QRG Capital Management Inc. Sells 804,765 Shares of Apple Inc. $AAPL

QRG Capital Management Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 29.1% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,961,437 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 804,765 shares during the period. Apple comprises 6.1% of QRG Capital Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding. QRG Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Apple were worth $499,441,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC grew its position in Apple by 1,800.0% during the first quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 180 shares during the period. Nexus Investment Management ULC grew its holdings in shares of Apple by 333.3% in the 2nd quarter. Nexus Investment Management ULC now owns 260 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management purchased a new position in Apple in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $65,000. Morgan Dempsey Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Apple by 41.0% during the second quarter. Morgan Dempsey Capital Management LLC now owns 430 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $88,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HFM Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Apple during the first quarter worth $99,000. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Reports that Apple is preparing a “game‑changer” iPhone—investors interpret new hardware cycles as a revenue/opportunity catalyst for iPhone upgrades. Apple is about to launch a ‘game-changer’ iPhone
• Positive Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein and other outlets have lifted targets/outperform calls (Bernstein raised its target toward ~$340), citing a strong iPhone 17 cycle and Apple Intelligence — analyst upgrades increase buy-side conviction. Apple Stock To Rise Despite Memory Chip Crunch, Says Top Analyst— Hints At ‘Bigger Story’ Unfolding In 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Evercore/other brokers reiterated Outperform/Buy ratings with elevated price targets (Evercore $330), reinforcing the analyst support behind the rally. Apple: Strong Fundamentals and AI Roadmap Underpin Outperform Rating and $330 Target
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate fundamentals showing strength — reports note rising free cash flow margins and continued buybacks/dividend distribution (quarterly $0.26 payment), which support valuation and shareholder returns. Apple’s FCF Margins Surge and Its Target Value Rises – What’s the Best AAPL Stock Play?
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional buying: Fisher Asset Management increased its stake, a vote of confidence from a large manager. Fisher Asset Management Boosts Apple Stake by 704,293 Shares
• Neutral Sentiment: UK regulator engagement: Apple and Google agreed on app‑store changes to appease the UK regulator — reduces regulatory overhang but may require concessions. Apple and Google agree app store changes to appease UK regulator
• Neutral Sentiment: Bernstein and others flag a global memory‑chip crunch — a potential cost/headwind — but say upcoming product/AI catalysts could outweigh the supply‑side pressure. Apple Stock To Rise Despite Memory Chip Crunch, Says Top Analyst— Hints At ‘Bigger Story’ Unfolding In 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Software rollout issues: reports say the new Siri/iOS 26.5 features are not reliably functional in early tests — product software snags can dent user experience and slow feature monetization. Apple’s latest attempt to launch new Siri runs into snags
• Negative Sentiment: Morningstar Investment Management trimmed its Apple position sharply — a large manager reducing exposure can add downward pressure or signal profit‑taking. Morningstar Investment Management Cuts Apple Inc Position Sharply

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Maxim Group raised Apple from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, January 30th. DZ Bank raised shares of Apple from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and set a $315.00 target price (up from $305.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $325.00 price target on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $325.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, January 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $292.13.

Apple Stock Up 0.7%

AAPL stock opened at $275.50 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $267.46 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $255.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 0.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.04 trillion, a P/E ratio of 34.83, a PEG ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 1.09. Apple Inc. has a one year low of $169.21 and a one year high of $288.62.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The iPhone maker reported $2.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.67 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $143.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $138.25 billion. Apple had a return on equity of 159.94% and a net margin of 27.04%.The business’s revenue was up 15.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.40 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 7.28 EPS for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 12th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 9th will be issued a $0.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 9th. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. Apple’s payout ratio is 13.15%.

About Apple

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.