Apple Inc. $AAPL Holdings Lessened by First Merchants Corp

First Merchants Corp lowered its stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 206,737 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 7,989 shares during the period. Apple makes up approximately 2.0% of First Merchants Corp’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest position. First Merchants Corp’s holdings in Apple were worth $52,641,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AAPL. First National Bank of Hutchinson raised its position in Apple by 24.6% in the 4th quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 35,319 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $8,845,000 after purchasing an additional 6,982 shares during the period. Eagle Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Apple by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC now owns 54,085 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $13,544,000 after buying an additional 272 shares during the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in shares of Apple by 14.8% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 537,314 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $134,554,000 after buying an additional 69,207 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Apple by 4.2% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 66,857 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $16,742,000 after buying an additional 2,695 shares during the period. Finally, Highview Capital Management LLC DE lifted its stake in shares of 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 during the last quarter. 67.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Apple Trading Up 3.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $255.41 on Tuesday. Apple Inc. has a 12-month low of $169.21 and a 12-month high of $288.62. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $269.21 and its 200-day simple moving average is $250.65. The company has a market capitalization of $3.75 trillion, a PE ratio of 34.19, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The iPhone maker reported $1.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.74 by $0.11. Apple had a return on equity of 164.05% and a net margin of 26.92%.The firm had revenue of $102.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $101.65 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.64 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 10th were issued a $0.26 dividend. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 10th. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.92%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on AAPL shares. DZ Bank upgraded Apple from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Rosenblatt Securities upped their price target on shares of Apple from $241.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. Stephens set a $315.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a report on Monday. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $315.00 target price (down from $330.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $282.80.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Chris Kondo sold 3,752 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.23, for a total transaction of $1,017,654.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 15,098 shares in the company, valued at $4,095,030.54. The trade was a 19.90% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its AAPL price target to $315 and highlighted strong iPhone demand ahead of earnings, providing a clear upside case that traders are reacting to. Apple gets price target boost from JPMorgan ahead of earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs reiterated a Buy and urged investors to “buy the dip,” signaling conviction from a major bank and supporting near-term demand. Goldman Sticks With Apple (AAPL) Buy Rating Despite Early-2026 Weakness
• Positive Sentiment: Reports show Apple is gaining iPhone market share in India and saw strong 2025 India sales—this geographic growth is being cited as a reason for optimism into the upcoming quarter. Why Shares of Apple Are Rising Today
• Positive Sentiment: Small product/monetization moves (new AirTag announcement and expanded App Store ad opportunities for developers in March) add incremental upside to the hardware and Services mix. Apple Stock Bounces: What’s Driving The Buying Interest? Apple’s Expanded Ad Opportunities For Developers Coming in March
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming catalysts (Apple Q1 earnings on Jan. 29 and this week’s Fed decision) are concentrating flows and option activity—investors are positioning rather than making large directional bets until the prints. Apple Vs Microsoft: Which is the Best Tech Investment as Quarterly Results Approach?
• Neutral Sentiment: MarketBeat’s deep dive on the Pelosi filings frames recent Pelosi activity as a strategic roll into LEAPS and diversification into energy/finance—this can be read as constructive for mega-cap exposure over the medium term. Pelosi’s Bullish 2026 Buy List: AI, Power & Dividends
• Negative Sentiment: Disclosure filings show roughly $50M in direct Apple share sales from the Pelosi-related portfolio (paired with LEAPS purchases); large headline sales can pressure sentiment short term even if followed by option-based re-exposure. Pelosi’s $69M Trade Filing Shows Apple Trim and Fresh Megacap Call Bets
• Negative Sentiment: Some investors and analysts remain cautious—KeyBanc flagged conservatism ahead of Q1 results, and retail flows have shown outflows into other growth names, which could limit upside if earnings disappoint. KeyBanc Remains Cautious on Apple Stock (AAPL) Ahead of Q1 Earnings Retail Investors Dump Apple Stock While Nvidia, Tesla See Massive Inflows

Apple 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.