Tufton Capital Management Has $27.01 Million Stake in Apple Inc. $AAPL

Tufton Capital Management trimmed its holdings in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 93,351 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 2,109 shares during the quarter. Apple makes up about 4.5% of Tufton Capital Management’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest holding. Tufton Capital Management’s holdings in Apple were worth $27,012,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. First National Bank of Hutchinson increased its position in Apple by 24.6% during the fourth quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 35,319 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $8,845,000 after acquiring an additional 6,982 shares during the last quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Apple by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC now owns 54,085 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $13,544,000 after acquiring an additional 272 shares in the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in Apple by 14.8% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 537,314 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $134,554,000 after acquiring an additional 69,207 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in Apple by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 66,857 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $16,742,000 after acquiring an additional 2,695 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Highview Capital Management LLC DE grew its holdings in Apple by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Highview Capital Management LLC DE now owns 50,264 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $12,587,000 after acquiring an additional 1,155 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Orderly CEO succession: Tim Cook is leaving the CEO role after 15 years but will remain Apple’s executive chairman. Cook strongly endorsed successor John Ternus, a longtime hardware leader, potentially reducing fears of an abrupt management break. Tim Cook’s parting message: Apple is in the hands of a product builder
• Positive Sentiment: Product catalysts ahead: Apple’s first major product event under Ternus is expected September 9, with reports pointing to new iPhones and a possible foldable model. Strong iPhone demand, potential iOS market-share gains and rising interest in Mac hardware for AI workloads could support future revenue. Apple Valuation Nears $5T as John Ternus Steps Up as New CEO
• Neutral Sentiment: Strong track record and support: Cook’s tenure produced substantial shareholder gains, while Apple’s latest quarter delivered revenue growth and an earnings beat. Analysts’ median price target remains above the current quotation, although the stock’s elevated valuation leaves less room for disappointment.
• Negative Sentiment: AI strategy concerns: Ternus inherits an artificial-intelligence strategy that relies heavily on outside partners, leaving Apple behind leading rivals in some areas. Investors will look for evidence that the new CEO can accelerate AI-powered Siri and on-device capabilities. Apple’s New CEO Inherits an AI Strategy Built on Outsiders
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and valuation risks: Commentators warn that App Store pressure, supply-chain challenges, potential memory-cost inflation and a trailing P/E near 37 make Apple vulnerable if the September launch disappoints. Apple TV+’s latest price increase could also slow subscriber growth. Apple Is Facing One of Its Most Challenging Times in a Decade

Apple Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AAPL traded down $6.07 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $313.63. 15,356,139 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 49,963,801. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $312.24 and a 200-day simple moving average of $288.52. Apple Inc. has a 1-year low of $225.95 and a 1-year high of $344.57. The firm has a market cap of $4.58 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.09.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.04 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.57 earnings per share. Apple’s revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Announces Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at Apple

In other news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of Apple stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total value of $34,236.24. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,425,754.82. The trade was a 0.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.95, for a total value of $447,457.05. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 37,229 shares in the company, valued at $11,576,357.55. This trade represents a 3.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 4,433 shares of company stock valued at $1,367,024. Insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on AAPL. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $270.00 price target on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on shares of Apple from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and set a $365.00 price target (up from $315.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Monday, July 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $330.53.

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.