Apple Inc. $AAPL is Payden & Rygel’s 2nd Largest Position

Payden & Rygel raised its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 275.8% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 138,310 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after acquiring an additional 101,510 shares during the quarter. Apple comprises approximately 3.1% of Payden & Rygel’s holdings, making the stock its 2nd largest position. Payden & Rygel’s holdings in Apple were worth $40,021,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Sterling Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Apple by 0.3% during the 2nd quarter. Sterling Wealth Management Inc. now owns 11,579 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $3,351,000 after buying an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Evansbrook LLC boosted its position in Apple by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Evansbrook LLC now owns 8,095 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $2,054,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the period. JMG Financial Group Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Apple by 0.7% in the first quarter. JMG Financial Group Ltd. now owns 5,102 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $1,295,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Reyes Financial Architecture Inc. increased its position in shares of Apple by 0.4% during the third quarter. Reyes Financial Architecture Inc. now owns 9,898 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $2,520,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the period. Finally, Advocate Investing Services LLC increased its position in shares of Apple by 0.5% during the second quarter. Advocate Investing Services LLC now owns 7,847 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $2,271,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple introduced the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone, starting at $1,999. The device features a 7.6-inch unfolded display, a 5.4-inch outer screen and a redesigned hinge, creating a potential new high-margin product category and growth opportunity. Apple unveils iPhone Duo
• Positive Sentiment: The iPhone 18 Pro lineup adds a 2-nanometer A20 Pro chip, camera improvements, longer battery life and upgraded Siri AI features. These upgrades could support premium pricing and strengthen Apple’s artificial-intelligence strategy. Apple iPhone 18 Pro launched
• Positive Sentiment: Apple also launched AirPods 5, Apple Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4, adding improved noise cancellation, health tracking and Apple Intelligence features. The broad hardware release may support ecosystem engagement and services revenue. Apple introduces AirPods 5
• Neutral Sentiment: New CEO John Ternus used his first keynote to emphasize that the iPhone remains Apple’s core platform, signaling continuity with the company’s established strategy while adding foldable hardware and AI capabilities. Apple’s new CEO is reviving a Steve Jobs strategy
• Neutral Sentiment: Early reviews of the iPhone Duo were generally intrigued, but demand, production capacity and customer acceptance remain unproven. Analysts estimate the foldable could generate substantial revenue if Apple can avoid supply constraints. iPhone Duo first impressions review
• Negative Sentiment: Apple raised iPhone 18 Pro pricing by $100 and increased prices on older iPhone models. While higher prices could protect revenue and margins, they may limit unit demand, particularly as consumers face elevated component and memory costs. Apple raises prices on older iPhones
• Negative Sentiment: Huawei launched its Mate XT2 tri-fold smartphone ahead of Apple’s event, highlighting intense competition in foldables. Investors must also monitor manufacturing complexity, elevated inventory and the risk that the highly anticipated launch becomes a sell-the-news event. Huawei launches Mate XT2

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $317.01, for a total value of $456,177.39. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 35,790 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,345,787.90. This represents a 3.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total transaction of $34,236.24. Following the sale, the insider owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,425,754.82. This trade represents a 0.30% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 5,872 shares of company stock valued at $1,823,201. 0.06% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on AAPL shares. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $270.00 target price on shares of Apple in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. HSBC restated a “buy” rating and issued a $366.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a report on Tuesday. Bank of America reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered Apple from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price target on Apple from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $331.53.

Apple Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of NASDAQ AAPL opened at $315.34 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $317.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $291.73. The stock has a market cap of $4.60 trillion, a PE ratio of 36.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. Apple Inc. has a 52-week low of $225.95 and a 52-week high of $344.57.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.04 billion. Apple had a return on equity of 135.46% and a net margin of 27.62%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.57 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

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

Apple Company Profile

Apple Inc is a technology company that designs, develops and markets consumer electronics, software and digital services. Its principal products include the iPhone, Mac computers, iPad tablets, Apple Watch, AirPods and other accessories. The company also develops operating systems and applications that support its hardware products.

Apple’s services business includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple News+, Apple Pay and iCloud. These services provide digital content, payments, cloud storage and subscription offerings across the company’s ecosystem of devices.

Founded in 1976, Apple is headquartered in Cupertino, California, and serves consumers, businesses, educational institutions and government customers worldwide.