MontVue Capital Management Inc. Buys 1,907 Shares of Apple Inc. $AAPL

MontVue Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 74.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,474 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,907 shares during the period. Apple accounts for 0.7% of MontVue Capital Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest position. MontVue Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Apple were worth $1,295,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new position in Apple during the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC grew its stake in Apple by 1,800.0% in 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 acquired a new stake in shares of Apple during the fourth quarter worth about $65,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Apple in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $69,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC acquired a new stake in Apple during the 4th quarter worth approximately $76,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total transaction of $34,236.24. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,425,754.82. This trade represents a 0.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 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 firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.95, for a total transaction of $447,457.05. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 37,229 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,576,357.55. The trade was a 3.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 4,433 shares of company stock valued at $1,367,024. 0.06% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on AAPL. Raymond James Financial restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Monday, June 8th. KeyCorp reissued an “underweight” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Apple from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities increased their price objective on Apple from $276.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $330.53.

Apple Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AAPL traded down $5.57 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $314.13. 15,789,602 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 49,966,969. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $312.24 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $288.52. The company has a market cap of $4.58 trillion, a PE ratio of 36.02, 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 quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.00. Apple Inc. has a 1-year low of $225.95 and a 1-year high of $344.57.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 last year, the business posted $1.57 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 EPS for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th were paid a dividend of $0.27 per share. 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.39%.

Trending Headlines about Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Orderly CEO succession: Tim Cook is leaving the CEO role after 15 years but will remain Apple’s executive chairman. Cook strongly endorsed successor John Ternus, a longtime hardware leader, potentially reducing fears of an abrupt management break. Tim Cook’s parting message: Apple is in the hands of a product builder
• Positive Sentiment: Product catalysts ahead: Apple’s first major product event under Ternus is expected September 9, with reports pointing to new iPhones and a possible foldable model. Strong iPhone demand, potential iOS market-share gains and rising interest in Mac hardware for AI workloads could support future revenue. Apple Valuation Nears $5T as John Ternus Steps Up as New CEO
• Neutral Sentiment: Strong track record and support: Cook’s tenure produced substantial shareholder gains, while Apple’s latest quarter delivered revenue growth and an earnings beat. Analysts’ median price target remains above the current quotation, although the stock’s elevated valuation leaves less room for disappointment.
• Negative Sentiment: AI strategy concerns: Ternus inherits an artificial-intelligence strategy that relies heavily on outside partners, leaving Apple behind leading rivals in some areas. Investors will look for evidence that the new CEO can accelerate AI-powered Siri and on-device capabilities. Apple’s New CEO Inherits an AI Strategy Built on Outsiders
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and valuation risks: Commentators warn that App Store pressure, supply-chain challenges, potential memory-cost inflation and a trailing P/E near 37 make Apple vulnerable if the September launch disappoints. Apple TV+’s latest price increase could also slow subscriber growth. Apple Is Facing One of Its Most Challenging Times in a Decade

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.