West Bancorporation Inc. Boosts Stake in Apple Inc. $AAPL

West Bancorporation Inc. raised its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 17.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 17,119 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,502 shares during the quarter. Apple comprises 2.4% of West Bancorporation Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest position. West Bancorporation Inc.’s holdings in Apple were worth $4,359,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in AAPL. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Apple during the 2nd quarter worth about $38,942,255,000. Nuveen LLC purchased a new stake in Apple during the 1st quarter worth approximately $17,472,482,000. PKS Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in Apple by 98,917.0% during the 2nd quarter. PKS Advisory Services LLC now owns 57,956,620 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $12,106,000 after buying an additional 57,898,088 shares in the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Apple by 20,464.8% during the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 27,069,029 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $5,553,753,000 after acquiring an additional 26,937,401 shares during the period. Finally, Northern Trust Corp boosted its holdings in Apple by 13.3% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 171,385,531 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $42,918,365,000 after purchasing an additional 20,079,472 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Apple Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of AAPL opened at $256.76 on Wednesday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $269.02 and its 200 day simple moving average is $250.98. Apple Inc. has a twelve month low of $169.21 and a twelve month high of $288.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.77 trillion, a P/E ratio of 34.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.09.

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

Apple Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on AAPL. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. Stephens set a $315.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday. Loop Capital restated a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 price objective (up previously from $315.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Wedbush reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $350.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, CLSA boosted their price target on shares of Apple from $265.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $282.80.

Trending Headlines about Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Reuters reports Apple expects its strongest iPhone sales growth in four years and highlights the company’s new Google AI tie‑up (Siri/Gemini) as a key catalyst for services and device momentum. Strong iPhone sales to power Apple’s holiday quarter, Google AI deal in focus
• Positive Sentiment: TipRanks reports Apple is among firms planning to diversify future chip production away from TSMC (Intel/Nvidia/Apple discussions), which could improve supply resilience for future iPhone/AI silicon needs. Intel Stock Skyrockets as Nvidia and Apple Partner with Intel to Diversify 2028 Chip Production Away from TSMC
• Positive Sentiment: Apple’s Gemini‑powered Siri rollout (expected in February) reinforces the company’s AI roadmap and could help Services monetization and engagement. Apple’s Gemini‑Powered Siri Arrives in February – Will Q1 Earnings Reflect AI Momentum?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support is helping sentiment: recent analyst notes and upgrades (including JPMorgan coverage) point to upside to current levels and reinforce a buy‑on‑dip narrative. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Stock Price Expected to Rise, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Analyst Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Options traders are pricing a notable post‑earnings move (~4% implied), which raises near‑term volatility around tomorrow’s report—this is a market signal rather than a directional call. Apple Is About to Report Q1 Earnings. Options Traders Are Expecting a 4-15% Move in AAPL Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market and Fed focus (earnings from other megacaps, central bank status) could amplify moves in AAPL independent of company‑specific results. Nasdaq called higher ahead of Fed decision and trio of Mag 7 earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Apple was sued in the U.S., accused of antitrust violations and allegedly misappropriating camera technology — a legal cloud that could lead to costs, distraction and reputational risk if it escalates. Apple sued for allegedly breaking US antitrust law, stealing camera tech
• Negative Sentiment: High‑profile disclosures show Pelosi’s filing included a large Apple share sale (~$50M), which markets may read as a negative signal or de‑risking by a prominent holder. Pelosi’s $69M Trade Filing Shows Apple Trim and Fresh Megacap Call Bets
• Negative Sentiment: Some boutiques (Aletheia) remain bearish and have cut price targets, citing margin pressure on hardware—this keeps a portion of sell‑side sentiment cautious into earnings. Aletheia Maintains Sell on Apple (AAPL), Lowers Target Price

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.