3,399 Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Bought by Strong Retirement Solutions LLC

Strong Retirement Solutions LLC raised its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 22.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 18,693 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,399 shares during the quarter. Apple makes up 3.4% of Strong Retirement Solutions LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest holding. Strong Retirement Solutions LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $5,996,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Avenir Tech Ltd bought a new position in shares of Apple in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC bought a new stake in Apple during the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new stake in Apple during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Apple by 822.7% during the second quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 292,493 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $85,000 after buying an additional 260,792 shares during the period. Finally, Basso Capital Management L.P. purchased a new stake in Apple during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $88,000. 67.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AAPL has been the topic of several recent research reports. HSBC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $366.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $270.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Apple in a research report on Monday, August 17th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, China Renaissance lowered Apple from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $329.00 to $280.00 in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have given a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Apple currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $340.39.

Apple Trading Up 0.5%

Apple stock opened at $342.96 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $5.01 trillion, a P/E ratio of 39.33, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.93. Apple Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.42 and a 1 year high of $348.15. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $324.64 and its 200-day moving average price is $305.24.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $109.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.04 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.57 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th were issued a $0.27 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 10th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.39%.

Apple News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple’s $299 HomeView smart-home hub, along with new cameras, a doorbell, smart lock, thermostat and updated Apple TV and HomePod products, gives the company new hardware and ecosystem expansion opportunities. Analysts also see potential for recurring iCloud+ and other Services revenue. Apple releases HomeView smart home hub with screen as showcase for Siri AI
• Positive Sentiment: Apple reportedly plans to launch Apple Intelligence in mainland China in December, potentially improving access to AI features in a strategically important market. Apple to Release AI Platform in Mainland China
• Positive Sentiment: Apple benefited from news that GlobalFoundries will build two New York fabs with up to $21 billion in U.S.-Japan funding. Apple is expected to source chips from the expanded domestic capacity, supporting supply-chain diversification. GlobalFoundries Secures $21B for New York Fabs
• Positive Sentiment: Investor optimism was reinforced by Apple’s market value reclaiming the $5 trillion milestone, while analyst Dan Ives suggested a stronger AI strategy could support a $400 price target. Apple reaches new highs ahead of iPhone Duo preorders
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple’s iPhone Duo preorders begin October 16. Strong demand could provide a near-term catalyst, but reports of shorter iPhone 18 Pro delivery windows and reduced supplier production have raised questions about demand.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts estimate that a paid, more capable Siri could eventually generate substantial Services revenue, but Apple has not announced pricing or a launch date for expanded AI access.
• Negative Sentiment: OpenAI alleges that a former employee who joined Apple transferred more than 100 confidential files concerning an unreleased device. The case could create legal, reputational and product-development risks, although there is no indication Apple used the information. OpenAI alleges former employee took device files to Apple
• Negative Sentiment: Gene Munster warned Apple could lose the AI platform battle if users become loyal to rival assistants such as Meta’s Muse or Grok. Critics also questioned whether HomeView meaningfully addresses Apple’s AI shortcomings.
• Negative Sentiment: With Apple trading near record levels at a rich valuation, investors are concerned that slower growth, margin pressure and uncertain iPhone demand may limit further upside.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Apple news, insider Timothy Cook sold 191,753 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.96, for a total transaction of $63,846,078.88. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 3,264,168 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,086,837,377.28. The trade was a 5.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 2,399 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $336.18, for a total value of $806,495.82. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 41,992 shares in the company, valued at $14,116,870.56. The trade was a 5.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 279,383 shares of company stock worth $92,912,517. Insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

About Apple

Apple Inc is a technology company that designs, develops and markets consumer electronics, software and digital services. Its best-known products include the iPhone smartphone, Mac personal computers, iPad tablets, Apple Watch, AirPods and other accessories. The company also develops operating systems and software platforms, including iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS and visionOS.

Apple’s services business includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+ and iCloud.