Moody National Bank Trust Division Sells 3,090 Shares of Apple Inc. $AAPL

Moody National Bank Trust Division trimmed its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 107,631 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 3,090 shares during the quarter. Apple makes up approximately 2.6% of Moody National Bank Trust Division’s holdings, making the stock its 9th biggest holding. Moody National Bank Trust Division’s holdings in Apple were worth $31,144,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AAPL. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter worth about $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC lifted its position 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 buying an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. LSV Asset Management purchased a new position in Apple during the fourth quarter worth about $65,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Apple during the fourth quarter worth about $69,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Apple during the fourth quarter valued at about $76,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AAPL has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Apple from $345.00 to $340.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $380.00 target price on shares of Apple in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Rosenblatt Securities boosted their target price on Apple from $276.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Finally, BTIG Research initiated coverage on Apple in a research report on Monday. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $330.53.

Apple Stock Up 1.5%

AAPL stock opened at $310.03 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $309.45 and its 200 day moving average price is $286.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.52 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.55, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.09. Apple Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $223.78 and a fifty-two week high of $344.57. 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 (NASDAQ:AAPL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.13. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The company had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.57 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th were paid a $0.27 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 10th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.39%.

Insider Transactions at Apple

In other Apple news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of Apple stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total transaction of $34,236.24. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,425,754.82. The trade was a 0.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at 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 company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.75, for a total value of $442,852.25. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 40,107 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,342,929.25. This represents a 3.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.06% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple will replace the European Union’s controversial per-install Core Technology Fee with a simpler 5% commission on digital transactions for apps distributed outside the App Store or through alternative marketplaces. The changes, effective October 1, are intended to resolve disputes related to the EU’s Digital Markets Act and reduce regulatory uncertainty. Apple overhauls Europe app store fees to resolve payments clash
• Positive Sentiment: Apple is also making it easier for developers to operate alternative app stores in Europe. Investors may view the settlement as removing a persistent overhang and avoiding potentially larger penalties or prolonged legal battles. Apple overhauls its EU App Store fees, loosens rules for alternative app stores
• Positive Sentiment: Rothschild & Co. Redburn upgraded Apple from “Hold” or “Neutral” to “Buy” and raised its price target to $400 from $260. The bullish case centers on a potential premium foldable iPhone—modeled at roughly 14 million units priced near $2,199—and a possible improvement in Apple’s artificial-intelligence strategy. Could Apple stock jump 30%? This Nvidia AI bet may hold the key
• Neutral Sentiment: The new EU terms may improve developer relations and compliance, but the lower and broader commission structure could reduce App Store economics over time. Apple has acknowledged that antitrust actions and new rules are beginning to weigh on its approximately $100 billion Services business. Antitrust attacks start to bite into Apple’s Services business
• Negative Sentiment: Appaloosa Management, led by David Tepper, disclosed put positions referencing about 835,000 Apple shares. The position signals caution toward AAPL’s valuation and growth outlook, although it is an individual investor’s trade rather than a fundamental change. Billionaire David Tepper Is Short Apple
• Negative Sentiment: U.S. officials reportedly urged Apple not to purchase memory chips from Chinese suppliers. Complying could raise component costs or constrain sourcing flexibility as AI demand tightens memory supply, creating a potential margin headwind. Market Chatter: Apple May Buy Chinese Memory Chips Despite US Request

Apple 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.