Apple Inc. $AAPL Shares Acquired by JGP Wealth Management LLC

JGP Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 5.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 231,740 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after buying an additional 11,904 shares during the period. Apple comprises about 6.6% of JGP Wealth Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest position. JGP Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $63,001,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AAPL. Overbrook Management Corp boosted its holdings in Apple by 57.4% in the fourth quarter. Overbrook Management Corp now owns 104,648 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $28,449,000 after purchasing an additional 38,174 shares in the last quarter. Monarch Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Apple by 4.6% during the second quarter. Monarch Capital Management Inc. now owns 66,967 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $13,740,000 after purchasing an additional 2,920 shares in the last quarter. Highland Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Apple by 2.2% during the third quarter. Highland Capital Management LLC now owns 397,834 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $101,301,000 after purchasing an additional 8,446 shares in the last quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI lifted its position in shares of Apple by 48.4% during the 3rd quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 1,426,605 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $363,256,000 after buying an additional 465,393 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tufton Capital Management boosted its holdings in shares of Apple by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter. Tufton Capital Management now owns 100,130 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $25,496,000 after buying an additional 4,157 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Apple Price Performance

Shares of AAPL opened at $246.63 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 0.97. Apple Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $169.21 and a fifty-two week high of $288.62. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $260.06 and a 200-day simple moving average of $263.04. The company has a market capitalization of $3.62 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.10.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The iPhone maker reported $2.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.67 by $0.17. Apple had a return on equity of 159.94% and a net margin of 27.04%.The firm had revenue of $143.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $138.25 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.40 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently commented on AAPL. Jefferies Financial Group set a $330.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Maxim Group upgraded shares of Apple from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, January 30th. Raymond James Financial reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $325.00 target price on Apple in a report on Monday, February 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $297.58.

Apple News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: iPhone demand in China remains robust, with Apple taking share as some Android rivals face pricing and inventory pressure — a direct revenue/cycle tailwind for AAPL. iPhone Demand Holds Strong in China
• Positive Sentiment: Wedbush and other outlets see WWDC/June events as potential catalysts; Wedbush reiterated Outperform ratings that support the view of near-term upside if new software/hardware impress. Wedbush: This June Will Be a Huge Month for Apple
• Positive Sentiment: Apple is staffing up for AI and plans a more capable Siri/standalone app and App Store–centric AI approach — moves that could bolster services revenue and device differentiation over time. Hiring of Google’s Lilian Rincon to lead AI marketing signals commitment. Apple Recruits Google Shopping Exec to Lead AI Marketing
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple’s 50th-anniversary events and retrospective coverage boost brand momentum and PR but are unlikely to move fundamentals immediately. Apple Celebrates 50 Years
• Neutral Sentiment: Options and derivatives flows show traders positioning for a near-term inflection — volatility is elevated and could amplify moves in either direction. Apple Stock at a Crossroads: Options Traders
• Negative Sentiment: Tech sector weakness/market-wide selloff is pressuring AAPL along with peers — broader risk-off is the dominant near-term driver of today’s decline. Sector Update: Tech Stocks Fall
• Negative Sentiment: A UK fine was levied on an Apple subsidiary for breaching Russian sanctions — a modest financial hit but a reminder of geographies/regulatory risk. Apple subsidiary fined for breaching Russian sanctions
• Negative Sentiment: Negative takes and forecasts (including pieces predicting Apple underperformance vs. other mega-caps) are contributing to headline risk and investor caution. Prediction: Apple Will Be the Worst “Magnificent Seven” Stock

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.