Apple Inc. $AAPL Holdings Boosted by Meeder Advisory Services Inc.

Meeder Advisory Services Inc. increased its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 1.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 381,218 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after buying an additional 5,750 shares during the quarter. Apple accounts for 4.0% of Meeder Advisory Services Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest position. Meeder Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings in Apple were worth $96,749,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new stake in shares of Apple in the 4th quarter valued at $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC raised its position in 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 purchasing an additional 180 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management bought a new stake in Apple in the fourth quarter worth $65,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Apple in the fourth quarter worth $69,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC purchased a new stake in Apple during the fourth quarter valued at about $76,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on AAPL. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Apple from $364.00 to $360.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Oppenheimer reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and set a $350.00 target price (up from $310.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $365.00 price target on Apple in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $365.00 price target (up from $315.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday, July 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $330.44.

Apple Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $309.46 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $4.52 trillion, a P/E ratio of 35.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 1.09. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $309.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $282.24. Apple Inc. has a twelve month low of $202.16 and a twelve month high of $344.57. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.13. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The business had revenue of $109.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.04 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.57 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 EPS for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 13th. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th will be paid a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 10th. Apple’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.39%.

Key Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: India proposed extending tax exemptions for equipment suppliers to contract manufacturers through 2041. The policy could support Apple’s effort to expand iPhone production in India and reduce reliance on China. India proposes extending tax breaks for contract manufacturing in a boost for Apple
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and bullish investors argue that Apple’s capital-light AI strategy could eventually pay off through its enormous installed base, device upgrades and Services ecosystem, without the infrastructure spending burden faced by hyperscalers. Apple’s AI Strategy Looks Different—Will It Pay Off?
• Positive Sentiment: Apple’s acquisition of PlasmaSolve could improve manufacturing simulations, device coatings and production yields, potentially supporting thinner and stronger future hardware. AAPL Stock Alert: What to Know as Apple Acquires PlasmaSolve
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple asked a U.S. court to block OpenAI and two former employees from using alleged trade secrets. OpenAI has responded by calling the case careless and publishing private communications; the dispute could affect OpenAI’s hardware plans but remains legally unresolved. Apple seeks preliminary injunction against OpenAI in trade secrets case
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple is also challenging a U.K. demand for access to encrypted user data. A favorable outcome could protect its privacy positioning, while prolonged regulatory litigation creates uncertainty. Apple launches fresh legal challenge against UK encrypted data access demand
• Negative Sentiment: The strongest pressure remains financial: Apple exceeded quarterly EPS and revenue estimates, but its outlook was viewed as disappointing. Higher memory and component costs, supply constraints, a Services revenue miss and delayed Apple Intelligence features have undermined confidence in near-term growth.
• Negative Sentiment: China Renaissance, DZ Bank and Phillip Securities downgraded AAPL, citing persistent memory inflation, supply risks and uncertainty over Apple Intelligence returns. With the stock trading around 35 times earnings and a PEG ratio above 2.6, investors are demanding substantial growth to justify the valuation.
• Negative Sentiment: The CEO transition adds execution risk. While some coverage views Cook’s departure as a well-prepared succession, investors will watch whether John Ternus can accelerate AI development and sustain Apple’s growth momentum.

Insider Transactions at Apple

In other Apple news, insider Ben Borders sold 1,274 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.00, for a total value of $369,460.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 38,713 shares in the company, valued at $11,226,770. This trade represents a 3.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.