Rockland Trust Co. Has $94.05 Million Stake in Apple Inc. $AAPL

Rockland Trust Co. decreased its stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 2.0% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 325,023 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 6,470 shares during the quarter. Apple comprises 3.7% of Rockland Trust Co.’s portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest holding. Rockland Trust Co.’s holdings in Apple were worth $94,049,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new position in Apple during the fourth quarter valued at $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Apple by 1,800.0% in 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. LSV Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of Apple in the 4th quarter worth about $65,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Apple in the 4th quarter worth about $69,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC purchased a new position in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter worth about $76,000. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Apple Trading Down 0.6%

AAPL stock opened at $309.35 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $4.51 trillion, a PE ratio of 35.48, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 1.09. Apple Inc. has a 12 month low of $224.69 and a 12 month high of $344.57. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $310.63 and its 200 day moving average is $287.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.93.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.04 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.57 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 EPS for the current year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

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

Key Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Incoming CEO John Ternus is expected to reassess Apple’s research-and-development budget and potentially increase spending on AI. Analysts see stronger investment in Siri and other AI products as a way to close the gap with technology rivals. Apple Could Get a New R&D and AI Budget
• Positive Sentiment: Potential product catalysts include an AI-enhanced Siri expected later this year, camera-equipped AI AirPods targeted for 2027 and a foldable iPhone that one analyst estimates could sell 14 million units by 2027. Successful launches could support a major upgrade cycle. Apple Wants to Pay Publishers to Improve Siri
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s nationwide rollout of contactless payments will add Apple Pay acceptance across its U.S. stores, websites and apps. The move expands Apple Pay’s reach and strengthens Apple’s services ecosystem. Walmart Adds Apple Pay Nationwide
• Neutral Sentiment: Options activity showed a modestly bullish bias, with calls outnumbering puts, while implied volatility remained below its 52-week median. However, the signal was not strong enough to establish a decisive near-term direction. Apple Options Sentiment
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple’s leadership change on September 1 is creating both opportunity and uncertainty. Bank of America maintains a Buy view but says Ternus must deliver more surprising products and technologies because the company has become increasingly predictable. Apple Must Relearn How to Surprise
• Negative Sentiment: Apple reportedly cut more than 200 positions tied to Siri and the Vision Pro headset while redirecting resources toward future devices. The restructuring may improve efficiency, but it also highlights execution challenges in AI and spatial computing.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts have warned that Apple’s insulation from macroeconomic and competitive headwinds is fading. With shares trading at a high earnings multiple, investors may be less tolerant of slower growth, regulatory pressure and delays in AI products. Apple’s Immunity to Headwinds Is Fading
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Apple is quietly shifting attention toward China add geopolitical and demand risk, while its substantial tax settlement and filings highlighting large profits routed through Ireland could renew regulatory scrutiny.
• Negative Sentiment: Senior Vice President Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares under a prearranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The transaction is relatively small and does not necessarily signal a change in fundamentals, but it provides a modest negative headline.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AAPL has been the topic of several analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $270.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on Apple from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $400.00 target price on Apple and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Finally, BTIG Research started coverage on Apple in a report on Monday, August 17th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $330.53.

Insider Activity at Apple

In related news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total value of $34,236.24. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 38,713 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. The trade was a 0.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.49, for a total value of $442,478.11. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 38,668 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,890,023.32. This trade represents a 3.59% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 2,994 shares of company stock valued at $919,567 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

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.