Apple Inc. $AAPL is Rossmore Private Capital’s 3rd Largest Position

Rossmore Private Capital grew its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 2.2% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 216,252 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after buying an additional 4,622 shares during the period. Apple accounts for about 5.1% of Rossmore Private Capital’s holdings, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding. Rossmore Private Capital’s holdings in Apple were worth $62,575,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Apple by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,426,283,914 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $387,749,545,000 after purchasing an additional 26,856,752 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Apple by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 604,056,505 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $164,218,801,000 after purchasing an additional 6,555,392 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Apple by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 358,032,517 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $97,031,587,000 after purchasing an additional 1,866,103 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley increased its holdings in shares of Apple by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 230,483,035 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $62,659,118,000 after purchasing an additional 1,379,651 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Apple in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $52,266,468,000. 67.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple introduced the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone, starting at $1,999. The device features a 7.6-inch unfolded display, a 5.4-inch outer screen and a redesigned hinge, creating a potential new high-margin product category and growth opportunity. Apple unveils iPhone Duo
• Positive Sentiment: The iPhone 18 Pro lineup adds a 2-nanometer A20 Pro chip, camera improvements, longer battery life and upgraded Siri AI features. These upgrades could support premium pricing and strengthen Apple’s artificial-intelligence strategy. Apple iPhone 18 Pro launched
• Positive Sentiment: Apple also launched AirPods 5, Apple Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4, adding improved noise cancellation, health tracking and Apple Intelligence features. The broad hardware release may support ecosystem engagement and services revenue. Apple introduces AirPods 5
• Neutral Sentiment: New CEO John Ternus used his first keynote to emphasize that the iPhone remains Apple’s core platform, signaling continuity with the company’s established strategy while adding foldable hardware and AI capabilities. Apple’s new CEO is reviving a Steve Jobs strategy
• Neutral Sentiment: Early reviews of the iPhone Duo were generally intrigued, but demand, production capacity and customer acceptance remain unproven. Analysts estimate the foldable could generate substantial revenue if Apple can avoid supply constraints. iPhone Duo first impressions review
• Negative Sentiment: Apple raised iPhone 18 Pro pricing by $100 and increased prices on older iPhone models. While higher prices could protect revenue and margins, they may limit unit demand, particularly as consumers face elevated component and memory costs. Apple raises prices on older iPhones
• Negative Sentiment: Huawei launched its Mate XT2 tri-fold smartphone ahead of Apple’s event, highlighting intense competition in foldables. Investors must also monitor manufacturing complexity, elevated inventory and the risk that the highly anticipated launch becomes a sell-the-news event. Huawei launches Mate XT2

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on AAPL. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $270.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. TD Cowen lifted their price target on Apple from $350.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $400.00 price objective on shares of Apple and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Needham & Company LLC restated a “hold” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday, August 17th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $331.53.

Apple Trading Down 0.3%

AAPL opened at $315.34 on Thursday. Apple Inc. has a 52 week low of $225.95 and a 52 week high of $344.57. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $317.37 and a 200-day simple moving average of $291.73. The firm has a market cap of $4.60 trillion, a P/E ratio of 36.16, a P/E/G ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.13. Apple had a return on equity of 135.46% and a net margin of 27.62%.The firm had revenue of $109.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.57 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th were given a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 10th. Apple’s payout ratio is currently 12.39%.

Insider Transactions at Apple

In related news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares of Apple stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $317.01, for a total value of $456,177.39. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 35,790 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,345,787.90. The trade was a 3.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the company’s 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 sale, the insider directly owned 38,713 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. The trade was a 0.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold 5,872 shares of company stock worth $1,823,201 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Apple Company Profile

Apple Inc is a technology company that designs, develops and markets consumer electronics, software and digital services. Its principal products include the iPhone, Mac computers, iPad tablets, Apple Watch, AirPods and other accessories. The company also develops operating systems and applications that support its hardware products.

Apple’s services business includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple News+, Apple Pay and iCloud. These services provide digital content, payments, cloud storage and subscription offerings across the company’s ecosystem of devices.

Founded in 1976, Apple is headquartered in Cupertino, California, and serves consumers, businesses, educational institutions and government customers worldwide.