Sanders Morris Harris LLC trimmed its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) by 57.1% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 57,601 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 76,558 shares during the period. Apple accounts for 9.7% of Sanders Morris Harris LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 3rd largest position. Sanders Morris Harris LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $16,668,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Lincoln Capital LLC grew its position in Apple by 0.5% during the second quarter. Lincoln Capital LLC now owns 56,302 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $16,292,000 after buying an additional 267 shares in the last quarter. Gainplan LLC increased its stake in Apple by 3.2% during the 2nd quarter. Gainplan LLC now owns 6,622 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $1,916,000 after acquiring an additional 205 shares during the period. Pioneer Wealth Management Group raised its holdings in Apple by 99.0% in the 2nd quarter. Pioneer Wealth Management Group now owns 13,348 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $3,862,000 after acquiring an additional 6,640 shares in the last quarter. Fermata Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Apple by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. Fermata Advisors LLC now owns 62,480 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $18,079,000 after acquiring an additional 1,089 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Citizens Financial Corp lifted its position in shares of Apple by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. First Citizens Financial Corp now owns 21,803 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $6,309,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares during the period. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Key Apple News
Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Apple is increasingly viewed as a defensive Big Tech holding because it relies less on massive AI infrastructure spending than peers. Analysts also describe the company as an underappreciated AI beneficiary, supporting demand for the stock during technology-sector volatility. Apple Holds Firm as Investors Seek Big Tech’s Defensive Outlier
- Positive Sentiment: Upcoming product catalysts—including a potential foldable iPhone, camera-equipped AI AirPods targeted for 2027, new Apple silicon and expanded Siri AI capabilities—could support a stronger product cycle. One analyst estimates foldable iPhone sales could reach 14 million units by 2027. Apple’s Foldable iPhone Opportunity
- Positive Sentiment: Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating ahead of incoming CEO John Ternus’s September 1 transition, while Redburn upgraded Apple. The bullish case centers on renewed innovation and stronger AI investment under new leadership. Apple Must Relearn How to Surprise Under New CEO Ternus
- Positive Sentiment: Apple and Samsung are gaining share in India as higher chip costs pressure lower-priced Chinese smartphone competitors, potentially improving Apple’s premium-market opportunity. Chip Squeeze Hits Chinese Smartphones in India
- Neutral Sentiment: Senior Vice President Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares for approximately $442,000, reducing her holdings by 3.59%. The transaction was disclosed in an SEC filing but is relatively small compared with her remaining stake.
- Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned that Apple has become predictable and dependent on incremental improvements. The CEO transition creates execution risk, with Ternus expected to decide whether to materially increase spending to compete in AI. Apple Has Gotten Too Predictable
- Negative Sentiment: Reports that App Store commission revenue declined 18%, alongside continuing legal and regulatory challenges, raise questions about the durability of Apple’s high-margin Services growth. Apple’s App Store Commission Revenue Reportedly Drops
Insider Buying and Selling at Apple
Apple Stock Down 1.7%
Shares of NASDAQ AAPL opened at $311.30 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $4.54 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.70, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. Apple Inc. has a 12 month low of $223.78 and a 12 month high of $344.57. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $310.26 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $286.89.
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $109.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.04 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The firm’s revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.57 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Apple Dividend Announcement
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th were issued a dividend of $0.27 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 10th. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Apple’s dividend payout ratio is 12.39%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of brokerages recently commented on AAPL. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Apple in a research report on Monday. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. HSBC upgraded shares of Apple from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $260.00 to $366.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $365.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $330.53.
Get Our Latest Stock Report on Apple
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.
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