Apple Inc. $AAPL Stake Raised by Birch Financial Group LLC

Birch Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 11.1% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 28,061 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after buying an additional 2,805 shares during the period. Apple accounts for about 4.2% of Birch Financial Group LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest position. Birch Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $7,145,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC grew its position in Apple by 110.9% during the 3rd quarter. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC now owns 135 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC boosted its stake in shares of Apple by 1,800.0% in the first quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. Nexus Investment Management ULC grew its holdings in Apple by 333.3% during the second quarter. Nexus Investment Management ULC now owns 260 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management purchased a new position in Apple during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $65,000. Finally, Morgan Dempsey Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Apple by 41.0% in the second quarter. Morgan Dempsey Capital Management LLC now owns 430 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $88,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the period. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $270.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Apple from $270.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $276.47 target price on shares of Apple and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Loop Capital reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $325.00 price target (up previously from $315.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Apple has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $292.13.

Trending Headlines about Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Supreme Court ruling likely lowers Apple’s tariff burden and near-term cost exposure — the decision to strike down broad tariffs reduces the company’s past and potential future tariff bills, easing supply-chain costs and improving margins. How the Supreme Court’s decision affects Apple and its $3.3 billion tariff bill
• Positive Sentiment: AI-led market rebound benefits Apple sentiment — coverage notes Apple alongside Nvidia as part of an AI recovery that has lifted tech stocks, supporting investor enthusiasm around Apple’s expanding AI initiatives and device roadmap. This Week’s Market Wrap: AI-Led Volatility, Inflation, And Late-Cycle Risk Signals
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish analyst stance — Wedbush and other bulls urge staying invested, arguing the pullback is overdone and 2026 could be a breakout year for Apple’s AI push, supporting demand for the shares. Ignore the Panic and Keep Buying Apple Stock, According to Wedbush
• Positive Sentiment: New distribution deals expand Apple TV reach — a Reuters report on Apple TV partnering with EverPass to carry live sports into bars/hotels incrementally supports services revenue and content monetization. Apple TV partners with EverPass Media
• Neutral Sentiment: Product/AI feature developments continue — Apple and Google adding music-focused generative-AI features signals steady product evolution but not an immediate revenue inflection. Google Gemini, Apple add music-focused generative AI features
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry supply dynamics — rising DRAM/chip prices are pressuring some hardware players, but coverage flags Apple as a relative bright spot; impact on Apple margins is mixed and dependent on component pass-through. Soaring DRAM Prices Shake Hardware Stocks, but Apple and Arista Remain Bright Spots
• Negative Sentiment: High-profile legal risk — West Virginia sued Apple alleging iCloud facilitated distribution of child sexual abuse material; this raises regulatory, reputational, and potential compliance costs that investors view as a meaningful overhang. Apple Sued Over Allegations of CSAM on iCloud
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional trimming signals caution — reports that Berkshire Hathaway/Warren Buffett and other funds reduced Apple stakes have raised questions about top-holder conviction and added selling pressure. Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett Trims Massive Apple Stake
• Negative Sentiment: Downgrade/concern narratives — some analysts and commentary cite margin pressure and a perceived lack of innovation, which can lengthen any correction if earnings guidance or product cadence disappoints. Apple: Margin Pressure And Lack Of Innovation (Rating Downgrade)

Apple Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of Apple stock opened at $264.58 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. Apple Inc. has a twelve month low of $169.21 and a twelve month high of $288.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.88 trillion, a PE ratio of 33.45, a P/E/G ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 1.09. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $265.00 and its 200 day moving average price is $257.42.

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

Apple Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 12th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 9th were issued a $0.26 dividend. 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 13.15%.

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.