Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Purchased by Bill Few Associates Inc.

Bill Few Associates Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 3.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 92,477 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,327 shares during the quarter. Apple comprises 6.2% of Bill Few Associates Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest holding. Bill Few Associates Inc.’s holdings in Apple were worth $25,141,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC raised its holdings in Apple by 110.9% in the 3rd quarter. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC now owns 135 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the period. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC boosted its holdings in Apple by 1,800.0% during the first quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 180 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management bought a new stake in Apple during the fourth quarter valued at about $65,000. HFM Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Apple in the first quarter valued at about $99,000. Finally, Miller Global Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Apple in the fourth quarter worth about $127,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AAPL has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Scotiabank set a $330.00 price objective on Apple in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $325.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Wedbush reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $350.00 price target on shares of Apple in a report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Apple from $315.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $270.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, January 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Apple has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $297.58.

Apple Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of AAPL opened at $246.63 on Tuesday. Apple Inc. has a 12-month low of $169.21 and a 12-month high of $288.62. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.62 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.18, a P/E/G ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.10. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $260.06 and its 200 day moving average price is $263.04.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The iPhone maker reported $2.84 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $138.25 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.40 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 15.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

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

Apple News Roundup

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.