Martin Capital Advisors LLP Purchases 2,948 Shares of Apple Inc. $AAPL

Martin Capital Advisors LLP grew its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 139,797 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after buying an additional 2,948 shares during the period. Apple accounts for approximately 24.7% of Martin Capital Advisors LLP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its largest position. Martin Capital Advisors LLP’s holdings in Apple were worth $46,367,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. State Street Corp grew its position in Apple by 4.7% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 630,662,494 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $182,897,769,000 after acquiring an additional 28,321,085 shares during the period. Berkshire Hathaway Inc acquired a new stake in Apple during the second quarter worth $65,950,297,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in Apple in the second quarter valued at $36,986,090,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in Apple in the second quarter valued at $30,443,242,000. Finally, Amundi raised its position in Apple by 23.2% in the first quarter. Amundi now owns 73,082,616 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $18,547,637,000 after purchasing an additional 13,780,080 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AAPL has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on Apple from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Barclays reissued an “underweight” rating and set a $245.00 price objective (down from $253.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Moffett Nathanson set a $283.00 price objective on shares of Apple and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 20th. Citic Securities boosted their price objective on shares of Apple from $300.00 to $349.00 in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have assigned a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $340.12.

Insider Transactions at Apple

In other news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 2,399 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $336.18, for a total value of $806,495.82. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 41,992 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,116,870.56. This trade represents a 5.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Deirdre O’brien sold 46,389 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.42, for a total transaction of $15,467,020.38. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 136,810 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $45,615,190.20. The trade was a 25.32% decrease in their position. 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. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 286,853 shares of company stock valued at $95,477,342. 0.06% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Apple Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of NASDAQ AAPL opened at $343.91 on Tuesday. Apple Inc. has a twelve month low of $243.42 and a twelve month high of $351.73. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $329.47 and a 200-day simple moving average of $294.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.02 trillion, a PE ratio of 39.44, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.07.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. Apple had a return on equity of 135.46% and a net margin of 27.62%. The firm had revenue of $109.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.57 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th were given a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 10th. Apple’s payout ratio is currently 12.39%.

More Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Demand for Apple’s first foldable iPhone Duo appears exceptionally strong, with delivery estimates extending into January. Apple has reportedly asked suppliers to increase production by 30%, suggesting robust consumer interest and potential for a sizable upgrade cycle. Apple’s iPhone Duo Buyers Face a Wait That Could Stretch Into January
• Positive Sentiment: Apple introduced a redesigned iPad mini beginning at $699, featuring an OLED display, A20 Pro chip, improved AI performance, water resistance and Wi-Fi 7. The launch broadens Apple’s higher-end hardware lineup ahead of the holiday season. Apple Unveils $699 OLED iPad Mini
• Positive Sentiment: Apple expanded Siri’s AI language support, including Japanese, indicating continued progress in its artificial-intelligence rollout and global product integration. Apple Expands Siri AI Languages
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on Apple’s fiscal fourth-quarter results expected November 2. Analysts anticipate continued iPhone, Mac and Services growth, but the stock’s premium valuation leaves limited room for an earnings or outlook disappointment. Why Buying Apple Stock Before Q4 Earnings Could Be Risky
• Negative Sentiment: Users have reported cracks and bright lines near the hinge on some $1,999 iPhone Duo units. Apple acknowledged the issue and said affected devices would be replaced under AppleCare, but the defect creates reputational, warranty-cost and execution risks for an important new product. Apple Responds to Reports of Broken iPhone Duo Screens
• Negative Sentiment: The new iPad mini’s higher starting price may limit demand, while broader concerns about leadership succession, AI execution and rising component costs are adding to investor caution ahead of earnings. Apple Earnings Expected to Grow

Apple Company Profile

Apple Inc designs, develops and sells consumer electronics, software and digital services. Its best-known products include the iPhone smartphone, Mac personal computers, iPad tablets, Apple Watch, AirPods and other accessories. The company also develops operating systems and applications that support its hardware ecosystem.

Apple’s services business includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade, iCloud, Apple Pay and other subscription, payment and digital-content offerings.