World Investment Advisors Sells 7,047 Shares of Apple Inc. $AAPL

World Investment Advisors lowered its position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 0.8% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 870,139 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 7,047 shares during the quarter. Apple comprises about 3.6% of World Investment Advisors’ portfolio, making the stock its largest holding. World Investment Advisors’ holdings in Apple were worth $220,832,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of AAPL. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new position in Apple during the 4th quarter worth about $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC increased its stake in shares of 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 period. LSV Asset Management bought a new position in shares of Apple during the fourth quarter worth about $65,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Apple during the fourth quarter worth about $69,000. Finally, 49 Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Apple by 15.7% in the third quarter. 49 Wealth Management LLC now owns 298,920 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $76,000 after acquiring an additional 40,543 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Apple News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: China approved Apple Intelligence for iPhones, a key regulatory green light that clears the way for Apple’s AI rollout in one of its most important markets and could help support upgrades and Services growth. Reuters: Apple Intelligence AI service registered with China’s cyberspace regulator
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that Apple is exploring acquisitions of AI chip startups to strengthen its server and AI hardware capabilities reinforced the idea that the company is actively investing to remain competitive in AI without a huge data-center spending spree. Reuters: Apple chasing AI chip company deals, The Information reports
• Positive Sentiment: News that Apple may spend about $30 billion through its Broadcom partnership adds confidence in supply-chain security and custom silicon development, which investors see as supportive for future product cycles and margins. Yahoo Finance/Reuters: Apple Plans to Spend $30 Billion in a Deal With Broadcom (AVGO)
• Positive Sentiment: Apple also won dismissal of a high-stakes iCloud-related lawsuit, removing an overhang and improving sentiment around legal risk. Yahoo Finance: Apple Wins Dismissal of iCloud Lawsuit
• Neutral Sentiment: Several media and analyst pieces noted Apple’s stock hitting record highs and trading near a new 52-week high, reflecting strong momentum after a sharp run-up rather than a fresh fundamental surprise. Investopedia: Apple Could Buy an AI Chip Company. Its Hot Stock Just Set a Fresh Record High
• Negative Sentiment: KeyBanc downgraded Apple to Underweight, warning that slowing hardware demand, softer Services growth, and valuation concerns could limit further upside. Yahoo Finance: KeyBanc Downgrades Apple on Growth Concerns

Insider Buying and Selling at Apple

In other Apple news, CFO Kevan Parekh sold 1,534 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.00, for a total value of $421,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 13,366 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,675,650. This trade represents a 10.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Ben Borders sold 1,274 shares of Apple stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.00, for a total transaction of $369,460.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,226,770. This trade represents a 3.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 2,924 shares of company stock worth $825,546. 0.06% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Apple Price Performance

Shares of AAPL opened at $327.50 on Thursday. Apple Inc. has a 52-week low of $201.50 and a 52-week high of $328.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.07. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $301.89 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $276.27. The firm has a market cap of $4.81 trillion, a PE ratio of 39.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.10.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.95 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $111.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.46 billion. Apple had a return on equity of 146.69% and a net margin of 27.15%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.65 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 EPS for the current year.

Apple Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 14th. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th were paid a dividend of $0.27 per share. This is a boost from Apple’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 11th. Apple’s payout ratio is currently 13.06%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently commented on AAPL. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $270.00 target price on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, May 1st. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $310.00 price target (up from $300.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, UBS Group set a $250.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research note on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $314.26.

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.