Apple Inc. $AAPL Holdings Trimmed by Welch Group LLC

Welch Group LLC lowered its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 0.6% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 375,861 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 2,238 shares during the period. Apple comprises approximately 3.9% of Welch Group LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its largest position. Welch Group LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $102,182,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Apple by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,400,790,809 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $311,157,662,000 after acquiring an additional 5,005,297 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Apple by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 601,249,995 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $123,358,461,000 after purchasing an additional 5,224,229 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Apple by 1.4% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 354,749,794 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $72,506,336,000 after purchasing an additional 4,942,638 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Apple in the second quarter worth approximately $38,942,255,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its position in Apple by 13.3% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 171,385,531 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $42,918,365,000 after purchasing an additional 20,079,472 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Apple Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of AAPL opened at $292.68 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. The stock has a market cap of $4.30 trillion, a PE ratio of 35.39, a PEG ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.06. Apple Inc. has a 1 year low of $193.46 and a 1 year high of $294.76. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $262.63 and a 200-day simple moving average of $266.47.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.95 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $111.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.46 billion. Apple had a return on equity of 146.69% and a net margin of 27.15%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.65 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.27 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 11th. This is a boost from Apple’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.58%.

Insider Activity at Apple

In other news, SVP Deirdre O’brien sold 30,002 shares of Apple stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $255.35, for a total value of $7,661,010.70. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 136,810 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $34,934,433.50. This trade represents a 17.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Kevan Parekh sold 1,534 shares of Apple stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $275.00, for a total value of $421,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 13,366 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,675,650. The trade was a 10.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 96,485 shares of company stock valued at $24,594,845 over the last ninety days. 0.06% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple’s latest earnings call hinted at a more aggressive growth strategy, which could signal faster investment in new products, services, and AI-driven opportunities. Did Apple Just Drop a Big Hint About Its Future Growth Strategy?
• Positive Sentiment: Apple is rolling out end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging for iPhone and Android users in iOS 26.5, a consumer-friendly update that strengthens the ecosystem and could improve user loyalty. Apple And Google Finally Close SMS Security Gap As iOS 26.5 Brings End-To-End Encrypted RCS Messaging For Android And iPhone Conversations
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street remains constructive, with analysts citing Apple’s supply-chain strength and potential AI services upside, reinforcing the bull case for continued earnings and margin expansion. Apple (AAPL) Gains Wall Street Confidence on Supply Chain Strength and AI Services Potential
• Positive Sentiment: Apple raised the price of the Mac mini as AI-related demand created back orders, suggesting stronger demand for higher-end Mac products and potential pricing power. Apple Raises Mac Mini Price As AI Demand Drives 3-Month Back Orders
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple reports framed Apple as a beneficiary of the growing AI cycle, with rising R&D spending and upcoming WWDC likely to keep investors focused on product and platform catalysts. Apple’s Higher R&D Signals Deeper AI Push And Investor Reassessment
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple was also featured in broader industry reports on mobile gaming and autonomous vehicles, which highlight the company’s platform reach but do not point to an immediate fundamental catalyst. Video Games Strategic Intelligence Report 2026: A $352 Billion Market by 2030 with Mobile Gaming Accounting for More Than Half of Revenue – Apple, Alphabet, and Valve Control Key Distribution Channels
• Negative Sentiment: Some headlines could temper enthusiasm, including reports of a board veteran selling $71 million in Apple shares, which may be seen as insider caution even after strong results. Apple Director Sells $71 Million in Shares
• Negative Sentiment: One report said Apple’s next Vision Pro headset is years away, suggesting the mixed-reality product line may not contribute meaningfully to near-term growth. Apple’s Next Vision Pro Headset Is Reportedly Years Away

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Moffett Nathanson increased their target price on shares of Apple from $241.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $325.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. KeyCorp reiterated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $310.00 price objective (up from $300.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $330.00 target price on Apple in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $305.74.

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.