Apple Inc. $AAPL Stock: Sanders Morris Harris LLC Boosts Stake

Sanders Morris Harris LLC increased its stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 87.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 108,214 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after purchasing an additional 50,613 shares during the period. Apple accounts for 4.8% of Sanders Morris Harris LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest position. Sanders Morris Harris LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $36,213,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Apple by 4.7% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 630,662,494 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $182,897,769,000 after acquiring an additional 28,321,085 shares during the last quarter. Berkshire Hathaway Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Apple in the 2nd quarter worth about $65,950,297,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in shares of Apple in the 2nd quarter worth about $36,986,090,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in shares of Apple in the 2nd quarter worth about $30,443,242,000. Finally, Amundi lifted its position in Apple by 23.2% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 73,082,616 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $18,547,637,000 after purchasing an additional 13,780,080 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Apple

In other news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 2,399 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $339.62, for a total value of $814,748.38. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 34,795 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,817,077.90. This represents a 6.45% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Deirdre O’brien sold 46,389 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.42, for a total transaction of $15,467,020.38. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 136,810 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $45,615,190.20. This trade represents a 25.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold 286,853 shares of company stock worth $95,477,342 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on AAPL shares. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of Apple from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday, August 17th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Thursday, October 1st. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $400.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have issued a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $340.12.

Key Headlines Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong iPhone Duo demand is the primary catalyst. The foldable phone launched globally Friday amid long lines, limited store inventory and reports that preorders are backordered into 2027. Supply-chain reports indicate Apple raised its first-year shipment target by 44%, to roughly 14 million units. The premium product could expand Apple’s addressable market and support revenue growth. Apple fans react as iPhone Duo hits stores
• Positive Sentiment: The launch strengthens Apple’s broader hardware and services roadmap. Analysts are evaluating whether the Duo can drive accessory, software and services revenue, while potential touchscreen Macs, smart-home products and an Apple-Schneider Electric energy-management partnership provide additional growth opportunities. Will Apple take over the smart home
• Positive Sentiment: Apple briefly reclaimed the title of world’s most valuable public company. AAPL approached or surpassed Nvidia’s approximately $5 trillion valuation as Nvidia shares weakened during a broader AI-stock selloff. Investors are treating Apple’s substantial cash generation and lower AI infrastructure spending as a relative safe haven. Apple tops Nvidia in market value
• Neutral Sentiment: The next major test is earnings. Apple’s fiscal fourth-quarter results are expected November 2, with investors looking for evidence that iPhone Duo demand, holiday sales and margins justify a stock trading near 40 times earnings. Analysts remain broadly constructive, but the average price target is close to recent trading levels.
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and valuation risks remain significant. Some early users have reported cracked foldable screens, while reviews cite first-generation glitches, a $2,000 price and limitations involving the camera and apps. These issues could affect returns, customer satisfaction and adoption.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling adds a modest cautionary signal. Senior Vice President Jennifer Newstead sold approximately $815,000 of AAPL shares, following several similar sales. The transaction is small relative to Apple’s size but may reinforce concerns that the stock has become expensive.

Apple Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AAPL opened at $347.73 on Friday. Apple Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.42 and a fifty-two week high of $351.73. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $329.75 and its 200 day simple moving average is $309.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The stock has a market cap of $5.07 trillion, a P/E ratio of 39.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.07.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.04 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.57 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.75 EPS for the current year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th were given a dividend of $0.27 per share. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 10th. Apple’s payout ratio is 12.39%.

About Apple

Apple Inc designs, develops and sells consumer electronics, software and digital services. Its best-known products include the iPhone smartphone, Mac personal computers, iPad tablets, Apple Watch, AirPods and other accessories. The company also develops operating systems and applications that support its hardware ecosystem.

Apple’s services business includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade, iCloud, Apple Pay and other subscription, payment and digital-content offerings.