First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. Grows Stock Position in Apple Inc. $AAPL

First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. lifted its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 642,083 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after purchasing an additional 20,256 shares during the quarter. Apple comprises 2.9% of First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.’s holdings, making the stock its 5th biggest position. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.’s holdings in Apple were worth $163,494,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of AAPL. American Alpha Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Apple by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. American Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 1,151 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $293,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the period. Capstone Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Apple by 0.5% in the third quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,537 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $2,174,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Baker Boyer National Bank boosted its position in shares of Apple by 0.3% during the second quarter. Baker Boyer National Bank now owns 18,011 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $3,695,000 after buying an additional 47 shares during the period. Beddow Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Apple by 1.8% during the second quarter. Beddow Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,597 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $533,000 after buying an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Uncommon Cents Investing LLC raised its position in Apple by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Uncommon Cents Investing LLC now owns 10,609 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $2,701,000 after buying an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AAPL has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $315.00 price target (down previously from $330.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, January 30th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Stephens set a $315.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research report on Monday, January 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Apple presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $292.13.

More Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Supreme Court ruling likely lowers Apple’s tariff burden and near-term cost exposure — the decision to strike down broad tariffs reduces the company’s past and potential future tariff bills, easing supply-chain costs and improving margins. How the Supreme Court’s decision affects Apple and its $3.3 billion tariff bill
• Positive Sentiment: AI-led market rebound benefits Apple sentiment — coverage notes Apple alongside Nvidia as part of an AI recovery that has lifted tech stocks, supporting investor enthusiasm around Apple’s expanding AI initiatives and device roadmap. This Week’s Market Wrap: AI-Led Volatility, Inflation, And Late-Cycle Risk Signals
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish analyst stance — Wedbush and other bulls urge staying invested, arguing the pullback is overdone and 2026 could be a breakout year for Apple’s AI push, supporting demand for the shares. Ignore the Panic and Keep Buying Apple Stock, According to Wedbush
• Positive Sentiment: New distribution deals expand Apple TV reach — a Reuters report on Apple TV partnering with EverPass to carry live sports into bars/hotels incrementally supports services revenue and content monetization. Apple TV partners with EverPass Media
• Neutral Sentiment: Product/AI feature developments continue — Apple and Google adding music-focused generative-AI features signals steady product evolution but not an immediate revenue inflection. Google Gemini, Apple add music-focused generative AI features
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry supply dynamics — rising DRAM/chip prices are pressuring some hardware players, but coverage flags Apple as a relative bright spot; impact on Apple margins is mixed and dependent on component pass-through. Soaring DRAM Prices Shake Hardware Stocks, but Apple and Arista Remain Bright Spots
• Negative Sentiment: High-profile legal risk — West Virginia sued Apple alleging iCloud facilitated distribution of child sexual abuse material; this raises regulatory, reputational, and potential compliance costs that investors view as a meaningful overhang. Apple Sued Over Allegations of CSAM on iCloud
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional trimming signals caution — reports that Berkshire Hathaway/Warren Buffett and other funds reduced Apple stakes have raised questions about top-holder conviction and added selling pressure. Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett Trims Massive Apple Stake
• Negative Sentiment: Downgrade/concern narratives — some analysts and commentary cite margin pressure and a perceived lack of innovation, which can lengthen any correction if earnings guidance or product cadence disappoints. Apple: Margin Pressure And Lack Of Innovation (Rating Downgrade)

Apple Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of AAPL stock opened at $264.58 on Monday. Apple Inc. has a 52-week low of $169.21 and a 52-week high of $288.62. The stock has a market cap of $3.88 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.45, a PEG ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.09. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $265.00 and its 200-day moving average is $258.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 0.97.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The iPhone maker reported $2.84 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.67 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $143.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $138.25 billion. Apple had a return on equity of 159.94% and a net margin of 27.04%.Apple’s quarterly revenue was up 15.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.40 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 7.28 EPS for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 12th. Investors of record on Monday, February 9th were issued a dividend of $0.26 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 9th. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Apple’s payout ratio is presently 13.15%.

About Apple

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.