Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. raised its stake in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) by 1.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 289,193 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,115 shares during the period. Apple makes up 2.3% of Sumitomo Life Insurance Co.’s holdings, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co.’s holdings in Apple were worth $73,637,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in AAPL. Financial Futures Ltd Liability Co. grew its position in Apple by 13.2% in the 2nd quarter. Financial Futures Ltd Liability Co. now owns 3,552 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $729,000 after acquiring an additional 415 shares in the last quarter. Monarch Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Apple by 4.6% during the second quarter. Monarch Capital Management Inc. now owns 66,967 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $13,740,000 after purchasing an additional 2,920 shares in the last quarter. Riverwater Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Apple by 17.9% in the second quarter. Riverwater Partners LLC now owns 5,404 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $1,109,000 after purchasing an additional 819 shares during the period. Highland Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Apple by 2.2% in the third quarter. Highland Capital Management LLC now owns 397,834 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $101,301,000 after purchasing an additional 8,446 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI grew its holdings in shares of Apple by 48.4% in the third quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 1,426,605 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $363,256,000 after purchasing an additional 465,393 shares in the last quarter. 67.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Trending Headlines about Apple
Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:
- Positive Sentiment: India production milestone — Apple now manufactures roughly 25% of global iPhone volume (a ~53% YoY jump in India output), reducing China concentration, lowering tariff risk and improving supply‑chain optionality. That shift is being viewed as a meaningful operational tailwind. Apple’s India Production Grows As German Antitrust Risks Test Valuation
- Positive Sentiment: Expansion into lower‑priced hardware — New models (e.g., $599 MacBook Neo, broader push into lower‑priced phones/laptops) aim to grow ecosystem share and addressable market while preserving margins, which supports revenue diversification and upside potential. Apple’s Newest Phone and Laptop Are More Budget-Friendly. Premium Products Could Be Next
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst support despite cost headwinds — Several outlets note analysts remain constructive (some with high price targets) even as memory/DRAM costs create near‑term margin pressure; that helps underpin buy‑side interest. Apple Stock — Why Analysts Still Like It Despite A Memory Squeeze
- Neutral Sentiment: Supplier/industry moves — Bank of America’s bearish stance on Qualcomm (citing potential loss of Apple business) is pressuring chip suppliers; indirect for Apple — could be positive (more in‑house/alternate sourcing) or negative (component availability/costs). Qualcomm faces loss of Apple business, competitive pressures, says Bank of America
- Neutral Sentiment: Berkshire selling — Reports that Berkshire has trimmed Apple are spotlighting large shareholder rotation; this can increase volatility but does not change Apple’s fundamentals immediately. Warren Buffett Just Did Something He Almost Never Does — and It’s a Signal Retirees Shouldn’t Ignore
- Negative Sentiment: German antitrust pressure — German publishers and advertisers rejected Apple’s revised App Tracking Transparency changes and urged antitrust fines, increasing regulatory risk and potential penalties in Europe that could pressure ad‑related services and valuation multiples. German publishers reject Apple’s revised app tracking rules, urge antitrust fine
- Negative Sentiment: Product/AI delays — Reports that Siri/AI issues have delayed Apple’s smart home display suggest execution risk on new product categories and slower monetization of AI‑enabled hardware. Apple’s Siri Troubles Put Smart Home Display On Hold
Apple Stock Up 0.4%
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last released 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. Apple had a return on equity of 159.94% and a net margin of 27.04%.The business had revenue of $143.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $138.25 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.40 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 15.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 7.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Apple Announces Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 12th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 9th were paid a $0.26 dividend. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 9th. Apple’s dividend payout ratio is currently 13.15%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of research firms have issued reports on AAPL. KGI Securities upgraded shares of Apple to an “outperform” rating and set a $306.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, January 30th. Loop Capital reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 price objective (up from $315.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Maxim Group raised Apple from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Phillip Securities upgraded Apple from a “moderate sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, February 1st. Finally, Wedbush reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $350.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $297.58.
Read Our Latest Research Report on Apple
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.
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