Ycg LLC Acquires 22,444 Shares of Apple Inc. $AAPL

Ycg LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 10.9% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 228,202 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after buying an additional 22,444 shares during the quarter. Apple accounts for about 4.4% of Ycg LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest holding. Ycg LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $58,107,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in AAPL. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC grew its position 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 purchasing an additional 180 shares during the period. Nexus Investment Management ULC increased its holdings in shares of Apple by 333.3% during the 2nd quarter. Nexus Investment Management ULC now owns 260 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of Apple in the 4th quarter valued at $65,000. Morgan Dempsey Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings 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 in the last quarter. Finally, HFM Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Apple during the first quarter valued at $99,000. 67.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Apple News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein raised its Apple price target to $340 (outperform) on strong iPhone demand and Apple Intelligence upside — this upgrade is a clear catalyst for upside revision in models. Sanford C. Bernstein Raises Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Price Target to $340.00
• Positive Sentiment: Evercore/other analysts reiterate Buy/outperform ratings and $330+ targets, citing strong fundamentals, AI roadmap and iPhone momentum — supports further multiple expansion. Apple: Strong Fundamentals and AI Roadmap Underpin Outperform Rating and $330 Target
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and coverage pieces highlight a “game‑changer” iPhone 17 cycle and continued strength in iPhone sales that drove the Q4 beat — this is the primary earnings-growth story underpinning sentiment. Apple is about to launch a ‘game-changer’ iPhone
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional buying: Fisher Asset Management materially increased its Apple stake, signaling conviction from a large active investor. That flow can support the stock while upgrades persist. Fisher Asset Management Boosts Apple Stake by 704,293 Shares
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple paid its regular quarterly dividend ($0.26/share) — positive for income investors but largely already priced in given the company’s focus on buybacks and growth. Apple Just Paid Investors And This Is AAPL’s Dividend Grade
• Neutral Sentiment: Several asset managers trimmed small portions of their Apple positions (e.g., SCS Capital, Suncoast, Crake), reflecting rebalancing rather than a coordinated sell signal — watch for larger/continuing outflows. SCS Capital Management Trims Apple Inc Stake by 8,300 Shares
• Negative Sentiment: The FTC is looking into Apple News over bias claims — regulatory scrutiny could lead to reputational and compliance costs, and it raises the political/regulatory risk premium on the stock. Apple (AAPL) Stock Under FTC Scrutiny Over Apple News Bias Claims
• Negative Sentiment: Bloomberg/PYMNTS report Apple is delaying several Siri AI features (iOS 26.4 -> 26.5) due to reliability issues — a setback for its consumer AI narrative and timing of material product enhancements. Apple Taps Brakes on Siri AI Overhaul

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on AAPL shares. Oppenheimer reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, January 30th. DZ Bank raised Apple from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Bank of America lifted their price target on Apple from $270.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price objective on Apple from $325.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $292.13.

Apple Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $275.50 on Thursday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $267.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $255.17. Apple Inc. has a 1-year low of $169.21 and a 1-year high of $288.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.04 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.83, a PEG ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 1.09.

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

Apple Dividend Announcement

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