Centurion Wealth Management LLC lessened its stake in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) by 21.0% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 37,697 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 10,024 shares during the period. Apple accounts for about 2.6% of Centurion Wealth Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest holding. Centurion Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $10,908,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.
Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Apple by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,426,283,914 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $387,749,545,000 after purchasing an additional 26,856,752 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in Apple by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 604,056,505 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $164,218,801,000 after purchasing an additional 6,555,392 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Apple by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 358,032,517 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $97,031,587,000 after purchasing an additional 1,866,103 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley increased its stake in Apple by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 230,483,035 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $62,659,118,000 after purchasing an additional 1,379,651 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Apple in the 4th quarter valued at $52,266,468,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.
Insider Activity at Apple
In other Apple news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.49, for a total value of $442,478.11. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 38,668 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,890,023.32. The trade was a 3.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total value of $34,236.24. Following the transaction, the insider owned 38,713 shares in the company, valued at $11,425,754.82. This trade represents a 0.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 2,994 shares of company stock valued at $919,567 in the last quarter. 0.06% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Apple Stock Performance
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.13. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The firm had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.04 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.57 earnings per share. Apple’s quarterly revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 EPS for the current year.
Apple Dividend Announcement
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th were given a dividend of $0.27 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 10th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.39%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
AAPL has been the subject of several research reports. China Renaissance cut shares of Apple from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $280.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Oppenheimer restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. DZ Bank lowered shares of Apple from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $310.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, August 17th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, KGI Securities cut Apple from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $315.00 price target for the company. in a report on Monday, June 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Apple presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $330.53.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Apple
Apple News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:
- Positive Sentiment: New AI-focused Macs strengthen Apple’s edge-computing strategy. Apple launched updated Mac mini and Mac Studio desktops powered by the M6 and M5 Ultra chips, emphasizing local AI workloads. The M6 reportedly uses a 2-nanometer process, while the M5 Ultra supports large models with up to 512GB of unified memory. The products could expand Apple’s role in AI development without requiring the massive infrastructure spending undertaken by rivals. Apple announces new Mac Mini and Mac Studio models with AI upgrades
- Positive Sentiment: Evercore maintained an Outperform rating and $365 price target. The firm said the higher Mac mini prices appear justified by the performance improvements, providing a positive Wall Street signal even as AAPL trades at a demanding valuation. Apple Stock Reiterated as Outperform
- Positive Sentiment: Apple’s capital-light AI approach is attracting investor interest. With technology shares exposed to concerns about an AI infrastructure spending race, Apple’s focus on on-device AI and its existing hardware ecosystem is being viewed as a relative advantage. Apple Rises as Investors Flee the AI Spending Arms Race
- Neutral Sentiment: Apple reversed a planned change to Hide My Email. Preserving the privacy feature may support customer trust, but the move is unlikely to materially affect near-term revenue or earnings. Apple rescues Hide My Email feature
- Negative Sentiment: Higher Mac prices and memory shortages could limit demand. The new Mac mini reportedly starts at $899, while the top Mac Studio configuration can cost substantially more. Persistent memory constraints could raise component costs and eventually contribute to higher iPhone prices, pressuring consumer demand and margins. Apple launches faster Mac mini and Mac Studio
- Negative Sentiment: AI execution and restructuring remain concerns. Apple is cutting more than 200 positions across Siri and Vision Pro while redirecting resources toward AI and smart glasses. The shift may improve focus, but it also highlights delays and uncertainty around Apple’s AI product roadmap. Apple cuts 200 jobs in Siri and Vision Pro
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation leaves limited room for disappointment. Around $310 per share, AAPL carries a market value above $4.5 trillion and a forward-looking growth profile that depends heavily on the next iPhone cycle. Analysts remain constructive, but investors are sensitive to evidence of slower growth, pricing pressure or weaker AI adoption.
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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