Salem Investment Counselors Inc. Has $262.13 Million Stock Holdings in Apple Inc. $AAPL

Salem Investment Counselors Inc. cut its holdings in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 1.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 964,223 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 11,412 shares during the period. Apple accounts for approximately 7.4% of Salem Investment Counselors Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding. Salem Investment Counselors Inc.’s holdings in Apple were worth $262,134,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of AAPL. Isthmus Partners LLC boosted its stake in Apple by 6.4% in the third quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 97,177 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 5,808 shares during the last quarter. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC grew its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 71 shares during the period. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC raised its position in shares of Apple by 1,800.0% during the 1st quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. LSV Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter valued at $65,000. Finally, 49 Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Apple by 15.7% in the 3rd quarter. 49 Wealth Management LLC now owns 298,920 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $76,000 after purchasing an additional 40,543 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Apple Stock Performance

Shares of Apple stock opened at $246.63 on Tuesday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $260.06 and its 200 day simple moving average is $263.04. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The company has a market capitalization of $3.62 trillion, a PE ratio of 31.18, a PEG ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.10. Apple Inc. has a 12 month low of $169.21 and a 12 month high of $288.62.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The iPhone maker reported $2.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $138.25 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.40 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 15.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 7.28 EPS for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

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

More Apple News

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on AAPL. Stephens set a $315.00 price target on Apple in a research report on Monday, January 26th. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $270.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Moffett Nathanson raised their target price on Apple from $241.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating and set a $315.00 target price (down from $330.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Apple has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $297.58.

About Apple

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.