Moran Wealth Management LLC Has $10.43 Million Stake in Apple Inc. $AAPL

Moran Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 11.0% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 40,945 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after buying an additional 4,063 shares during the quarter. Moran Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $10,426,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC grew its stake in shares of Apple by 1,800.0% in the 1st 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 period. Nexus Investment Management ULC boosted its holdings in Apple by 333.3% in the second quarter. Nexus Investment Management ULC now owns 260 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management acquired a new stake in Apple in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $65,000. Morgan Dempsey Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Apple by 41.0% during the second quarter. Morgan Dempsey Capital Management LLC now owns 430 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $88,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HFM Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Apple during the first quarter worth approximately $99,000. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target to $315 and kept an overweight stance, citing strong iPhone demand — a bullish analyst catalyst that supports upside expectations into earnings. Apple gets price target boost from JPMorgan
• Positive Sentiment: Apple is rolling out a Gemini‑powered Siri in February (Google partnership), which investors view as tangible AI progress that could show up in services engagement and long-term monetization. Apple’s Gemini‑Powered Siri Arrives in February
• Positive Sentiment: Apple is expanding App Store ad opportunities for developers in March, which could lift Services revenue over time and give investors another near-term monetization vector. Apple’s Expanded Ad Opportunities For Developers Coming in March
• Neutral Sentiment: The market is setting up for a volatile earnings week (Magnificent 7 plus a Fed meeting); option markets expect a roughly 4% move for AAPL around the print, raising short-term event risk despite positive catalysts. Options traders expect a 4.15% move
• Neutral Sentiment: High-profile portfolio moves (Pelosi filing) show large Apple share sales paired with LEAPS purchases — signals range from tax/rebalancing to continued long-term conviction; adds noise but not a clear directional signal. Pelosi’s Bullish 2026 Buy List
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies trimmed its outlook (lowered price target) pointing to slowing App Store growth and Google ad competition — risks to Services growth are being priced in by some sell‑side firms. Jefferies Flags App Store and Google Ad Risks
• Negative Sentiment: Smaller shops (Aletheia) maintain sell ratings and lowered targets arguing hardware margin pressure — downside risk if Apple reports weaker-than-expected iPhone margins or conservative guidance. Aletheia Maintains Sell on Apple
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/PR overhang: outlets report combined settlements over alleged voice‑data issues (Apple + Google), a headline risk that could fuel short-term investor caution around guidance and services commentary. Google, Apple to pay combined $163M to settle lawsuits

Apple Price Performance

Apple stock opened at $258.27 on Wednesday. Apple Inc. has a 52 week low of $169.21 and a 52 week high of $288.62. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $269.02 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $250.98. The stock has a market cap of $3.80 trillion, a P/E ratio of 34.57, a P/E/G ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The iPhone maker reported $1.85 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.74 by $0.11. Apple had a return on equity of 164.05% and a net margin of 26.92%.The company had revenue of $102.47 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $101.65 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.64 earnings per share. Apple’s revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 13th. Investors of record on Monday, November 10th were given a dividend of $0.26 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 10th. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. Apple’s dividend payout ratio is presently 13.92%.

Insider Transactions at Apple

In related news, insider Chris Kondo sold 3,752 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.23, for a total transaction of $1,017,654.96. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 15,098 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,095,030.54. This trade represents a 19.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently issued reports on AAPL. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $315.00 price target (up previously from $305.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $325.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Monness Crespi & Hardt upped their target price on shares of Apple from $270.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, DA Davidson boosted their price objective on Apple from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Apple has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $282.80.

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.