Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLC Raises Holdings in Apple Inc. $AAPL

Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 5.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 394,561 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after buying an additional 18,930 shares during the period. Apple accounts for about 3.6% of Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $100,467,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Apple by 110.9% during the third quarter. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC now owns 135 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC boosted its stake in Apple by 1,800.0% in 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 in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management bought a new position in Apple in the 4th quarter worth about $65,000. Morgan Dempsey Capital Management LLC grew its position in Apple by 41.0% during the 2nd quarter. Morgan Dempsey Capital Management LLC now owns 430 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $88,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HFM Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Apple during the 1st quarter valued at about $99,000. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Apple Stock Performance

Shares of AAPL stock opened at $250.12 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $262.08 and a 200-day moving average price of $261.52. Apple Inc. has a 52 week low of $169.21 and a 52 week high of $288.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.67 trillion, a PE ratio of 31.62, a P/E/G ratio of 2.23 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.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The iPhone maker reported $2.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $143.76 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $138.25 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.40 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced 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. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 9th. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. Apple’s payout ratio is currently 13.15%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have issued reports on AAPL shares. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $315.00 target price (down from $330.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Apple from $239.00 to $248.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. KGI Securities upgraded shares of Apple to an “outperform” rating and set a $306.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, January 30th. Wedbush reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $350.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Loop Capital reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 target price (up from $315.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Apple has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $297.58.

Key Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple’s new low-cost devices (MacBook Neo, iPhone 17e) broaden addressable market and could win share versus cheaper Windows/Chromebooks — a strategic growth lever even if it pressures near-term margins. How Apple’s new low-cost MacBook Neo may shake up the market
• Positive Sentiment: Early Formula 1 ratings for AppleTV’s exclusive U.S. stream were strong, supporting the thesis that exclusive sports/content deals can grow Services subscriptions and engagement over time. Apple Gets Early Formula 1 Ratings Win
• Positive Sentiment: India’s plan to roll fresh smartphone manufacturing incentives could help Apple expand local production and improve margin/market access over the medium term. India plans fresh incentives for phone production
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views are mixed: a few firms raised targets or reiterated buys while others stay cautious/neutral; median price targets remain above the market, keeping a longer-term bullish backdrop but no unanimous near-term catalyst. Apple Stock Opinions on Tech Sector Pullback
• Negative Sentiment: Apple cut its mainland China App Store commission to 25% (and mini-app fees to 12%) after regulator talks — good for developer relations but a direct hit to Services take-rate and near-term revenue in its second‑largest market. Apple cuts China App Store commission fees after government pressure
• Negative Sentiment: Strong insider selling and social/board chatter about a tech pullback and China demand risks are weighing on sentiment — traders are highlighting technical weakness and short-term bearish views. Apple Stock Opinions on Tech Sector Pullback
• Negative Sentiment: Macro and supply‑chain risks (memory/storage cost inflation and geopolitical disruption tied to the Iran war) could raise component costs and compress device margins if Apple absorbs price moves to hold consumer prices. The Iran War Could Upend AI. Here’s How.

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.