Arbor Investment Advisors LLC Acquires 32,283 Shares of Apple Inc. $AAPL

Arbor Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 150.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 53,712 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after acquiring an additional 32,283 shares during the period. Apple accounts for approximately 1.7% of Arbor Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Arbor Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $13,677,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of AAPL. Financial Futures Ltd Liability Co. increased its position in Apple by 13.2% during the 2nd quarter. Financial Futures Ltd Liability Co. now owns 3,552 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $729,000 after buying an additional 415 shares in the last quarter. Monarch Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Apple by 4.6% in the second quarter. Monarch Capital Management Inc. now owns 66,967 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $13,740,000 after buying an additional 2,920 shares during the last quarter. American National Bank & Trust lifted its stake in shares of Apple by 2.4% in the second quarter. American National Bank & Trust now owns 195,482 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $40,107,000 after buying an additional 4,543 shares in the last quarter. Riverwater Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Apple by 17.9% during the second quarter. Riverwater Partners LLC now owns 5,404 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $1,109,000 after buying an additional 819 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Highland Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Apple by 2.2% during the third quarter. Highland Capital Management LLC now owns 397,834 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $101,301,000 after acquiring an additional 8,446 shares in the last quarter. 67.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AAPL has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded Apple to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $283.36 price objective on shares of Apple in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $300.00 price target on shares of Apple and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Finally, Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and set a $330.00 price objective (up from $315.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Apple currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $284.07.

Apple Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AAPL opened at $255.53 on Tuesday. Apple Inc. has a 12-month low of $169.21 and a 12-month high of $288.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.76 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $271.51 and a 200 day moving average of $249.32.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The iPhone maker reported $1.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.74 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $102.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $101.65 billion. Apple had a net margin of 26.92% and a return on equity of 164.05%. The company’s revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.64 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 10th were paid a $0.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 10th. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 13.92%.

Key Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Holiday-quarter strength in China: iPhone 17 shipments rebounded and Apple reclaimed the top spot in China’s smartphone market, supporting revenue durability in a key region. Apple tops China smartphone sales as iPhone 17 defies chip shortage
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability improvement: Reports highlight Apple achieved ~+13% adjusted EPS growth, reinforcing that earnings momentum remains intact even as investors debate valuation. Apple (AAPL) Achieved an Adjusted EPS Growth of +13%
• Positive Sentiment: Apple Card shift to JPMorgan: JPMorgan Chase taking over the Apple Card from Goldman Sachs signals a strategic partner move that may stabilize the card program and payments revenue. JPMorgan Chase Is About to Take Over the Apple Card Business From Goldman Sachs. Here’s What Investors Need to Know.
• Neutral Sentiment: Siri AI collaboration with Google: Apple’s move to integrate Google’s Gemini into Siri could boost AI capabilities but raises strategic questions about Google reliance and long-term differentiation. Impact depends on execution and regulatory optics. As Apple Teams Up with Google on Siri AI Upgrades, Should You Buy AAPL Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: App ecosystem signal: New Apple Watch apps (e.g., MOJO KING) show continued third‑party innovation leveraging Apple’s wearables, a modest positive for Services/Hardware attach but not a material driver alone. 6Letters Launches “MOJO KING,” an Apple Watch-Based iOS App for Non-Invasive Testosterone Monitoring
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk in India: A key antitrust hearing is set for Jan. 27, adding near-term legal and market-access uncertainty in a large growth market. Traders may be marking down risk exposure ahead of the date. Dear Apple Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for January 27
• Negative Sentiment: Sentiment and positioning: Jim Cramer said it “worries” him that buyers haven’t stepped in, reflecting cautious retail/institutional appetite and contributing to short‑term selling pressure. Jim Cramer on Apple: “It worries me that the buyers haven’t figured out to buy it yet”
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/sector rotation: Coverage notes the “Magnificent Seven” are diverging as the AI trade cools; that group-level rotation is pressuring Apple alongside some hedge fund stake trimming. The Magnificent Seven Drove Markets. Now They’re Pulling in Different Directions.

Insider Activity at Apple

In other news, insider Chris Kondo sold 3,752 shares of Apple stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $271.23, for a total transaction of $1,017,654.96. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 15,098 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,095,030.54. The trade was a 19.90% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.06% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Apple Company 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.