Avanza Fonder AB Sells 476,426 Shares of Apple Inc. $AAPL

Avanza Fonder AB lowered its position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 31.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,019,368 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 476,426 shares during the quarter. Apple accounts for 7.1% of Avanza Fonder AB’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest holding. Avanza Fonder AB’s holdings in Apple were worth $277,125,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in AAPL. Isthmus Partners LLC lifted its position in Apple by 6.4% in the third quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 97,177 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 5,808 shares during the period. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC increased its position in Apple by 110.9% during the 3rd quarter. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC now owns 135 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC raised its stake in shares of Apple by 1,800.0% during the 1st quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management purchased a new position in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter worth approximately $65,000. Finally, 49 Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Apple by 15.7% in the 3rd quarter. 49 Wealth Management LLC now owns 298,920 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $76,000 after buying an additional 40,543 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Apple Stock Performance

Shares of AAPL stock opened at $246.63 on Tuesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $260.06 and a 200 day moving average price of $263.04. The stock has a market cap of $3.62 trillion, a PE ratio of 31.18, a P/E/G ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.10. Apple Inc. has a 1 year low of $169.21 and a 1 year high of $288.62. 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 earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The iPhone maker reported $2.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 in the prior year, the company earned $2.40 earnings per share. Apple’s revenue was up 15.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Apple Inc. will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the company. Stephens set a $315.00 price target on Apple in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Oppenheimer reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, January 30th. KGI Securities raised Apple to an “outperform” rating and set a $306.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday, January 30th. Moffett Nathanson upped their price target on shares of Apple from $241.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, January 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $297.58.

Apple News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: iPhone demand in China remains robust, with Apple taking share as some Android rivals face pricing and inventory pressure — a direct revenue/cycle tailwind for AAPL. iPhone Demand Holds Strong in China
• Positive Sentiment: Wedbush and other outlets see WWDC/June events as potential catalysts; Wedbush reiterated Outperform ratings that support the view of near-term upside if new software/hardware impress. Wedbush: This June Will Be a Huge Month for Apple
• Positive Sentiment: Apple is staffing up for AI and plans a more capable Siri/standalone app and App Store–centric AI approach — moves that could bolster services revenue and device differentiation over time. Hiring of Google’s Lilian Rincon to lead AI marketing signals commitment. Apple Recruits Google Shopping Exec to Lead AI Marketing
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple’s 50th-anniversary events and retrospective coverage boost brand momentum and PR but are unlikely to move fundamentals immediately. Apple Celebrates 50 Years
• Neutral Sentiment: Options and derivatives flows show traders positioning for a near-term inflection — volatility is elevated and could amplify moves in either direction. Apple Stock at a Crossroads: Options Traders
• Negative Sentiment: Tech sector weakness/market-wide selloff is pressuring AAPL along with peers — broader risk-off is the dominant near-term driver of today’s decline. Sector Update: Tech Stocks Fall
• Negative Sentiment: A UK fine was levied on an Apple subsidiary for breaching Russian sanctions — a modest financial hit but a reminder of geographies/regulatory risk. Apple subsidiary fined for breaching Russian sanctions
• Negative Sentiment: Negative takes and forecasts (including pieces predicting Apple underperformance vs. other mega-caps) are contributing to headline risk and investor caution. Prediction: Apple Will Be the Worst “Magnificent Seven” Stock

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.