Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Acquired by Wedmont Private Capital

Wedmont Private Capital raised its stake in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 8.4% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 275,017 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after purchasing an additional 21,396 shares during the quarter. Apple accounts for 2.6% of Wedmont Private Capital’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest holding. Wedmont Private Capital’s holdings in Apple were worth $70,536,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ryan Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Apple during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC boosted 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 purchasing an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. Nexus Investment Management ULC increased its position in shares of Apple by 333.3% during the second quarter. Nexus Investment Management ULC now owns 260 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of Apple during the fourth quarter worth $65,000. Finally, Morgan Dempsey Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Apple by 41.0% during the second quarter. Morgan Dempsey Capital Management LLC now owns 430 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $88,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Apple Price Performance

Shares of AAPL opened at $270.92 on Tuesday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $270.62 and its 200 day moving average is $240.31. Apple Inc. has a 12-month low of $169.21 and a 12-month high of $288.62. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. The stock has a market cap of $4.00 trillion, a P/E ratio of 36.27, a P/E/G ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.10.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The iPhone maker reported $1.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.74 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $102.47 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $101.65 billion. Apple had a net margin of 26.92% and a return on equity of 164.05%. The business’s revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.64 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Announces Dividend

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

Trending Headlines about Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street bullishness: several analysts and outlets are lifting targets and calling for meaningful upside for AAPL as Apple accelerates AI plans and iPhone momentum — including forecasts up toward the mid-$300s. Wall Street Analysts See Major Upside as AI Plans Unfold
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raises price target: the bank boosted its target (reflecting stronger expected earnings growth), reinforcing bullish analyst momentum that can support the stock if results and guidance stay strong. Morgan Stanley Lifts Apple Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies raises target on stronger iPhone demand: an incremental upgrade tied to better-than-expected iPhone sales is supportive for near-term revenue and investor sentiment. Jefferies Sees Stronger iPhone Demand
• Positive Sentiment: Product/AI roadmap: reports indicate Apple is targeting 2026 launches for AI smart glasses and camera-equipped AirPods — tangible product timelines boost the AI narrative and long-term growth expectations. Apple Targets 2026 Launch For AI Smart Glasses
• Neutral Sentiment: China engagement: a meeting between China’s vice commerce minister and Apple’s COO signals Beijing-level engagement on Apple operations in China — reduces geopolitical uncertainty but is not an immediate earnings driver. China’s Vice Commerce Minister Met Apple COO
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple as “AI outlier”: coverage highlights Apple’s late-but-deliberate AI approach and steady core business (iPhone strength), suggesting upside if Apple times a consumer AI rollout well — outcome uncertain on timing. MarketBeat: Apple the AI Outlier
• Negative Sentiment: Italy antitrust fine: Italy’s competition authority fined Apple €98.6M (~$115M) for alleged abuse related to an App Store privacy feature — a relatively small direct hit to profits but a reminder of regulatory risk in Europe. Italy Fines Apple Over App Store
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term selling pressure / rotation risk: market commentators expect a year‑end Santa Claus rally followed by a rotation out of overbought big‑tech into cyclicals in early 2026, which can weigh on AAPL in the short term. Tech Rotation to Follow Santa Claus Rally (YouTube)
• Negative Sentiment: Input‑cost risk: commentators including Jim Cramer flagged higher memory prices (Micron) as a potential margin headwind for Apple if supplier costs rise — something to monitor for future gross‑margin guidance. Cramer: Apple Might Be Hurt by Higher Memory Prices

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Kevan Parekh sold 4,199 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $247.39, for a total value of $1,038,790.61. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 8,765 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,168,373.35. This represents a 32.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Katherine L. Adams sold 47,125 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $256.79, for a total value of $12,101,228.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 179,158 shares in the company, valued at $46,005,982.82. This represents a 20.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 228,052 shares of company stock worth $58,604,588. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $283.36 price target on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $315.00 price target (up from $305.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $300.00 price objective on shares of Apple and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Apple has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $283.92.

About Apple

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.