North Star Investment Management Corp. Increases Position in Apple Inc. $AAPL

North Star Investment Management Corp. grew its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 239,122 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after buying an additional 4,365 shares during the period. Apple makes up 3.8% of North Star Investment Management Corp.’s portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest position. North Star Investment Management Corp.’s holdings in Apple were worth $69,192,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in AAPL. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new position in shares of Apple in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC increased its stake 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 purchasing an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. Timmons Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Apple during the 4th quarter worth approximately $69,000. LSV Asset Management bought a new position in Apple in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $65,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC bought a new position in Apple in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $76,000. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Apple Stock Down 0.1%

AAPL stock opened at $324.96 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.74 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.27, a PEG ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.09. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $313.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $289.62. Apple Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $225.95 and a fifty-two week high of $344.57.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last announced its earnings results 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 company had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.57 earnings per share. Apple’s quarterly revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th were given a dividend of $0.27 per share. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 10th. Apple’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.39%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $310.95, for a total transaction of $447,457.05. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 37,229 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,576,357.55. This trade represents a 3.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of Apple stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total transaction of $34,236.24. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. The trade was a 0.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 4,433 shares of company stock worth $1,367,024. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on AAPL shares. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and set a $365.00 price objective (up from $315.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Seaport Research Partners lowered Apple from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $365.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Piper Sandler began coverage on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, August 17th. They set an “overweight” rating for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $330.61.

Apple News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CEO transition initially welcomed: John Ternus officially became CEO on Sept. 1 after 25 years at Apple, while Tim Cook remains executive chairman. Investors view Ternus’s hardware expertise as providing continuity, and Apple shares rose sharply during his first day in the role. Apple shares rise as John Ternus takes over as CEO
• Positive Sentiment: Constructive analyst outlook: Morgan Stanley reaffirmed its overweight rating and set a $360 price target, while Bank of America reiterated Buy with a $380 target. Analysts see potential for Apple to strengthen its position in the AI era through hardware, services and a new product cycle.
• Positive Sentiment: Foldable iPhone could add significant revenue: Morgan Stanley estimates Apple’s anticipated foldable iPhone could contribute approximately $14 billion in December-quarter revenue, creating a potential new growth engine. Apple foldable iPhone revenue estimate
• Neutral Sentiment: Sept. 9 launch is the key near-term catalyst: Wall Street considers the upcoming iPhone event an important test of pricing power, consumer demand, AI capabilities and whether Apple can sustain growth beyond its mature smartphone franchise. Ternus has described the launch as “phenomenal.” Why the next iPhone launch matters
• Neutral Sentiment: Leadership incentives align with shareholders: Ternus’s approximately $55 million–$58 million compensation package is heavily tied to Apple’s performance relative to the S&P 500. Cook will receive about $47 million as executive chairman, supporting continuity but underscoring his continued influence.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and growth concerns remain: DA Davidson maintained a Neutral rating with a $270 target, and Rosenblatt kept Neutral despite raising its target to $303. Analysts warn that Apple may need the foldable iPhone and stronger AI execution to avoid a revenue slowdown next year, while its premium valuation leaves limited room for disappointment.
• Negative Sentiment: AI, memory costs and legal risks weigh on sentiment: Apple trails some rivals in AI, faces elevated memory-chip costs that could pressure margins, and is engaged in a contentious trade-secrets lawsuit with OpenAI. OpenAI denies Apple’s allegations, increasing uncertainty around the dispute.

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.