Fortis Capital Management LLC Increases Stake in Apple Inc. $AAPL

Fortis Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 17.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 84,002 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after purchasing an additional 12,333 shares during the quarter. Apple makes up about 2.2% of Fortis Capital Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest holding. Fortis Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $21,319,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in AAPL. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new position in Apple in the 4th quarter worth about $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC raised its holdings in Apple by 1,800.0% in the 1st quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. LSV Asset Management bought a new position in Apple in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $65,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Apple during the 4th quarter worth approximately $69,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC bought a new stake in Apple during the 4th quarter worth approximately $76,000. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Apple Stock Performance

Shares of AAPL stock opened at $313.33 on Friday. Apple Inc. has a 12 month low of $219.25 and a 12 month high of $344.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.57 trillion, a PE ratio of 35.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 1.09. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $309.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $283.23. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.04 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The business’s revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.57 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.27 per share. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 10th. Apple’s payout ratio is currently 12.39%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of Apple from $350.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Phillip Securities lowered shares of Apple from a “hold” rating to a “moderate sell” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Bank of America reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities boosted their price objective on Apple from $276.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Apple currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $330.44.

Key Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Planned CEO transition appears orderly. Tim Cook will step down in September and be succeeded by longtime Apple executive John Ternus, a veteran with experience dating back to the Steve Jobs era. Cook’s endorsement and Ternus’ familiarity with Apple’s products may reduce concerns about strategic disruption. Tim Cook Says There’s ‘No Better Person’ to Take Over at Apple
• Positive Sentiment: Core business momentum remains strong. Apple’s latest quarter exceeded earnings and revenue expectations, with revenue up roughly 16% year over year. Broad iPhone, Mac and Services demand continues to support the bullish case. Tim Cook’s Last Quarter as CEO Was Apple’s Best June Quarter Ever
• Positive Sentiment: App Store monetization is holding up. App Store revenue increased slightly despite a 4% decline in iPhone and iPad downloads, as revenue per download rose 4.7%. This suggests continued pricing and engagement resilience in a key Services business. Apple App Store Revenue Ticks Up Despite Falling Downloads
• Neutral Sentiment: OpenAI is seeking dismissal of Apple’s trade-secrets lawsuit. OpenAI denies misappropriating confidential information related to Apple’s consumer-hardware efforts. The filing does not resolve the dispute, leaving legal and competitive uncertainty in place. OpenAI Seeks Dismissal of Apple’s Trade Secrets Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term cost and growth pressures are weighing on sentiment. Rising memory prices, supply constraints and policy risks could pressure margins, while slower Services growth has prompted some firms to downgrade Apple to Hold or Moderate Sell. Apple’s Capex Strategy Worked But Other Pressures Are Mounting
• Negative Sentiment: Competition in emerging hardware is increasing. Samsung reported a 30% rise in foldable-device preorders, highlighting a market Apple has yet to enter. Investors may view future Apple foldables as an opportunity, but execution and timing remain uncertain. Samsung Foldable Preorders Jump 30%

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of Apple stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total transaction of $34,236.24. Following the transaction, the insider owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,425,754.82. The trade was a 0.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

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.