Seek First Inc. decreased its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) by 25.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 83,496 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 29,043 shares during the period. Apple comprises approximately 15.3% of Seek First Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 2nd largest holding. Seek First Inc.’s holdings in Apple were worth $24,160,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new stake in Apple in the 4th quarter valued at $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC lifted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 180 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management bought a new position in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter worth about $65,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter valued at about $69,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter valued at about $76,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company’s stock.
Apple Stock Up 2.6%
NASDAQ AAPL opened at $325.13 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $313.24 and its 200 day simple moving average is $289.18. Apple Inc. has a one year low of $225.95 and a one year high of $344.57. The firm has a market cap of $4.75 trillion, a PE ratio of 37.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.93.
Apple Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th were issued a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 10th. Apple’s payout ratio is currently 12.39%.
Key Stories Impacting Apple
Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:
- Positive Sentiment: John Ternus takes over with an encouraging product message: The longtime hardware engineering chief officially became CEO, while Tim Cook remains as executive chairman. Ternus reportedly told employees that a “huge” and “phenomenal” iPhone launch is coming next week, supporting expectations for strong product momentum and potential interest in a foldable iPhone. John Ternus hypes huge launch next week in first memo as Apple CEO
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism is providing additional support: Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating and a $380 price target, citing an opportunity for Apple to achieve “device dominance” in the AI era. Rosenblatt also raised its target to $303, though it maintained a Neutral rating, underscoring the mixed outlook at current prices. Bank of America sees device dominance ahead
- Positive Sentiment: Services and Mac demand remain potential growth catalysts: Apple’s price increases for Apple TV and Apple One highlight ecosystem pricing power and could lift high-margin services revenue. Separately, reported shortages of high-memory Mac mini and Mac Studio models suggest developers and businesses may be using Apple Silicon for local AI workloads. Cook out, Silicon in: Will Ternus trigger Apple’s edge AI boom?
- Neutral Sentiment: Continuity may reduce transition risk: Cook’s $47 million compensation package as executive chair signals that he will remain influential, including on government and strategic matters. However, Ternus must establish authority while succeeding a CEO whose tenure produced extraordinary shareholder returns. Tim Cook to be paid $47 million as Apple’s executive chair
- Negative Sentiment: Key risks remain concentrated in AI, costs and valuation: Apple is still viewed as behind rivals in AI and faces pressure to improve Siri. Memory shortages could weigh on hardware margins, while shares trade near record levels at roughly 37 times earnings. Apple also faces an escalating trade-secret lawsuit with OpenAI, which has called the claims baseless. Apple enters John Ternus era as AI challenges and memory crunch intensify
Insider Transactions at Apple
In related news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total transaction of $34,236.24. Following the transaction, the insider owned 38,713 shares in the company, valued at $11,425,754.82. This represents a 0.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.95, for a total transaction of $447,457.05. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 37,229 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,576,357.55. This represents a 3.72% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 4,433 shares of company stock valued at $1,367,024 over the last ninety days. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several research firms recently issued reports on AAPL. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Apple from a “buy” rating to an “underperform” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $285.56 to $263.66 in a report on Monday, August 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $365.00 target price on Apple in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and set a $350.00 target price (up from $310.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, July 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $330.61.
View Our Latest Analysis on Apple
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.
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