Paul R. Ried Financial Group LLC Sells 1,909 Shares of Apple Inc. $AAPL

Paul R. Ried Financial Group LLC lowered its position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 6.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 29,176 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 1,909 shares during the quarter. Apple makes up approximately 3.4% of Paul R. Ried Financial Group LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. Paul R. Ried Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $7,405,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new position in shares of Apple in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC grew its position in Apple by 1,800.0% during the 1st quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. Timmons Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Apple during the 4th quarter valued at $69,000. LSV Asset Management acquired a new stake in Apple during the 4th quarter valued at $65,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC bought a new position in Apple in the 4th quarter valued at $76,000. 67.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Apple Stock Up 0.5%

NASDAQ AAPL opened at $311.00 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.54 trillion, a P/E ratio of 35.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.09. Apple Inc. has a 52 week low of $205.59 and a 52 week high of $344.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.00. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $309.43 and a 200-day moving average of $282.62.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $109.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.04 billion. Apple had a return on equity of 135.46% and a net margin of 27.62%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.57 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 EPS for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th will be given a dividend of $0.27 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 10th. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Apple’s payout ratio is currently 12.39%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Apple news, insider Ben Borders sold 1,274 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.00, for a total value of $369,460.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,226,770. This trade represents a 3.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.06% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong iPhone demand supports the recovery. Apple’s fiscal third-quarter revenue reached a June-quarter record of $109.4 billion, while external data indicate quarterly iPhone sales were stronger than headline disclosures suggested. India sales reportedly exceeded $10 billion, highlighting potential for further geographic growth. Apple’s Quarterly iPhone Sales Were Even Better Than They Seem
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts and commentators view the selloff as excessive. Bullish coverage points to Apple’s ecosystem, balance sheet, recurring services revenue and long-term ability to benefit from artificial intelligence, while CNBC commentators recommended remaining long AAPL. Apple’s Selloff Is Overdone
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple is preparing for a leadership transition. Tim Cook’s final quarter as CEO was a record June quarter, but John Ternus now inherits questions about AI execution, product innovation and growth. September product rumors, including a possible foldable iPhone, could provide a future catalyst but remain unconfirmed. Tim Cook’s Last Quarter as CEO Was Apple’s Best June Quarter Ever
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple’s legal battle with OpenAI is escalating. Apple is seeking an injunction over alleged trade-secret misuse, while OpenAI has publicly challenged Apple’s claims. The dispute may protect Apple’s technology but also introduces legal and strategic uncertainty around AI hardware plans. Apple Seeks Preliminary Injunction Against OpenAI
• Negative Sentiment: Cost pressures and cautious guidance remain the main overhangs. Reports say memory prices are expected to rise, potentially compressing margins and increasing iPhone costs. Analysts including DZ Bank, China Renaissance and Phillip Securities downgraded AAPL, citing persistent component inflation, slower Services growth and an unclear AI payoff. AAPL Downgrades as Wall Street Sees Memory Inflation Pressures Persisting
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation leaves little room for disappointment. Despite an earnings beat, AAPL trades at a premium multiple, while Services growth slowed and guidance raised concerns that near-term earnings may not justify the valuation. Google’s expected Pixel Tag could also create incremental competition for AirTag, though the financial impact is likely limited. Apple: A Price That Leaves Nothing for the Buyer

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on AAPL. BNP Paribas Exane raised Apple from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $300.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. China Renaissance downgraded shares of Apple from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $280.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Apple from $345.00 to $340.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Apple from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Monday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $330.44.

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.