Apple Inc. $AAPL Stake Reduced by Scott & Selber Inc.

Scott & Selber Inc. lowered its position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 2.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 109,885 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 3,215 shares during the period. Apple comprises approximately 7.5% of Scott & Selber Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 2nd largest holding. Scott & Selber Inc.’s holdings in Apple were worth $29,873,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Isthmus Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Apple by 6.4% in the 3rd quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 97,177 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 5,808 shares in the last quarter. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC grew its stake in Apple by 110.9% during the 3rd quarter. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC now owns 135 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC grew its stake in Apple by 1,800.0% during the 1st quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. LSV Asset Management acquired a new position in Apple during the 4th quarter valued at about $65,000. Finally, 49 Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Apple by 15.7% in the third quarter. 49 Wealth Management LLC now owns 298,920 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $76,000 after buying an additional 40,543 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AAPL has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, December 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $325.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Rosenblatt Securities increased their price objective on shares of Apple from $267.00 to $268.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Stephens set a $315.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Apple from $315.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Apple currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $297.58.

Apple News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: iPhone demand in China remains robust, with Apple taking share as some Android rivals face pricing and inventory pressure — a direct revenue/cycle tailwind for AAPL. iPhone Demand Holds Strong in China
• Positive Sentiment: Wedbush and other outlets see WWDC/June events as potential catalysts; Wedbush reiterated Outperform ratings that support the view of near-term upside if new software/hardware impress. Wedbush: This June Will Be a Huge Month for Apple
• Positive Sentiment: Apple is staffing up for AI and plans a more capable Siri/standalone app and App Store–centric AI approach — moves that could bolster services revenue and device differentiation over time. Hiring of Google’s Lilian Rincon to lead AI marketing signals commitment. Apple Recruits Google Shopping Exec to Lead AI Marketing
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple’s 50th-anniversary events and retrospective coverage boost brand momentum and PR but are unlikely to move fundamentals immediately. Apple Celebrates 50 Years
• Neutral Sentiment: Options and derivatives flows show traders positioning for a near-term inflection — volatility is elevated and could amplify moves in either direction. Apple Stock at a Crossroads: Options Traders
• Negative Sentiment: Tech sector weakness/market-wide selloff is pressuring AAPL along with peers — broader risk-off is the dominant near-term driver of today’s decline. Sector Update: Tech Stocks Fall
• Negative Sentiment: A UK fine was levied on an Apple subsidiary for breaching Russian sanctions — a modest financial hit but a reminder of geographies/regulatory risk. Apple subsidiary fined for breaching Russian sanctions
• Negative Sentiment: Negative takes and forecasts (including pieces predicting Apple underperformance vs. other mega-caps) are contributing to headline risk and investor caution. Prediction: Apple Will Be the Worst “Magnificent Seven” Stock

Apple Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $246.63 on Tuesday. Apple Inc. has a 52-week low of $169.21 and a 52-week high of $288.62. The stock has a market cap of $3.62 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.18, a PEG ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $260.06 and a 200-day moving average price of $263.04.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The iPhone maker reported $2.84 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.67 by $0.17. Apple had a return on equity of 159.94% and a net margin of 27.04%.The firm had revenue of $143.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $138.25 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.40 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 15.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 7.28 EPS for the current year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 12th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 9th were paid a dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 9th. Apple’s payout ratio is presently 13.15%.

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.