Apple Inc. $AAPL Stock: Wedmont Private Capital Increases Stake

Wedmont Private Capital increased its position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 13.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 342,827 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after purchasing an additional 40,950 shares during the period. Apple accounts for 2.8% of Wedmont Private Capital’s portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest holding. Wedmont Private Capital’s holdings in Apple were worth $116,491,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Prospect Hill Management LLC bought a new stake in Apple in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $146,370,000. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of Apple during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $168,646,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Apple during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $482,388,000. Satovsky Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Apple during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $16,064,000. Finally, Saranac Partners Ltd bought a new position in shares of Apple during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $9,513,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO John Ternus sold 25,412 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $332.94, for a total transaction of $8,460,671.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 59,567 shares in the company, valued at $19,832,236.98. The trade was a 29.90% decrease in their position. The transaction 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, insider Ben Borders sold 1,280 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $345.40, for a total transaction of $442,112.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 38,288 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,224,675.20. This trade represents a 3.23% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 284,454 shares of company stock worth $94,662,594. Insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

More Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong iPhone Duo demand: Preorders for Apple’s $1,999 foldable iPhone reportedly sold out quickly, with delivery estimates extending into January 2027. The robust response supports near-term revenue expectations and strengthens the case for Apple’s foldable-device strategy. Apple’s iPhone Duo Demand Soars as Deliveries Stretch Into January 2027
• Positive Sentiment: New product event announced: Apple will host its “Pro and Tell” event on October 28. Analysts expect new Macs and potentially the company’s first touchscreen MacBook, which could provide a catalyst for Mac growth and investor sentiment. Apple announces product launch event for Oct. 28
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains favorable: Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating with a $370 price target, while JPMorgan maintained its Overweight rating and $360 target, citing healthy demand trends and longer-term AI potential. Apple Maintained at Buy With Unchanged $370 Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider transactions: CFO Kevan Parekh and insider Ben Borders sold shares to cover tax withholding related to vested equity awards. The sales modestly reduced their holdings but do not appear to represent discretionary bearish bets.
• Negative Sentiment: Demand concerns and valuation risk: A KeyBanc survey indicated weaker consumer intentions to upgrade iPhones over the next year, despite better early iPhone 18 interest. With AAPL trading near its 52-week high at a premium earnings multiple, disappointment in future iPhone growth could pressure the stock. Apple Stock Escaped the AI Downturn
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory pressure: UK regulators are reportedly preparing to push Apple to allow alternative default payment services on iPhones, potentially weakening Apple Pay’s ecosystem advantages and services revenue.

Apple Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of NASDAQ AAPL opened at $342.94 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.00 trillion, a PE ratio of 39.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 1.07. 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 Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.42 and a 12-month high of $348.15. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $326.53 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $307.21.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. Apple had a return on equity of 135.46% and a net margin of 27.62%. The firm had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.57 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently weighed in on AAPL. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Thursday, October 1st. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $303.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $370.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Apple in a research report on Monday, August 17th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, BTIG Research assumed coverage on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday, August 17th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have assigned a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $340.62.

About Apple

Apple Inc designs, develops and sells 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 applications that support its hardware ecosystem.

Apple’s services business includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade, iCloud, Apple Pay and other subscription, payment and digital-content offerings.