Meritas Wealth Management LLC Cuts Stock Position in Apple Inc. $AAPL

Meritas Wealth Management LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 9.8% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 40,611 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 4,415 shares during the period. Apple comprises about 5.1% of Meritas Wealth Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest position. Meritas Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $10,341,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in Apple by 13.5% in the third quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 33,044 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $8,414,000 after purchasing an additional 3,923 shares in the last quarter. Security Financial Services INC. increased its stake in shares of Apple by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Security Financial Services INC. now owns 43,565 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $11,093,000 after purchasing an additional 538 shares during the last quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC boosted its position in Apple by 15.4% during the third quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 392,394 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $101,261,000 after purchasing an additional 52,506 shares during the period. S.A. Mason LLC boosted its position in Apple by 0.8% during the third quarter. S.A. Mason LLC now owns 21,740 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $5,536,000 after purchasing an additional 173 shares during the period. Finally, West Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Apple by 1.7% in the third quarter. West Financial Advisors LLC now owns 18,498 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $4,710,000 after purchasing an additional 304 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Apple Trading Down 0.3%

AAPL stock opened at $273.00 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $4.03 trillion, a PE ratio of 36.55, a P/E/G ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.86. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $272.98 and its 200 day moving average is $243.39. Apple Inc. has a 12 month low of $169.21 and a 12 month high of $288.62.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The iPhone maker reported $1.85 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.74 by $0.11. Apple had a net margin of 26.92% and a return on equity of 164.05%. The business had revenue of $102.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $101.65 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.64 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 7.28 EPS for the current year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 10th were given a dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 10th. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 13.92%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on AAPL. Barclays upped their target price on Apple from $180.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Apple from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Monday. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of Apple from $275.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. Finally, HSBC set a $220.00 target price on shares of Apple and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, September 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Apple has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $283.92.

Key Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and bull case: multiple firms lifted targets and reiterations point to upside from iPhone strength, services growth and potential AI monetization in 2026 — some price targets sit well above the current price, supporting a constructive view. Why Apple Might Attract More of an AI Multiple in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Buybacks & revenue outlook: Apple’s large 2025 buyback program and guidance point to improving EPS and a return to stronger revenue growth into fiscal 2026, which supports valuation and long‑term upside. Apple Is Likely to Return to Double-Digit Revenue Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Options & range trading: Traders note AAPL has been rangebound; some market participants are generating income via selling out‑of‑the‑money puts (a neutral/constructive tactical trade if you expect limited near‑term downside). Shorting Puts Is The Best Play
• Neutral Sentiment: AI rotation theme: Market commentary highlights a shift from AI infrastructure to application‑layer winners; Apple is positioned as a distribution‑first player but is viewed as a later AI monetizer rather than an early infrastructure spender. The Application-Layer Rotation
• Negative Sentiment: Siri/AI execution concerns: Reporting says Apple missed a planned Siri generative‑AI update and faces perceptions of lagging rivals — this heightens investor worry that Apple must deliver compelling AI features to drive upgrades and multiple expansion. Apple needs to deliver an AI-charged Siri
• Negative Sentiment: Cautionary research and insider/large‑holder selling: Critical takes argue limited near‑term growth, and reporting shows significant sales by insiders and reductions by Berkshire/Buffett — both can weigh on sentiment and create selling pressure. The 76-Year-Old Reason Why Buffett Has Been Selling Apple & QuiverQuant insider/flow summary
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish/valuation concerns: Some articles warn limited upside near term and urge caution on growth expectations given heavy competition in AI and elevated multiples. Apple: Don’t Expect Much Growth Here

Insider Activity at Apple

In other Apple news, CFO Kevan Parekh sold 4,199 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $247.39, for a total value of $1,038,790.61. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 8,765 shares in the company, valued at $2,168,373.35. This represents a 32.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Chris Kondo sold 3,752 shares of Apple stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.23, for a total transaction of $1,017,654.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 15,098 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,095,030.54. This represents a 19.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 228,052 shares of company stock valued at $58,604,588 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Apple Company 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.