7,837,000 after purchasing an additional 14,011 shares during the last quarter. Stone Summit Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Apple by 46.8% in the 3rd quarter. Stone Summit Wealth LLC now owns 26,368 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $8,287,000 after purchasing an additional 8,410 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MFA Wealth Services increased its position in shares of Apple by 6.6% in the 3rd quarter. MFA Wealth Services now owns 11,583 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $3,807,000 after purchasing an additional 714 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Deirdre O’brien sold 46,389 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.42, for a total value of $15,467,020.38. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 136,810 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $45,615,190.20. This represents a 25.32% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CEO John Ternus sold 25,412 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.94, for a total value of $8,460,671.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 59,567 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,832,236.98. This trade represents a 29.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 286,853 shares of company stock valued at $95,477,342. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on AAPL shares. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $350.00 target price (up from $310.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $370.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered Apple from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Finally, Oppenheimer restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have assigned a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $340.12.

Trending Headlines about Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong iPhone Duo demand is the primary catalyst. The foldable phone launched globally Friday amid long lines, limited store inventory and reports that preorders are backordered into 2027. Supply-chain reports indicate Apple raised its first-year shipment target by 44%, to roughly 14 million units. The premium product could expand Apple’s addressable market and support revenue growth. Apple fans react as iPhone Duo hits stores
• Positive Sentiment: The launch strengthens Apple’s broader hardware and services roadmap. Analysts are evaluating whether the Duo can drive accessory, software and services revenue, while potential touchscreen Macs, smart-home products and an Apple-Schneider Electric energy-management partnership provide additional growth opportunities. Will Apple take over the smart home
• Positive Sentiment: Apple briefly reclaimed the title of world’s most valuable public company. AAPL approached or surpassed Nvidia’s approximately $5 trillion valuation as Nvidia shares weakened during a broader AI-stock selloff. Investors are treating Apple’s substantial cash generation and lower AI infrastructure spending as a relative safe haven. Apple tops Nvidia in market value
• Neutral Sentiment: The next major test is earnings. Apple’s fiscal fourth-quarter results are expected November 2, with investors looking for evidence that iPhone Duo demand, holiday sales and margins justify a stock trading near 40 times earnings. Analysts remain broadly constructive, but the average price target is close to recent trading levels.
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and valuation risks remain significant. Some early users have reported cracked foldable screens, while reviews cite first-generation glitches, a $2,000 price and limitations involving the camera and apps. These issues could affect returns, customer satisfaction and adoption.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling adds a modest cautionary signal. Senior Vice President Jennifer Newstead sold approximately $815,000 of AAPL shares, following several similar sales. The transaction is small relative to Apple’s size but may reinforce concerns that the stock has become expensive.

Apple Trading Down 0.1%

Apple stock opened at $347.73 on Friday. 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 firm has a 50-day moving average price of $329.75 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $309.34. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.07 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.88, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.07. Apple Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.42 and a 52-week high of $351.73.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last posted 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. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The firm had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.04 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.57 EPS. Apple’s quarterly revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

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

Apple Profile

Apple Inc designs, develops and sells 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 applications that support its hardware ecosystem.

Apple’s services business includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade, iCloud, Apple Pay and other subscription, payment and digital-content offerings.