Baillie Gifford & Co. Sells 10,856 Shares of Apple Inc. $AAPL

Baillie Gifford & Co. reduced its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 1.5% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 710,870 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 10,856 shares during the quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co.’s holdings in Apple were worth $181,009,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of AAPL. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Apple by 110.9% in the 3rd quarter. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC now owns 135 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC lifted its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. Nexus Investment Management ULC boosted its position in Apple by 333.3% during the second quarter. Nexus Investment Management ULC now owns 260 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management purchased a new stake in Apple during the fourth quarter valued at about $65,000. Finally, Morgan Dempsey Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Apple by 41.0% during the second quarter. Morgan Dempsey Capital Management LLC now owns 430 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $88,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during 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 subject of a number of recent research reports. Raymond James Financial reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, January 2nd. Oppenheimer reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Argus set a $325.00 target price on shares of Apple and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, January 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $292.13.

Apple Stock Performance

Shares of AAPL stock opened at $264.58 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $265.00 and a 200 day moving average of $257.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.88 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.45, a PEG ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 1.09. Apple Inc. has a 52 week low of $169.21 and a 52 week high of $288.62.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The iPhone maker reported $2.84 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.67 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $143.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $138.25 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.04% and a return on equity of 159.94%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.40 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 12th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 9th were given a dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 9th. Apple’s payout ratio is presently 13.15%.

Key Apple News

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 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.