Apple Inc. $AAPL is Simplicity Wealth LLC’s 10th Largest Position

Simplicity Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 4.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 107,322 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,018 shares during the period. Apple makes up 1.5% of Simplicity Wealth LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest holding. Simplicity Wealth LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $27,237,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new stake in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC increased 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 valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. Timmons Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Apple during the fourth quarter worth $69,000. LSV Asset Management acquired a new position in Apple during the fourth quarter worth $65,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC purchased a new stake in Apple during the fourth quarter worth $76,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on AAPL. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Raymond James Financial set a $380.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research report on Monday. Wedbush restated an “outperform” rating and set a $400.00 target price on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, June 5th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Apple has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $327.40.

Apple News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ford said it will embed Apple Maps into upcoming EVs, expanding Apple’s software reach and reinforcing the value of its ecosystem. Ford Embeds Apple Maps Directly into Upcoming EVs
• Positive Sentiment: Baird raised its price target on Apple and reiterated an Outperform rating, adding to bullish analyst momentum. Finviz
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary highlighted Apple as outperforming the broader market, supported by strong ratings and a favorable chart setup ahead of earnings. Why is Apple stock outperforming the broader market?
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple was also the subject of discussion around upcoming product launches, AI features, and a possible device-leasing program, which could support demand but remain unconfirmed or longer-term in nature.
• Negative Sentiment: Some reports noted concerns that Apple’s valuation is stretched heading into earnings, and insider sales plus short-interest chatter may temper enthusiasm if results disappoint.

Insider Transactions at Apple

In other Apple news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of Apple stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total value of $34,236.24. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. The trade was a 0.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Apple Trading Up 3.5%

Apple stock opened at $333.02 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $4.89 trillion, a PE ratio of 40.27, a P/E/G ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.10. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $306.62 and a 200 day moving average price of $279.01. Apple Inc. has a 52 week low of $201.50 and a 52 week high of $334.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.95 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $111.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.46 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.15% and a return on equity of 146.69%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 16.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.65 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 14th. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th were paid a dividend of $0.27 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 11th. This is a positive change from Apple’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Apple’s payout ratio is currently 13.06%.

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.