Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Shares Unloaded Rep. Mark Alford

Representative Mark Alford (Republican-Missouri) recently sold shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). In a filing disclosed on March 31st, the Representative disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in Apple stock on March 16th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “PUTNAM INVESTMENTS” account.

Representative Mark Alford also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.B) on 3/16/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of AT&T (NYSE:T) on 3/16/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) on 3/16/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of SPDR S&P 500 Buyback ETF (NYSEARCA:SPYB) on 3/16/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) on 3/16/2026.

Apple Price Performance

Shares of AAPL opened at $255.92 on Friday. Apple Inc. has a 1-year low of $169.21 and a 1-year high of $288.62. The stock has a market cap of $3.76 trillion, a PE ratio of 32.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.94. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $260.51 and a 200 day moving average price of $263.08.

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

Apple Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 12th. Investors of record on Monday, February 9th were paid a dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 9th. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.15%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC raised its holdings in Apple by 110.9% during the third quarter. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC now owns 135 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new stake in Apple in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC boosted its holdings in Apple by 1,800.0% in the 1st quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. Timmons Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Apple during the 4th quarter worth approximately $69,000. Finally, LSV Asset Management acquired a new position in Apple during the 4th quarter worth approximately $65,000. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on AAPL. Scotiabank set a $330.00 target price on Apple in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. KGI Securities upgraded Apple to an “outperform” rating and set a $306.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Barclays increased their price objective on Apple from $239.00 to $248.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Rosenblatt Securities raised their target price on shares of Apple from $267.00 to $268.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $330.00 target price on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, March 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $297.58.

Apple News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple announced a $400M expansion to its U.S. manufacturing program through 2030, aimed at onshoring critical components and strengthening supply-chain resilience — a potential boost to margins and political goodwill. Apple Inc. (AAPL) expands US manufacturing program with $400M investment
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America/BofA coverage kept a Buy rating and a $320 price target, citing accelerating services growth and on‑device AI upside — a supportive analyst note for the stock’s premium multiple. Apple: Accelerating Services Growth and On‑Device AI Upside Support Premium Valuation and Buy Rating
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlights a strategic pivot in Apple’s AI approach that could be constructive long term — the market is parsing whether the move accelerates monetization of on‑device AI and services revenue. Apple’s AI Strategy Is Pivoting. Here’s Why That Could Be Great News for the Stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: New trading products (prediction markets) are now offering contracts tied to Apple share prices via Pyth price feeds — more retail/derivative activity but no direct company impact. Polymarket expands into equities and commodities with Pyth price feeds
• Neutral Sentiment: 50th‑anniversary coverage and product rumors (e.g., iPhone design leaks, archive stories) are keeping investor sentiment alive but are background noise versus hard financial drivers. Apple’s 50-year journey from garage to tech titan
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Amazon is in talks to acquire Globalstar (Apple’s satellite supplier for Emergency SOS/messaging) raise execution and competitive risks for Apple’s satellite features if supplier control shifts. That creates uncertainty around a small but strategic connectivity capability. Amazon Lines Up Deal to Rival SpaceX’s Starlink: Report. Why Apple Could Be a Problem.
• Negative Sentiment: Geopolitical headlines — Iran’s IRGC has named U.S. tech firms including Apple as potential targets — add short‑term operational and sentiment risk, which can weigh on shares in risk-off episodes. Iran threatens Nvidia, Apple and other tech giants with attack
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and positioning worries persist: commentators flag AAPL’s premium P/E and the Magnificent Seven’s underperformance this year; large funds (e.g., a D.E. Shaw trim) have reduced exposure — pressure points for the stock during market rotations. Is Apple Stock Overvalued Or Undervalued? Apple Inc. (AAPL): D. E. Shaw Trims Holding

About Representative Alford

Mark Alford (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Missouri’s 4th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2023. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Alford (Republican Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Missouri’s 4th Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.

Mark Alford graduated from Baytown Sterling High School in 1982. Alford’s career experience includes working as a team lead and realtor with ReeceNichols Real Estate and the team lead manager with VortexKC/Chartwell.

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.