Index Fund Advisors Inc. Raises Position in Apple Inc. $AAPL

Index Fund Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 55.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 23,870 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,515 shares during the period. Apple makes up approximately 0.3% of Index Fund Advisors Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest position. Index Fund Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Apple were worth $6,078,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Apple by 1.1% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,415,932,804 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $290,506,933,000 after acquiring an additional 15,141,995 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in Apple by 0.9% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 601,249,995 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $123,358,461,000 after acquiring an additional 5,224,229 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Apple by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 354,749,794 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $72,506,336,000 after purchasing an additional 4,942,638 shares in the last quarter. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC grew its stake in shares of Apple by 573,627.2% during the 2nd quarter. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC now owns 205,692,660 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $39,065,374,000 after purchasing an additional 205,656,808 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Apple during the 2nd quarter worth $38,942,255,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. Melius Research set a $345.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, October 31st. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $315.00 price target (up previously from $305.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Bank of America upped their price target on Apple from $270.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $282.80.

Apple Stock Up 3.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $255.41 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. The company has a market capitalization of $3.75 trillion, a P/E ratio of 34.19, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.09. Apple Inc. has a 52-week low of $169.21 and a 52-week high of $288.62. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $269.21 and its 200-day simple moving average is $250.65.

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

Apple Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Apple news, insider Chris Kondo sold 3,752 shares of Apple stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.23, for a total value of $1,017,654.96. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 15,098 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,095,030.54. The trade was a 19.90% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Apple

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.