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An unprecedented number of Apple customers have reported receiving a recent threat notification alerting them to suspected spyware attacks targeting their devices, according to experts who investigate these types of incidents. 

Several people publicly and privately reported receiving Apple’s spyware alerts over the weekend, after Apple sent out a new wave of notifications on Friday alerting customers in 110 countries that they had been targeted with powerful spyware. 

From time to time, the technology giant sends these types of alerts in batches to customers that it believes have been either targeted or compromised with malware normally used by governments, which the company refers to as “mercenary spyware.” In the last few years, Apple says it has alerted people in more than 150 countries.

The latest batch appears to have been the largest yet, per one of the digital rights groups that Apple suggests victims of spyware reach out to for help.  

Mohammed Al-Maskati, the director of the Access Now team of investigators who review and investigate reports to the helpline, told TechCrunch that since Friday, they have received a record high number of people reaching out for help. This includes people who had already received threat notifications in the past. 

Al-Maskati said the number is around 30% to 40% more than the nonprofit’s investigators usually receive after Apple sends out new notifications. 

Cybersecurity firm iVerify also confirmed to TechCrunch that it was seeing an influx in threat notifications from Apple.

An unusually large number of people have also publicly reported receiving these notifications over the weekend as well, according to several social media posts.

Contact Us Have you received a notification from Apple about being targeted with mercenary spyware? Or do you have information about spyware makers? We would love to hear from you. From a non-work device, you can contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai securely on Signal at +1 917 257 1382, or via Telegram and Keybase @lorenzofb, or email.

One of them is a Ukraine Armed Forces soldier who said he is fighting the war against Russia. The soldier, who asked to remain anonymous to protect himself, said that he initially thought it was a scam, until he verified it with Apple.

“I was a bit surprised to be honest, I wouldn’t have thought I was important enough for them to target me like this. I am flattered though,” the soldier told TechCrunch. 

The soldier also said that he is aware of other people in Ukraine’s military who have received the same notification. “They were a bit worried,” he said. 

The Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine (CERT-UA) did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment, asking whether it was aware of other Ukrainians, particularly soldiers, receiving these notifications.  

John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at The Citizen Lab, a digital rights group that has investigated government spyware attacks for more than 15 years, told TechCrunch that the reports show that spyware attacks may be more prevalent than people realize. 

“The scale and geographic diversity of public posts about receiving notifications are pretty unprecedented,” said Scott-Railton. “For every public notification like this, you can imagine there’s a huge notification iceberg that the public will never learn about. This is a clear indication that something bigger is going on.”

Both Al-Maskati and Scott-Railton said that the volume of people receiving the alerts could also be attributed to Apple’s new methods of alerting users.

Starting this year, Apple now notifies users on their iPhone lock screen, in their Settings app, via the email associated with their Apple account, and when users log in to their Apple Account on the web.

“Apple’s new notification method has helped raise awareness of the issue’s importance, making it harder for users to ignore,” Al-Maskati said.

Apple did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment. 

If you’ve received one of these notifications, take it seriously. If you are not a journalist, dissident, or human rights defender, there are other organizations that can help you investigate.

If you haven’t already, as Apple and experts suggest, turn on Lockdown Mode, a special security feature designed to make it harder to hack iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers. Apple has said that it is not aware of anyone who had Lockdown Mode enabled getting hacked.

Updated with additional data from iVerify.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai is a Senior Writer at TechCrunch, where he covers hacking, cybersecurity, surveillance, and privacy.

You can contact or verify outreach from Lorenzo by emailing [email protected], via encrypted message at +1 917 257 1382 on Signal, and @lorenzofb on Keybase/Telegram.

Timm Schulze-Melander, Rothschild & Co. Redburn head of technology hardware and semi research, joins 'The Exchange' to discuss speculation over Apple's new foldable iPhone.

Rothschild & Co Redburn has upgraded Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) to ‘Buy' from ‘Neutral' and raised its Apple stock price target to $400 from $260.

Apple will change rules governing how app developers can use personal data for ​targeted advertising on iPhones and iPads, Germany's competition ‌authority said on Monday, closing a years-long investigation.

The Federal Cartel Office found that Apple's App Tracking Transparency framework gave its ​own apps more favourable consent prompts than ​those of third-party developers, potentially breaching competition ⁠rules.

Apple has four months to implement the changes ​after the decision is served. Commitments run for seven ​years and will be monitored by a trustee.

Under the commitments, consent pop-ups for third-party apps must be redesigned to remove ​discouraging language and symbols, and made visually and ​linguistically neutral.

Third-party app publishers will also gain more flexibility to ‌combine ⁠Apple's required consent request with separate data-protection consent prompts.

Apple said the changes would apply in almost all European Union countries and that it had adapted ​the text and ​design of ⁠the consent prompt at the authority's request.

Developers of third-party apps, including Facebook parent ​Meta Platforms (META.O), aim for accurate user ​data ⁠so that targeted adverts can be displayed on devices. These generate more revenue than broader campaigns.

France and Italy ⁠have ​already fined Apple €150 million and €98.6 ​million, respectively, over the ATT framework.

Blue Edge Capital LLC grew its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) by 19.2% during the undefined quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 66,604 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after acquiring an additional 10,730 shares during the

Foguth Wealth Management LLC. increased its holdings in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) by 13.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 34,238 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after acquiring an additional 3,986 shares during the period. Apple

CoreFirst Bank and Trust lessened its stake in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) by 7.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 38,753 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 3,039 shares during the quarter. Apple comprises about

Posted by Defense World Staff on Aug 16th, 2026

Dala Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 10,629 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock, valued at approximately $2,699,000. Apple accounts for approximately 2.3% of Dala Group LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 10th biggest position.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of AAPL. JMG Financial Group Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Apple by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. JMG Financial Group Ltd. now owns 5,102 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $1,295,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Reyes Financial Architecture Inc. lifted its holdings in Apple by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Reyes Financial Architecture Inc. now owns 9,898 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $2,520,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Interactive Financial Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Apple by 4.0% in the fourth quarter. Interactive Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 1,051 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $286,000 after buying an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Sugar Maple Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Apple by 2.0% in the first quarter. Sugar Maple Asset Management LLC now owns 2,029 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $515,000 after buying an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Orion Investment Co grew its stake in Apple by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Orion Investment Co now owns 14,354 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $3,902,000 after buying an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. HSBC upgraded Apple from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $260.00 to $366.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Barclays reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and set a $245.00 price target (down from $253.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. DZ Bank downgraded Apple from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $310.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $328.60.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on AAPL

Apple Price Performance Shares of AAPL stock opened at $305.93 on Friday. Apple Inc. has a 1 year low of $223.78 and a 1 year high of $344.57. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $308.98 and its 200-day moving average is $285.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.46 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.08, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The business had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.57 earnings per share. Apple’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th were given a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 10th. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.39%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Apple In other news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares of Apple stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.75, for a total value of $442,852.25. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 40,107 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,342,929.25. This trade represents a 3.46% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 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 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. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Apple News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

Positive Sentiment: Apple is reportedly training a China-specific large language model with Alibaba’s support. The initiative could bring Apple Intelligence to Chinese users, improve Apple’s competitive position against Huawei and reduce reliance on third-party AI models in a key market. Apple trains China-specific AI model Positive Sentiment: Apple opened an advanced manufacturing center in Houston that will support AI-server production, Mac mini assembly and workforce training. The facility reinforces Apple’s U.S. investment plans and may improve supply-chain resilience and relations with policymakers. Apple opens Houston manufacturing facility Positive Sentiment: Apple reportedly received about $2.2 billion in tariff refunds. The cash recovery could offset some trade-related expenses and support near-term earnings and cash flow. Apple tariff refund report Positive Sentiment: Apple is discussing usage-based content agreements with publishers to improve the upgraded Siri’s access to current information. A stronger Siri could help narrow Apple’s perceived AI gap and support future services growth. Apple publisher talks for Siri Neutral Sentiment: Apple proposed a 15% commission on purchases made through external links in iOS apps amid its continuing legal dispute with Epic. The proposal could preserve some App Store revenue, but the final regulatory and legal outcome remains uncertain. Apple proposes external purchase commission Neutral Sentiment: Apple’s valuation remains demanding, with a market capitalization near $4.5 trillion and a forward earnings outlook that leaves the stock sensitive to execution. An insider sale by SVP Jennifer Newstead was disclosed, though such transactions do not necessarily indicate a change in corporate fundamentals. Apple insider sale Negative Sentiment: Jefferies downgraded Apple, citing concerns about the canceled or delayed all-glass iPhone concept, limited near-term AI momentum and rising memory-chip costs. Higher component prices could pressure margins and make it harder for Apple to justify its premium valuation. Jefferies Apple downgrade and iPhone concerns Negative Sentiment: Google’s Pixel 11 is placing Gemini more deeply into the smartphone experience, raising the competitive stakes for Apple ahead of the iPhone 18 launch and Siri’s broader overhaul. About Apple (Free Report)

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.

See Also Five stocks we like better than Apple Is Best Buy the AI Winner Hiding in the Electronics Aisle? Applied Materials Beat Everything but Wall Street’s Expectations for Margins Back From Orbit, Intuitive Machines’ Share Price Enters the Buy Zone Texas Roadhouse and Brinker International Have the Recipe Rivals Are Missing Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AAPL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report).

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Posted by Defense World Staff on Aug 16th, 2026

Caerus Investment Advisors LLC cut its stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) by 8.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 20,082 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 1,899 shares during the quarter. Apple accounts for about 2.1% of Caerus Investment Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest holding. Caerus Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $5,097,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JMG Financial Group Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Apple by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. JMG Financial Group Ltd. now owns 5,102 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $1,295,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the period. Reyes Financial Architecture Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Apple by 0.4% in the third quarter. Reyes Financial Architecture Inc. now owns 9,898 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $2,520,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the period. Interactive Financial Advisors Inc. increased its position in Apple by 4.0% during the fourth quarter. Interactive Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 1,051 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $286,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Sugar Maple Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Apple by 2.0% in the first quarter. Sugar Maple Asset Management LLC now owns 2,029 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $515,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. Finally, Orion Investment Co boosted its position in Apple by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Orion Investment Co now owns 14,354 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $3,902,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling In other Apple news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.75, for a total transaction of $442,852.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 40,107 shares in the company, valued at $12,342,929.25. This trade represents a 3.46% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of Apple 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 directly owned 38,713 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. The trade was a 0.30% decrease in their position. 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. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Apple Price Performance AAPL stock opened at $305.93 on Friday. 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 company’s fifty day moving average price is $308.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $285.19. Apple Inc. has a one year low of $223.78 and a one year high of $344.57. The company has a market capitalization of $4.46 trillion, a PE ratio of 35.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.09.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last issued 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. Apple had a return on equity of 135.46% and a net margin of 27.62%.The firm had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.57 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th were paid a dividend of $0.27 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 10th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. Apple’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.39%.

Apple News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

Positive Sentiment: Apple is reportedly training a China-specific large language model with Alibaba’s support. The initiative could bring Apple Intelligence to Chinese users, improve Apple’s competitive position against Huawei and reduce reliance on third-party AI models in a key market. Apple trains China-specific AI model Positive Sentiment: Apple opened an advanced manufacturing center in Houston that will support AI-server production, Mac mini assembly and workforce training. The facility reinforces Apple’s U.S. investment plans and may improve supply-chain resilience and relations with policymakers. Apple opens Houston manufacturing facility Positive Sentiment: Apple reportedly received about $2.2 billion in tariff refunds. The cash recovery could offset some trade-related expenses and support near-term earnings and cash flow. Apple tariff refund report Positive Sentiment: Apple is discussing usage-based content agreements with publishers to improve the upgraded Siri’s access to current information. A stronger Siri could help narrow Apple’s perceived AI gap and support future services growth. Apple publisher talks for Siri Neutral Sentiment: Apple proposed a 15% commission on purchases made through external links in iOS apps amid its continuing legal dispute with Epic. The proposal could preserve some App Store revenue, but the final regulatory and legal outcome remains uncertain. Apple proposes external purchase commission Neutral Sentiment: Apple’s valuation remains demanding, with a market capitalization near $4.5 trillion and a forward earnings outlook that leaves the stock sensitive to execution. An insider sale by SVP Jennifer Newstead was disclosed, though such transactions do not necessarily indicate a change in corporate fundamentals. Apple insider sale Negative Sentiment: Jefferies downgraded Apple, citing concerns about the canceled or delayed all-glass iPhone concept, limited near-term AI momentum and rising memory-chip costs. Higher component prices could pressure margins and make it harder for Apple to justify its premium valuation. Jefferies Apple downgrade and iPhone concerns Negative Sentiment: Google’s Pixel 11 is placing Gemini more deeply into the smartphone experience, raising the competitive stakes for Apple ahead of the iPhone 18 launch and Siri’s broader overhaul. Analysts Set New Price Targets AAPL has been the subject of several research reports. Monness Crespi & Hardt upped their price target on shares of Apple from $315.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Barclays reissued an “underweight” rating and issued a $245.00 price objective (down from $253.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities lifted their price target on shares of Apple from $276.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $328.60.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on AAPL

Apple Company Profile (Free Report)

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.

See Also Five stocks we like better than Apple Is Best Buy the AI Winner Hiding in the Electronics Aisle? Applied Materials Beat Everything but Wall Street’s Expectations for Margins Back From Orbit, Intuitive Machines’ Share Price Enters the Buy Zone Texas Roadhouse and Brinker International Have the Recipe Rivals Are Missing

Receive News & Ratings for Apple Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Apple and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

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Jim Cramer singled out Tim Cook on a recent Mad Money episode for achieving something rare in modern business: building a company whose products people treat as personal companions rather than consumer electronics.

“He built the greatest consumer-based enterprise in history,” Cramer said, reflecting on Cook’s tenure as Apple heads into a leadership transition. Cook will hand the CEO role to hardware engineering chief John Ternus in September, stepping into an executive chairman position. Cramer’s commentary came in response to Cook’s farewell letter, in which the outgoing CEO described starting his mornings reading customer emails. Cook cited messages about the Apple Watch saving lives, writing: “In every one of those emails, I feel the beating heart of our shared humanity.”

That philosophy separates Apple from every other hardware company and explains a valuation premium Wall Street once reserved for enterprise software. When Cook took over in 2011, Apple’s stock traded at a price-to-earnings multiple in the low-to-mid teens. Today it commands a multiple closer to 30 times forward earnings, a level historically associated with high-margin software businesses.

The Numbers Behind the “Friend Device” Thesis Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL | AAPL Price Prediction) has the financial results to back Cramer’s framing. In Q3 2026, the company posted revenue of $109.42 billion, above analyst estimates of $109.04 billion, and EPS of $2.02, which beat analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.89 by 13 cents.

The installed base tells the same story at scale. Apple’s active device count is now above 2.5 billion, an all-time high. Cook called it “a testament to incredible customer satisfaction.” That base generates the Services flywheel: more devices mean more subscribers, which means more recurring, high-margin revenue, which funds the next hardware cycle.

Cramer also made a pointed valuation observation. Enterprise software companies command premium multiples because their customers are contractually sticky. Apple has achieved the same stickiness through emotional attachment rather than contracts. The result: a trailing P/E of 35x and a forward P/E of 34.87x, with 21 analysts rating the a Buy versus just four Sell ratings. The consensus analyst price target sits at $328.60, more than 7% above the current price of $305.48.

The market’s reaction to Cook’s exit reinforces Cramer’s point. When Steve Jobs stepped down in 2011, Apple shares dropped sharply. This time, the stock has been largely steady. Investors appear to believe the brand Cook built is bigger than any single leader. The CNBC article covering Cook’s legacy noted his stock increased roughly 1,900% during his tenure, a figure that reflects both operational discipline and the durable consumer relationships Cramer described.

For investors, the key question heading into the Ternus era is whether that emotional loyalty transfers. The full fiscal year 2025 delivered $416.16 billion in revenue and $112.01 billion in net income, a foundation that gives the next CEO considerable runway. The most recent SEC filing details the full financial picture for investors who want to dig deeper.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

BankChampaign National Association purchased a new stake in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 6,178 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock, valued at approximately $1,568,000. Apple accounts for approximately 1.6% of BankChampaign National Association’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest position.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in AAPL. Norges Bank bought a new position in Apple in the 4th quarter worth $52,266,468,000. Nuveen LLC bought a new stake in Apple in the first quarter worth about $17,472,482,000. Cardano Risk Management B.V. increased its stake in Apple by 890.7% in the fourth quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 41,984,810 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $11,413,990,000 after purchasing an additional 37,746,784 shares during the period. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Apple by 20,464.8% during the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 27,069,029 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $5,553,753,000 after buying an additional 26,937,401 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Apple by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,426,283,914 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $387,749,545,000 after purchasing an additional 26,856,752 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling
In other Apple news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.75, for a total transaction of $442,852.25. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 40,107 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,342,929.25. The trade was a 3.46% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the insider owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. This 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. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

Positive Sentiment: Apple is reportedly training a China-specific large language model with Alibaba’s support. The initiative could bring Apple Intelligence to Chinese users, improve Apple’s competitive position against Huawei and reduce reliance on third-party AI models in a key market. Apple trains China-specific AI model
Positive Sentiment: Apple opened an advanced manufacturing center in Houston that will support AI-server production, Mac mini assembly and workforce training. The facility reinforces Apple’s U.S. investment plans and may improve supply-chain resilience and relations with policymakers. Apple opens Houston manufacturing facility
Positive Sentiment: Apple reportedly received about $2.2 billion in tariff refunds. The cash recovery could offset some trade-related expenses and support near-term earnings and cash flow. Apple tariff refund report
Positive Sentiment: Apple is discussing usage-based content agreements with publishers to improve the upgraded Siri’s access to current information. A stronger Siri could help narrow Apple’s perceived AI gap and support future services growth. Apple publisher talks for Siri
Neutral Sentiment: Apple proposed a 15% commission on purchases made through external links in iOS apps amid its continuing legal dispute with Epic. The proposal could preserve some App Store revenue, but the final regulatory and legal outcome remains uncertain. Apple proposes external purchase commission
Neutral Sentiment: Apple’s valuation remains demanding, with a market capitalization near $4.5 trillion and a forward earnings outlook that leaves the stock sensitive to execution. An insider sale by SVP Jennifer Newstead was disclosed, though such transactions do not necessarily indicate a change in corporate fundamentals. Apple insider sale
Negative Sentiment: Jefferies downgraded Apple, citing concerns about the canceled or delayed all-glass iPhone concept, limited near-term AI momentum and rising memory-chip costs. Higher component prices could pressure margins and make it harder for Apple to justify its premium valuation. Jefferies Apple downgrade and iPhone concerns
Negative Sentiment: Google’s Pixel 11 is placing Gemini more deeply into the smartphone experience, raising the competitive stakes for Apple ahead of the iPhone 18 launch and Siri’s broader overhaul.

Apple Trading Up 0.2%
NASDAQ AAPL opened at $305.93 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $308.98 and a two-hundred day moving average of $285.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.46 trillion, a PE ratio of 35.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.09. Apple Inc. has a 52 week low of $223.78 and a 52 week 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 – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $109.42 billion for 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 was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.57 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Dividend Announcement
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th were paid a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 10th. Apple’s payout ratio is currently 12.39%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
AAPL has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Apple from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Raymond James Financial reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. HSBC upgraded shares of Apple from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $260.00 to $366.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Phillip Securities lowered Apple from a “hold” rating to a “moderate sell” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Apple from $364.00 to $360.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $328.60.

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Apple Profile
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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.

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Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick urged the iPhone maker to find other solutions to the artificial-intelligence-driven chip supply crunch.

Apple Inc. (AAPL, Financials), the iPhone maker, has developed its own large language model for China with support from Alibaba, marking a shift in how it plans

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At $305.26, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL | AAPL Price Prediction) is a Hold. The stock hovers just above its fundamental floor in the $280 to $300 range, with a genuinely balanced setup.

Apple remains the world’s most valuable consumer technology company, with a $4.41 trillion market cap anchored by iPhone, growing Services annuity, and one of the most aggressive buyback machines in the market. After rallying to a 52-week high near $344, shares pulled back to their 50-day moving average of $309.48, with the 200-day at $280.09 sitting exactly where the floor thesis lives.

The June-quarter earnings report showed $109.4 billion in revenue, up 16% year over year was strong. Yet the stock is down 2.96% over the past month.

The Bull Case: A Trillion-Dollar Buyback Sink Under A Software Multiple Bulls argue Apple has quietly become a software-margin business wearing hardware clothing. Services generated $30.7 billion at a 75.6% gross margin, pulling total company gross margin to 50.1%. That is annuity-like economics investors will pay up for.

Apple repurchased $62.09 billion in stock across the first nine months of FY2026, on top of $90.71 billion in FY2025 buybacks. That constant float compression puts an automatic bid under the stock near $280. Layer in Siri AI, which management called an “off the charts” product, and the AI ecosystem thesis gives bulls a multi-year narrative.

The Bear Case: A 34x Multiple Meets Memory Inflation And Supply Shocks The bear case starts with valuation. At 35x trailing P/E and a 32x forward P/E, Apple trades like a hyper-grower while guiding to only 9% to 11% revenue growth next quarter. The PEG of 2.486 and 42x price-to-book leave zero room for a stumble.

Margin risk is quantifiable. Tim Cook described memory pricing as a “100-year flood” with September-quarter memory costs even higher than June’s. Roughly 2 points of Q3 gross margin and $0.11 of EPS came from one-time tariff refunds. Strip that out and the beat looks routine. Supply chain leverage tilting toward vendors, illustrated by the CXMT pricing standoff, means margin expansion is not guaranteed.

The Hold Case: A Floor That Holds, A Ceiling That Grinds Neither side clearly wins at $305. The floor is real: buybacks, Services mix, and installed base of more than 2.5 billion active devices defend the low end. But upside is narrow. Analyst consensus sits at $322.28, implying only modest room to run.

Prediction markets echo the pinning dynamic. Polymarket traders assign a 98.5% combined probability to Apple closing August between $280 and $296, with just 25% odds of clearing $336. The range holds.

What The Data Says Apple trades at $305.26, up 12.59% year to date and 31.31% over the past year. That YTD figure roughly tracks the broader S&P 500, and Apple’s one-year return has outpaced the index.

The $322.28 analyst target implies roughly 6% upside. Of 46 covering analysts, 28 rate the stock Buy or Strong Buy, 14 Hold, and 4 Sell or Strong Sell. Valuation runs rich at 34x trailing earnings and 9.45x sales, while the full-chain put/call ratio of 0.42 shows options traders leaning bullish.

The Verdict: Waiting For The Next Catalyst At $305.26, Apple is a Hold.

The floor thesis is intact. Aggressive buybacks, expanding Services mix, and growing installed base defend the $280 to $300 range. But at 32x forward earnings against 9% to 11% near-term revenue growth, upside requires Siri AI to prove itself as a monetizable catalyst rather than a demo.

Specific triggers to watch: A Buy re-rate would require Siri AI monetization traction through iCloud Plus upgrades, memory costs peaking, and iPhone 18 momentum through the holiday. A Sell decision would come if September gross margin lands below the 47% floor, supply constraints deepen beyond forecast, or Services growth slips below the guided sub-10% cadence.

The cost of patience is a modest 6% opportunity cost to the analyst target. The cost of acting prematurely is chasing a stock priced too highly into a quarter management already flagged as one they will be “scrambling on the supply side” to deliver. Until Siri AI or memory costs break the standoff, standing pat is the sharpest call.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Financial Avengers Inc. lowered its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) by 3.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 86,019 shares of the iPhone maker's stock after selling 3,423 shares during the period. Apple makes up approximately

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Tim Cook stood in Houston on Wednesday with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick beside him, unveiling a new Apple manufacturing facility in one of his final major appearances as CEO: $60 billion, or 10% of Apple’s broader U.S. investment commitment, is being spent in Texas. For Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL | AAPL Price Prediction) investors, the Houston event marks the last major moment before Cook hands the CEO title to John Ternus on Sept. 1 and becomes Executive Chairman.

What Apple Announced in Houston The new site will host Mac mini production alongside a manufacturing school, echoing CFO commentary and Cook’s own remarks on the July 30 earnings call describing the Apple Advanced Manufacturing Center in Houston, which currently assembles advanced AI servers. Lutnick publicly thanked Apple for its $600 billion U.S. commitment. Cook said: “We’ve been moving at an incredible pace, and that momentum speaks to the urgency of what we hope to accomplish here, because we want to build more than great products. We want to build a future of American manufacturing.” Apple sourced more than 20 billion chips from 24 U.S. factories last year, with more than 100 million coming from TSMC’s Arizona plant this year.

Who Is Actually Paying The $60 billion figure requires context. As CNBC’s MacKenzie Sigalos framed it: “But a lot of what Apple is counting here is spending with suppliers, not Apple owned factories, nor Apple jobs. Foxconn is making much of the capital investment at this Houston site, while Apple commits to buy what comes off the line.” Apple’s direct capital exposure and payroll obligation at Houston are smaller than the headline implies. The arrangement leans on Foxconn to build and operate while Apple guarantees demand, a standard industrial model that preserves Apple’s balance-sheet flexibility. The company held $147 billion in cash and marketable securities against $84 billion of debt at quarter-end and returned $33 billion to shareholders in the June quarter alone. Purchase commitments do not compete with buybacks the way factory capex would.

The Diplomatic Balance Standing beside a cabinet secretary while pursuing Asian supply flexibility reflects Cook’s years of balancing act. Per the CNBC segment, “Cook had Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick beside him as Apple’s reportedly testing Chinese memory maker [YMTC] for its Macs and iPhones, a supplier that Commerce could ultimately restrict.” The YMTC evaluation is reported, not confirmed by Apple. A panelist defended the posture: “Tim Cook’s role is to, well, he’s leaving, but his role as CEO is to benefit Apple shareholders, Apple investors, Apple employees, Apple customers. It’s not to please people who may not like specific political alliances, right?” Cook flagged memory as a live pressure point, calling it “a 100-year flood on the memory pricing with exponential increases in memory prices”.

Cook’s New Role Apple announced in April 2026 that Cook would become Executive Chairman and Ternus would take the CEO seat on Sept. 1. Cook remains at the company. Per the CNBC segment, “They’ve said that when Tim Cook becomes chairman on September 1st, he’ll remain in touch with a lot of these policy makers almost act as this kind of chief diplomat, because he has been so masterful at navigating the Trump White House, which is a very specific skill set, and also managing Beijing, which is their second biggest market after the U.S.” On his July call, Cook said of Ternus: “I couldn’t be more confident in his leadership.”

Where the Stock Stands AAPL closed Thursday at $305.26, up 1% on the day. Shares are up 31.31% over the past year, from $232.47 on Aug. 13, 2025, and up 12.59% year to date, from $271.12 at the end of 2025. The CNBC segment claimed Apple stock is up some 2,200% over Cook’s tenure as CEO, a figure attributed to the segment. The most recent quarterly filing (Q3 FY2026) is available via the SEC 8-K, showing revenue of $109.4 billion, up 16% YoY.

The Handoff Question Cook built a skill set specific and hard to transfer: appearing next to a Commerce Secretary while quietly evaluating suppliers globally. The Foxconn-built Houston line becomes a template for Ternus on Sept. 1, including staged appearances and supplier-heavy capital commitments.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Apple has sent out a new batch of notifications to customers who it suspects have been targeted with spyware capable of hacking into their devices. The tech giant sends out these notifications on occasion to alert its customers that their iPhones, iPads, or Macs might have been compromised with spyware typically used by governments.

Apple told TechCrunch that it sent out the notifications on Thursday to users targeted in 110 countries. Apple says to date it has notified customers in over 150 countries, giving some context to how far government-used spyware has spread around the world.

In a new support article on its website, Apple says it will notify users directly on their iPhone lock screen with a push notification that urges the person to take action. Apple told TechCrunch that it has updated the user experience, making it easier for recipients to access important information on what to do next.

When received, a threat notification will read: “Apple detected a mercenary spyware attack targeted at your iPhone. There are actions you can take now to protect your data and device.”

Apple also sends notifications by email and to users when they log in to their account.

John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at digital research group Citizen Lab, first highlighted the latest batch of spyware notifications in a thread on X.

If you receive a notification like this, take it seriously. We’ve explained before what happens when someone gets a notification saying they’ve been targeted. It may not mean that you have been successfully hacked, but you should still take immediate steps to protect your device and data.

The push notification also opens up advice on who to reach out to for help. You will also be advised to switch on Lockdown Mode, a security feature that makes it far more difficult for spyware attacks to succeed. According to Apple, it has yet to see a case where someone’s device was hacked while Lockdown Mode was enabled.

Spyware attacks are generally rare, but the proliferation of the surveillance technology in recent years has allowed them to be abused by governments and deployed against critics, including members of civil society.

Citizen Lab’s Scott-Railton told TechCrunch that these new push notifications are a “big improvement” in urging people to seek help to secure their devices since Apple debuted its spyware alerts in 2021.

“Notifications create a critical signal that a community is being targeted. People get an alert, and then some of them reach out and seek help. Often this kicks off an investigation that reveals many, many more cases,” said Scott-Railton.

Citing the ongoing scandal in Poland over the former government’s use of spyware against its rivals, Scott-Railton said that without Apple’s notifications, “that entire massive scandal about spyware abuse in the Polish election wouldn’t have been uncovered.”

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Zack Whittaker is the security editor at TechCrunch. He also authors the weekly cybersecurity newsletter, this week in security.

He can be reached via encrypted message at zackwhittaker.1337 on Signal. You can also contact him by email, or to verify outreach, at [email protected].

Apple CEO Tim Cook was joined by government officials, including Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, on Thursday to open a new manufacturing facility offering free training and educational classes for businesses in Houston, Texas.

The facility is also where Apple will manufacture Mac Mini desktop computers later this year, the company said. AI servers for Apple are also assembled at a portion of the location.

"We stood up a factory, started production, and shipped the first advanced AI servers off the line, and with Mac Mini production set to begin later this year," Cook said, adding that Apple had spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the facility.

President Donald Trump has for years pressed Apple to make its iPhone in the U.S. While the company has tried to appease the administration, it's also worried that Trump's proposed tariffs could snarl its business.

Apple has chosen to emphasized the things it does build in the U.S., like components, chips, and cover glass. Cook said on Thursday that Apple had sourced more than 20 billion chips from the U.S. last year and 100 million chips from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s facility in Arizona.

"For decades, America was the great inventor of the world's technology, and we watched that technology be built everywhere else in the world," Lutnick said at the ribbon cutting. "President Trump said, 'Look, that's got to change.'"

"We needed Apple's commitment to build here in America, because they can uniquely, maybe, lead the charge for advanced manufacturing coming to America," Lutnick continued.

The joint appearance comes in the final weeks of Cook's tenure as CEO of Apple. On Sept. 1, he'll become executive chairman, and longtime Apple hardware executive John Ternus will assume the CEO role.

watch now

Cook's appearance with officials could be an early sign of what his future entails, as Apple said Cook would "assist with certain aspects of the company, including engaging with policymakers around the world."

While Apple has never indicated it would manufacture a U.S. iPhone, the company has said in appearances with the Trump administration that many of its components are made in the U.S., and that it diversified its supply chain away from being entirely in China, making a proportion of U.S.-bound iPhones and Macs in India and Vietnam.

Last August, Apple introduced a $600 billion spending commitment that it called the American Manufacturing Program. Through orders, purchase commitments, and an effort to expand production capacity with several semiconductor companies, Apple said it was supporting U.S. manufacturing. It also opened a manufacturing center offering classes and training in Michigan. Classes at the Houston site will include topics like using machine learning for quality control.

Apple leaders have previously appeared with Trump officials to announce Mac Pro manufacturing and server manufacturing in the U.S., but the Mac Mini is a consumer-facing product with higher sales volumes.

In 2019, Cook appeared with Trump at the Austin, Texas factory where the $6,000 Mac Pro was assembled. Last year, in a White House appearance, Cook said Apple would make servers for Apple Intelligence outside of Houston.

The Mac Mini has never been Apple's most popular PC, but it found a second purpose and sold out in some stores this spring as a free program called OpenClaw gained popularity among artificial intelligence enthusiasts, who found that Apple's smallest and least expensive desktop was perfect for running AI agents.

"When I thought about a Mac Mini, I thought, OK, that's like the computer on your desk," Lutnick said. "And then I see Tim. He goes: 'No, no, no.'"

Lutnick said Cook told him you can run advanced AI models on the computer, "and these things are amazing, right?"

watch now

Major U.S. companies are seeing tariff refunds roll in, and the payouts are delivering a meaningful boost to reported earnings.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) alone disclosed nearly $2.2 billion in refunds. The iPhone maker said the refunds added 11 cents per share to its most recent quarter’s earnings, about 5% of the quarter’s total.

Other big-name corporates are enjoying refunds, including:

Nike (NYSE:NKE), which reported $986 million FedEx (NYSE:FDX), $800 million Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) at $640 million and General Motors Co.(NYSE:GM) at $500 million. Read Next

Apple Faces Analyst Downgrade Apple’s stock is under pressure following a downgrade from Jefferies, which shifted its rating to Underperform from Hold and reduced its price target to $263.66 from $285.56. This new target implies approximately 16% downside from current levels, as reported Monday. Gene Munster’s Bullish Outlook Despite the downgrade, Gene Munster remains optimistic about Apple’s prospects. He believes the stock is undervalued and anticipates a strong upgrade cycle for high-end iPhones, which could boost average sale prices. Apple has released minimal details about the iPhone18, which is why one expert thinks investors may be overreacting to supply chain concerns. While Apple and other major companies are benefiting from tariff refunds, a broader analysis suggests that earnings growth for the S&P 500 may not be as robust as it appears, highlighting the importance of scrutinizing individual company results. Read Next

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Posted by Defense World Staff on Aug 13th, 2026

Bull Harbor Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 27,746 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock, valued at approximately $7,042,000. Apple comprises 1.9% of Bull Harbor Capital LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new position in Apple in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC grew its holdings 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 period. LSV Asset Management acquired a new stake in Apple during the 4th quarter worth $65,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter valued at $69,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC bought a new stake in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter valued at $76,000. 67.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More Apple News Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

Positive Sentiment: Apple is testing DRAM chips from China’s ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) for iPhones and MacBooks and has discussed potential supply arrangements. Diversifying memory suppliers could reduce shortages and limit cost pressure, although geopolitical and quality-control risks remain. Apple’s CXMT Bet Could Strengthen Its Memory Supply, But Risks Remain Positive Sentiment: Apple is reportedly in talks with publishers to license content for an AI-powered Siri. Access to current, high-quality information could improve Siri as Apple prepares a major AI-focused iPhone software update. Apple in Talks to Pay Publishers to Improve AI-Powered Siri Positive Sentiment: Apple’s latest quarter remained strong, with revenue up 16.4% year over year and earnings exceeding consensus estimates. Some investors also view the recent pullback as an accumulation opportunity, while Crake Asset Management reportedly increased its Apple position. Neutral Sentiment: Apple hired former American Airlines executive Nate Gatten to lead government affairs, highlighting the importance of tariffs, regulation and White House relations. The appointment could improve policy execution but also underscores heightened political risk. Apple Hires Former American Airlines Executive to Lead Government Affairs Neutral Sentiment: CEO Tim Cook is expected to hand leadership to John Ternus on September 1, while Apple Pay and Wallet chief Jennifer Bailey plans to retire in October. The transitions create execution uncertainty but may also mark a planned leadership refresh. Negative Sentiment: Jefferies cut its Apple rating and price target, questioning whether the company has sufficient iPhone and AI momentum to justify its premium valuation. The firm also cited supply-chain concerns about a high-end all-glass iPhone and weaker average-selling-price growth. Apple Stock Falls After Jefferies Slashes Price Target Negative Sentiment: Memory shortages driven by AI demand are raising Apple’s bill of materials and could pressure margins or force additional iPhone price increases. Google’s new Pixel 11 lineup also intensifies competition in AI-enabled smartphones. Apple additionally faces a class-action lawsuit alleging that its iCloud+ privacy claims misled consumers. Insider Activity at Apple In related news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total value of $34,236.24. Following the sale, the insider directly 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes AAPL has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded Apple from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. KeyCorp reiterated an “underweight” rating and issued a $250.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday, June 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $360.00 target price (down from $370.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane upgraded Apple from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $300.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, April 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Apple has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $328.60.

Read Our Latest Analysis on Apple

Apple Price Performance NASDAQ AAPL opened at $302.25 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $309.12 and a 200 day simple moving average of $284.64. Apple Inc. has a 52-week low of $223.78 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 market cap of $4.41 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.66, a PEG ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.09.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $109.42 billion for 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 business’s revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.57 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 13th. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.27 per share. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 10th. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.39%.

Apple Profile (Free Report)

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.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Apple GE Vernova’s AI Power Boom Faces a Profit Test Cardinal Health Earnings: Can Perfection Get Priced In Twice? Nebius’ Q2 Beat Shows the AI Bottleneck Is Capacity, Not Demand Legacy Jet Builders Stall While Embraer Accelerates to New Highs Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AAPL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report).

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Posted by Defense World Staff on Aug 13th, 2026

Centaurus Financial Inc. boosted its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) by 5.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 212,892 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after buying an additional 11,245 shares during the period. Apple makes up approximately 2.6% of Centaurus Financial Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest holding. Centaurus Financial Inc.’s holdings in Apple were worth $54,030,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of AAPL. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Apple by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,426,283,914 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $387,749,545,000 after purchasing an additional 26,856,752 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in Apple by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 604,056,505 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $164,218,801,000 after purchasing an additional 6,555,392 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Apple by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 358,032,517 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $97,031,587,000 after purchasing an additional 1,866,103 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley boosted its holdings in Apple by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 230,483,035 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $62,659,118,000 after purchasing an additional 1,379,651 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Apple in the fourth quarter valued at $52,266,468,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

More Apple News Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

Positive Sentiment: Apple is testing DRAM chips from China’s ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) for iPhones and MacBooks and has discussed potential supply arrangements. Diversifying memory suppliers could reduce shortages and limit cost pressure, although geopolitical and quality-control risks remain. Apple’s CXMT Bet Could Strengthen Its Memory Supply, But Risks Remain Positive Sentiment: Apple is reportedly in talks with publishers to license content for an AI-powered Siri. Access to current, high-quality information could improve Siri as Apple prepares a major AI-focused iPhone software update. Apple in Talks to Pay Publishers to Improve AI-Powered Siri Positive Sentiment: Apple’s latest quarter remained strong, with revenue up 16.4% year over year and earnings exceeding consensus estimates. Some investors also view the recent pullback as an accumulation opportunity, while Crake Asset Management reportedly increased its Apple position. Neutral Sentiment: Apple hired former American Airlines executive Nate Gatten to lead government affairs, highlighting the importance of tariffs, regulation and White House relations. The appointment could improve policy execution but also underscores heightened political risk. Apple Hires Former American Airlines Executive to Lead Government Affairs Neutral Sentiment: CEO Tim Cook is expected to hand leadership to John Ternus on September 1, while Apple Pay and Wallet chief Jennifer Bailey plans to retire in October. The transitions create execution uncertainty but may also mark a planned leadership refresh. Negative Sentiment: Jefferies cut its Apple rating and price target, questioning whether the company has sufficient iPhone and AI momentum to justify its premium valuation. The firm also cited supply-chain concerns about a high-end all-glass iPhone and weaker average-selling-price growth. Apple Stock Falls After Jefferies Slashes Price Target Negative Sentiment: Memory shortages driven by AI demand are raising Apple’s bill of materials and could pressure margins or force additional iPhone price increases. Google’s new Pixel 11 lineup also intensifies competition in AI-enabled smartphones. Apple additionally faces a class-action lawsuit alleging that its iCloud+ privacy claims misled consumers. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research firms have weighed in on AAPL. Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $360.00 target price (down from $370.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. KGI Securities cut Apple from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $315.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane upgraded Apple from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $300.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, April 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $328.60.

View Our Latest Stock Report on Apple

Apple Trading Down 0.9% AAPL stock opened at $302.25 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. Apple Inc. has a 12-month low of $223.78 and a 12-month high of $344.57. The stock has a market cap of $4.41 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.66, a PEG ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.09. The business’s 50-day moving average is $309.12 and its 200 day moving average is $284.64.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 return on equity of 135.46% and a net margin of 27.62%.Apple’s quarterly revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.57 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 13th. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th will be given a dividend of $0.27 per share. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 10th. Apple’s payout ratio is presently 12.39%.

Insider Buying and Selling In related news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the insider directly owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. This represents a 0.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Apple Company Profile (Free Report)

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.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Apple GE Vernova’s AI Power Boom Faces a Profit Test Cardinal Health Earnings: Can Perfection Get Priced In Twice? Nebius’ Q2 Beat Shows the AI Bottleneck Is Capacity, Not Demand Legacy Jet Builders Stall While Embraer Accelerates to New Highs Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AAPL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report).

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Posted by Defense World Staff on Aug 13th, 2026

Cim LLC lessened its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) by 5.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 69,169 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 4,017 shares during the period. Apple accounts for approximately 2.5% of Cim LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest holding. Cim LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $17,554,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AAPL. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new stake in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter valued at about $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC increased its position in shares of Apple by 1,800.0% in 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 last quarter. LSV Asset Management bought a new position in shares of Apple in the fourth quarter worth approximately $65,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Apple in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $69,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC purchased a new stake in Apple in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $76,000. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Apple News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

Positive Sentiment: Apple is testing DRAM chips from China’s ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) for iPhones and MacBooks and has discussed potential supply arrangements. Diversifying memory suppliers could reduce shortages and limit cost pressure, although geopolitical and quality-control risks remain. Apple’s CXMT Bet Could Strengthen Its Memory Supply, But Risks Remain Positive Sentiment: Apple is reportedly in talks with publishers to license content for an AI-powered Siri. Access to current, high-quality information could improve Siri as Apple prepares a major AI-focused iPhone software update. Apple in Talks to Pay Publishers to Improve AI-Powered Siri Positive Sentiment: Apple’s latest quarter remained strong, with revenue up 16.4% year over year and earnings exceeding consensus estimates. Some investors also view the recent pullback as an accumulation opportunity, while Crake Asset Management reportedly increased its Apple position. Neutral Sentiment: Apple hired former American Airlines executive Nate Gatten to lead government affairs, highlighting the importance of tariffs, regulation and White House relations. The appointment could improve policy execution but also underscores heightened political risk. Apple Hires Former American Airlines Executive to Lead Government Affairs Neutral Sentiment: CEO Tim Cook is expected to hand leadership to John Ternus on September 1, while Apple Pay and Wallet chief Jennifer Bailey plans to retire in October. The transitions create execution uncertainty but may also mark a planned leadership refresh. Negative Sentiment: Jefferies cut its Apple rating and price target, questioning whether the company has sufficient iPhone and AI momentum to justify its premium valuation. The firm also cited supply-chain concerns about a high-end all-glass iPhone and weaker average-selling-price growth. Apple Stock Falls After Jefferies Slashes Price Target Negative Sentiment: Memory shortages driven by AI demand are raising Apple’s bill of materials and could pressure margins or force additional iPhone price increases. Google’s new Pixel 11 lineup also intensifies competition in AI-enabled smartphones. Apple additionally faces a class-action lawsuit alleging that its iCloud+ privacy claims misled consumers. Insider Activity at Apple In related news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of Apple stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total value of $34,236.24. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,425,754.82. The trade was a 0.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts have commented on AAPL shares. Jefferies Financial Group cut shares of Apple from a “buy” rating to an “underperform” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $285.56 to $263.66 in a research note on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and set a $350.00 price objective (up from $310.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Barclays reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and set a $245.00 price objective (down from $253.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. Tigress Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $375.00 target price (up from $305.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $365.00 target price (up from $315.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday, July 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Apple currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $328.60.

View Our Latest Stock Report on Apple

Apple Trading Down 0.9% Shares of AAPL stock opened at $302.25 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $309.12 and a 200 day moving average of $284.64. 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 Inc. has a 1-year low of $223.78 and a 1-year high of $344.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.41 trillion, a PE ratio of 34.66, a P/E/G ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.09.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.13. Apple had a return on equity of 135.46% and a net margin of 27.62%.The business had revenue of $109.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.04 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.57 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th will be issued a $0.27 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 10th. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.39%.

Apple Company Profile (Free Report)

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.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Apple GE Vernova’s AI Power Boom Faces a Profit Test Cardinal Health Earnings: Can Perfection Get Priced In Twice? Nebius’ Q2 Beat Shows the AI Bottleneck Is Capacity, Not Demand Legacy Jet Builders Stall While Embraer Accelerates to New Highs

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Posted by Defense World Staff on Aug 13th, 2026

Empire Financial Management Company LLC trimmed its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) by 9.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 54,885 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 5,541 shares during the quarter. Apple accounts for approximately 3.1% of Empire Financial Management Company LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest holding. Empire Financial Management Company LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $13,929,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of AAPL. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new position in Apple during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC increased its position in shares of Apple by 1,800.0% in the first quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of Apple in the fourth quarter worth $65,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Apple in the 4th quarter valued at $69,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC acquired a new position in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter valued at $76,000. 67.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Apple Price Performance Shares of AAPL stock opened at $302.25 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $309.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of $284.64. The company has a market capitalization of $4.41 trillion, a PE ratio of 34.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.09. Apple Inc. has a twelve month low of $223.78 and a twelve month 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.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.57 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced 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. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 10th. Apple’s payout ratio is presently 12.39%.

Insider Activity In related news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total value of $34,236.24. Following the transaction, 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Apple Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

Positive Sentiment: Apple is testing DRAM chips from China’s ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) for iPhones and MacBooks and has discussed potential supply arrangements. Diversifying memory suppliers could reduce shortages and limit cost pressure, although geopolitical and quality-control risks remain. Apple’s CXMT Bet Could Strengthen Its Memory Supply, But Risks Remain Positive Sentiment: Apple is reportedly in talks with publishers to license content for an AI-powered Siri. Access to current, high-quality information could improve Siri as Apple prepares a major AI-focused iPhone software update. Apple in Talks to Pay Publishers to Improve AI-Powered Siri Positive Sentiment: Apple’s latest quarter remained strong, with revenue up 16.4% year over year and earnings exceeding consensus estimates. Some investors also view the recent pullback as an accumulation opportunity, while Crake Asset Management reportedly increased its Apple position. Neutral Sentiment: Apple hired former American Airlines executive Nate Gatten to lead government affairs, highlighting the importance of tariffs, regulation and White House relations. The appointment could improve policy execution but also underscores heightened political risk. Apple Hires Former American Airlines Executive to Lead Government Affairs Neutral Sentiment: CEO Tim Cook is expected to hand leadership to John Ternus on September 1, while Apple Pay and Wallet chief Jennifer Bailey plans to retire in October. The transitions create execution uncertainty but may also mark a planned leadership refresh. Negative Sentiment: Jefferies cut its Apple rating and price target, questioning whether the company has sufficient iPhone and AI momentum to justify its premium valuation. The firm also cited supply-chain concerns about a high-end all-glass iPhone and weaker average-selling-price growth. Apple Stock Falls After Jefferies Slashes Price Target Negative Sentiment: Memory shortages driven by AI demand are raising Apple’s bill of materials and could pressure margins or force additional iPhone price increases. Google’s new Pixel 11 lineup also intensifies competition in AI-enabled smartphones. Apple additionally faces a class-action lawsuit alleging that its iCloud+ privacy claims misled consumers. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth AAPL has been the subject of a number of research reports. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $270.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Monness Crespi & Hardt raised their price objective on Apple from $315.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Apple from $345.00 to $340.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, KGI Securities lowered Apple from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $315.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Apple presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $328.60.

Get Our Latest Report on AAPL

About Apple (Free Report)

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.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Apple GE Vernova’s AI Power Boom Faces a Profit Test Cardinal Health Earnings: Can Perfection Get Priced In Twice? Nebius’ Q2 Beat Shows the AI Bottleneck Is Capacity, Not Demand Legacy Jet Builders Stall While Embraer Accelerates to New Highs Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AAPL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Apple Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Apple and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

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Posted by Defense World Staff on Aug 13th, 2026

Altshuler Shaham Ltd increased its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) by 165.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 591,698 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after acquiring an additional 368,606 shares during the period. Apple makes up about 2.4% of Altshuler Shaham Ltd’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. Altshuler Shaham Ltd’s holdings in Apple were worth $150,167,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Apple by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,426,283,914 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $387,749,545,000 after buying an additional 26,856,752 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Apple by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 604,056,505 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $164,218,801,000 after acquiring an additional 6,555,392 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Apple by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 358,032,517 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $97,031,587,000 after acquiring an additional 1,866,103 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley boosted its holdings in shares of Apple by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 230,483,035 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $62,659,118,000 after acquiring an additional 1,379,651 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Apple in the fourth quarter worth $52,266,468,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Apple Stock Performance NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $302.25 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $4.41 trillion, a P/E ratio of 34.66, a P/E/G ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. Apple Inc. has a twelve month low of $223.78 and a twelve month high of $344.57. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $309.12 and its 200-day moving average price is $284.64.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last released its 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. The business had revenue of $109.42 billion for 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 business’s revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.57 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 13th. Investors 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.39%.

Insiders Place Their Bets In other Apple news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total transaction of $34,236.24. Following the transaction, 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. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Apple Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

Positive Sentiment: Apple is testing DRAM chips from China’s ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) for iPhones and MacBooks and has discussed potential supply arrangements. Diversifying memory suppliers could reduce shortages and limit cost pressure, although geopolitical and quality-control risks remain. Apple’s CXMT Bet Could Strengthen Its Memory Supply, But Risks Remain Positive Sentiment: Apple is reportedly in talks with publishers to license content for an AI-powered Siri. Access to current, high-quality information could improve Siri as Apple prepares a major AI-focused iPhone software update. Apple in Talks to Pay Publishers to Improve AI-Powered Siri Positive Sentiment: Apple’s latest quarter remained strong, with revenue up 16.4% year over year and earnings exceeding consensus estimates. Some investors also view the recent pullback as an accumulation opportunity, while Crake Asset Management reportedly increased its Apple position. Neutral Sentiment: Apple hired former American Airlines executive Nate Gatten to lead government affairs, highlighting the importance of tariffs, regulation and White House relations. The appointment could improve policy execution but also underscores heightened political risk. Apple Hires Former American Airlines Executive to Lead Government Affairs Neutral Sentiment: CEO Tim Cook is expected to hand leadership to John Ternus on September 1, while Apple Pay and Wallet chief Jennifer Bailey plans to retire in October. The transitions create execution uncertainty but may also mark a planned leadership refresh. Negative Sentiment: Jefferies cut its Apple rating and price target, questioning whether the company has sufficient iPhone and AI momentum to justify its premium valuation. The firm also cited supply-chain concerns about a high-end all-glass iPhone and weaker average-selling-price growth. Apple Stock Falls After Jefferies Slashes Price Target Negative Sentiment: Memory shortages driven by AI demand are raising Apple’s bill of materials and could pressure margins or force additional iPhone price increases. Google’s new Pixel 11 lineup also intensifies competition in AI-enabled smartphones. Apple additionally faces a class-action lawsuit alleging that its iCloud+ privacy claims misled consumers. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research analysts recently issued reports on AAPL shares. Tigress Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating and set a $375.00 target price (up from $305.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Monness Crespi & Hardt upped their price target on shares of Apple from $315.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $365.00 price target (up from $315.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Monday, July 13th. China Renaissance cut Apple from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $280.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Barclays reiterated an “underweight” rating and issued a $245.00 target price (down from $253.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $328.60.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on AAPL

Apple Company Profile (Free Report)

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.

See Also Five stocks we like better than Apple GE Vernova’s AI Power Boom Faces a Profit Test Cardinal Health Earnings: Can Perfection Get Priced In Twice? Nebius’ Q2 Beat Shows the AI Bottleneck Is Capacity, Not Demand Legacy Jet Builders Stall While Embraer Accelerates to New Highs

Receive News & Ratings for Apple Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Apple and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

« PREVIOUS HEADLINEApple Inc. $AAPL is Amundi’s 3rd Largest Position