Apple Inc. $AAPL Stock Position Boosted by Meiji Yasuda America Inc

Meiji Yasuda America Inc boosted its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 28.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 136,631 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after buying an additional 30,583 shares during the period. Apple accounts for approximately 6.6% of Meiji Yasuda America Inc’s holdings, making the stock its 2nd largest holding. Meiji Yasuda America Inc’s holdings in Apple were worth $39,536,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new position in Apple during the fourth quarter worth approximately $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC raised its stake in Apple by 1,800.0% during the first 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 acquired a new position in shares of Apple in the 4th quarter valued at $65,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Apple in the 4th quarter valued at $69,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter valued at $76,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on AAPL shares. Rosenblatt Securities upped their price objective on Apple from $300.00 to $303.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday. KeyCorp reiterated an “underweight” rating and issued a $250.00 target price on shares of Apple in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Piper Sandler started coverage on Apple in a research report on Monday, August 17th. They set an “overweight” rating for the company. Seaport Research Partners lowered Apple from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” 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 investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price 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.

Insider Transactions at Apple

In other news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.95, for a total value of $447,457.05. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 37,229 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,576,357.55. This represents a 3.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. This trade represents a 0.30% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 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. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Apple Stock Performance

Shares of AAPL stock opened at $324.96 on Thursday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $313.87 and its 200-day simple moving average is $289.62. Apple Inc. has a 52 week low of $225.95 and a 52 week high of $344.57. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The company has a market cap of $4.74 trillion, a PE ratio of 37.27, a P/E/G ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.09.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.57 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 8.74 EPS for the current year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th were paid 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 payout ratio is currently 12.39%.

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.