Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Posted by Defense World Staff on Jul 25th, 2026

Candriam S.C.A. raised its stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) by 4.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,503,348 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after acquiring an additional 149,720 shares during the period. Apple makes up about 4.6% of Candriam S.C.A.’s portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding. Candriam S.C.A.’s holdings in Apple were worth $889,115,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In AAPL has been the subject of several research reports. Bank of America reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $380.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, June 8th. Monness Crespi & Hardt raised their price objective on Apple from $315.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $365.00 target price on Apple in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, UBS Group set a $365.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research note on Tuesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $327.40.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on AAPL

Apple Stock Performance Shares of AAPL stock opened at $333.02 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $306.62 and its 200 day moving average is $279.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.89 trillion, a P/E ratio of 40.27, a PEG ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.10. Apple Inc. has a 12 month low of $201.50 and a 12 month high of $334.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.95 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $111.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.46 billion. Apple had a return on equity of 146.69% and a net margin of 27.15%.During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.65 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 11th were paid a $0.27 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. This is a boost from Apple’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. Apple’s dividend payout ratio is currently 13.06%.

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

Positive Sentiment: Ford said it will embed Apple Maps into upcoming EVs, expanding Apple’s software reach and reinforcing the value of its ecosystem. Ford Embeds Apple Maps Directly into Upcoming EVs Positive Sentiment: Baird raised its price target on Apple and reiterated an Outperform rating, adding to bullish analyst momentum. Finviz Positive Sentiment: Commentary highlighted Apple as outperforming the broader market, supported by strong ratings and a favorable chart setup ahead of earnings. Why is Apple stock outperforming the broader market? Neutral Sentiment: Apple was also the subject of discussion around upcoming product launches, AI features, and a possible device-leasing program, which could support demand but remain unconfirmed or longer-term in nature. Negative Sentiment: Some reports noted concerns that Apple’s valuation is stretched heading into earnings, and insider sales plus short-interest chatter may temper enthusiasm if results disappoint. Insider Buying and Selling In other Apple news, insider Ben Borders sold 1,274 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.00, for a total value of $369,460.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,226,770. This trade represents a 3.19% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.

Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Apple AMD and Cerbras Create A New Blueprint For Hardware Intel Earnings Reveal Whether the Chip Selloff Created a Buy CrowdStrike’s Cerebras Deal Puts Its AI Security Strategy to the Test Plugging In: How Kinder Morgan Powers Up Profits 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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NEXT HEADLINE »Blodgett Wealth Advisors LLC Sells 1,800 Shares of Apple Inc. $AAPL

Posted by Defense World Staff on Jul 25th, 2026

Beacon Harbor Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) by 11.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 33,387 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after buying an additional 3,456 shares during the quarter. Apple makes up about 1.8% of Beacon Harbor Wealth Advisors Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest position. Beacon Harbor Wealth Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Apple were worth $8,473,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. First National Bank of Hutchinson boosted its stake in Apple by 24.6% in the fourth quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 35,319 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $8,845,000 after purchasing an additional 6,982 shares in the last quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Apple by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC now owns 54,085 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $13,544,000 after buying an additional 272 shares in the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in shares of Apple by 14.8% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 537,314 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $134,554,000 after buying an additional 69,207 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Apple by 4.2% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 66,857 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $16,742,000 after buying an additional 2,695 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Highview Capital Management LLC DE lifted its position in Apple by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Highview Capital Management LLC DE now owns 50,264 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $12,587,000 after buying an additional 1,155 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

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

Positive Sentiment: Ford said it will embed Apple Maps into upcoming EVs, expanding Apple’s software reach and reinforcing the value of its ecosystem. Ford Embeds Apple Maps Directly into Upcoming EVs Positive Sentiment: Baird raised its price target on Apple and reiterated an Outperform rating, adding to bullish analyst momentum. Finviz Positive Sentiment: Commentary highlighted Apple as outperforming the broader market, supported by strong ratings and a favorable chart setup ahead of earnings. Why is Apple stock outperforming the broader market? Neutral Sentiment: Apple was also the subject of discussion around upcoming product launches, AI features, and a possible device-leasing program, which could support demand but remain unconfirmed or longer-term in nature. Negative Sentiment: Some reports noted concerns that Apple’s valuation is stretched heading into earnings, and insider sales plus short-interest chatter may temper enthusiasm if results disappoint. Apple Stock Up 3.5% AAPL stock opened at $333.02 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 1.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.89 trillion, a P/E ratio of 40.27, a P/E/G ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.10. Apple Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $201.50 and a fifty-two week high of $334.99. The business has a 50-day moving average of $306.62 and a 200-day moving average of $279.01.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.95 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $111.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.46 billion. Apple had a return on equity of 146.69% and a net margin of 27.15%.Apple’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.65 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 11th were issued a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. This is a boost from Apple’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. Apple’s dividend payout ratio is 13.06%.

Insider Activity In other 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 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 document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 0.06% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. KeyCorp lowered shares of Apple from a “sector weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and set a $250.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Apple from $335.00 to $350.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $310.00 price target (up from $300.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, May 1st. Bank of America restated a “buy” rating and issued a $380.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Wedbush reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $400.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, June 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $327.40.

Get Our Latest 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 AMD and Cerbras Create A New Blueprint For Hardware Intel Earnings Reveal Whether the Chip Selloff Created a Buy CrowdStrike’s Cerebras Deal Puts Its AI Security Strategy to the Test Plugging In: How Kinder Morgan Powers Up Profits 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.

« PREVIOUS HEADLINEBlodgett Wealth Advisors LLC Sells 1,800 Shares of Apple Inc. $AAPL

NEXT HEADLINE »Conning Inc. Sells 10,580 Shares of Apple Inc. $AAPL

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has the potential to climb to $338 by August 1, 2026, according to a forecast generated by Finbold’s AI Agent.

Notably, the model aggregates predictions from several large language models and machine learning systems. 

The forecast implies a gain of about 17% from Apple’s Friday closing price of $287. Generated on July 25, the prediction covers the period through August 1 and incorporates technical indicators including the 50-day simple moving average (SMA), 200-day simple moving average, and other momentum signals.

AAPL stock price prediction. Source: Finbold Among the individual models, GPT-5.6 Terra delivered the most bullish forecast, projecting Apple stock at $340, representing an 18.42% increase. 

Gemini 3.5 Flash was the most conservative, forecasting a price of $335, while Claude Opus 4.8 projected $338 and Grok 4.5 predicted $339.

AAPL stock price prediction. Source: Finbold Apple stock price fundamentals  The AI forecast arrives as investors focus on Apple’s upcoming fiscal third-quarter earnings report, scheduled for July 30.

Several Wall Street firms have maintained bullish outlooks ahead of the release, citing strong revenue growth and resilient demand across Apple’s ecosystem.

Notably, analysts expect Apple to post earnings per share of $1.89, up from $1.65 in the same quarter a year earlier. Revenue is projected to reach approximately $109 billion, reflecting double-digit annual growth driven by continued strength in iPhone sales, Services revenue, and the company’s broader ecosystem.

The consensus estimates follow a strong fiscal second quarter, when Apple reported revenue of $111.18 billion and earnings per share of $2.01, exceeding analyst expectations on both metrics.

The earnings release could prove particularly important because Apple stock has recovered strongly from a June correction. 

The technology company regained momentum during July and briefly reclaimed the title of the world’s most valuable publicly traded company by market capitalization before investors shifted their focus to the upcoming earnings report.

Market participants are also closely monitoring management’s commentary on artificial intelligence investments, which have become a major driver of sentiment across the technology sector.

Recent earnings reports from large-cap technology companies have shown that investors remain sensitive to rising AI-related capital expenditures, even when revenue and profit results exceed expectations.

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Shares of Apple (AAPL +3.52%) climbed to near record highs on Friday, as investors applauded the iPhone maker's relatively modest artificial intelligence (AI) investments.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Apple's conservative strategy is looking smarter by the minute Hyperscalers and other tech giants are spending staggering sums to build out their artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure networks. For just two examples, Amazon and Alphabet are planning to spend a stunning $200 billion each in 2026 alone.

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Investors are beginning to question whether these massive capital expenditures will produce the type of returns they've grown accustomed to. Moreover, fears are mounting that the AI boom could be expanding into a bubble. Bubbles eventually burst -- and often lead to a crash.

You don't always need to spend money to make money Rather than spending hundreds of billions of dollars in a futile attempt to keep pace with the latest AI advances, Apple is partnering with other AI leaders to bring the products of their massive spending to its customers.

Apple has partnered with Alphabet, Nvidia, and OpenAI to bolster the AI features on its iPhones and other devices. It's also working with Chinese internet giants Alibaba and Baidu to offer AI-powered services in China.

This collaborative approach is prudent and cost-efficient. In turn, savvy investors are beginning to appreciate Apple's AI strategy more each passing day.

Joe Tenebruso has positions in Amazon. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Baidu, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends Alibaba Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Apple Inc. stock climbed 3% on Friday, outperforming much of the technology sector even as semiconductor stocks came under pressure.

The gains came after Baird raised its price target on the iPhone maker while maintaining an Outperform rating ahead of the company's upcoming quarterly earnings report.

The broader technology sector was weaker during the session. The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.19%, while shares of Intel, Micron and Advanced Micro Devices declined between 1% and 5%.

Apple's relative strength comes as investors prepare for the company's fiscal third-quarter earnings report, scheduled for July 30, and assess several product and software initiatives expected over the coming months.

William Power, Senior Research Analyst at Baird, raised the price target on Apple to $330 from $310 on Thursday while reiterating its Outperform rating.

The brokerage expects Apple to deliver solid fiscal third-quarter results, supported by continued iPhone demand and stable growth in its services business.

While memory pricing remains a headwind, Baird expects recent price increases to help offset some of that pressure.

The brokerage acknowledged that Apple's valuation appears elevated compared with historical levels but believes several factors continue to support the stock.

Port in the storm (of software and mega-cap tech capex). We expect solid FQ3 results, driven by strong iPhone growth and steady services trends. Memory pricing remains a daunting headwind, though price increases should ease the pressure. Valuation looks rich relative to past trends, suggesting much may be priced in, but we expect the strong free cash flow, upcoming product cycle and early positive comments on Siri AI to support the stock. We also think Street estimates over the NTM are set up well, with potential for further upside.

According to Baird, Apple generated approximately $129 billion in free cash flow over the last twelve months, while an upcoming product cycle and encouraging early commentary surrounding Siri AI could provide additional support for shares.

The firm also believes Wall Street earnings estimates for the next twelve months leave room for further upside.

Apple is scheduled to report earnings on July 30, with options markets implying a potential 3.5% move in the stock following the results.

Beyond earnings, investors are closely watching Apple's upcoming hardware refresh.

The company is preparing to introduce its next-generation M6 processor across its Mac lineup beginning this fall and extending into next year.

The refresh is expected to include updated 14-inch MacBook Pro models and new iMac computers, marking the first refresh for the desktop line in two years.

Apple is also preparing to launch Apple Upgrade, a new device leasing program backed by Klarna. The service is scheduled to become available in the United States on July 28.

Separately, Evercore ISI reiterated its Outperform rating and maintained a $365 price target following news of the Apple Upgrade program.

The investment firm also maintained its bullish stance after reports that Apple is engaged in settlement discussions with the US Department of Justice over an antitrust lawsuit filed in March 2024.

Apple is also expanding its presence in the automotive software market.

The company announced that Ford will become the first automaker to adopt its new MapKit for Automotive software development kit.

The technology will be integrated into dashboards across Ford's forthcoming electric vehicle platform and will also provide road data for the automaker's BlueCruise hands-free driving system.

The announcement marks a deeper expansion into vehicle software following Apple's decision two years ago to end its own electric vehicle project.

Unlike CarPlay, which primarily provides infotainment services, the new automotive software integrates Apple's mapping technology more directly into vehicle systems.

With earnings approaching, new hardware launches on the horizon and continued expansion into automotive software, investors will be closely watching whether Apple can sustain its recent outperformance amid broader volatility across the technology sector.

The hyperscalers, which are historically dominant technology enterprises, are planning to spend hundreds of billions of dollars this year to expand their computing infrastructure amid the ongoing artificial intelligence (AI) craze. Apple (AAPL +2.15%) is watching from the sidelines.

The market was critical of the Cupertino company's conservative approach. But with its share price up 22% in 2026 (as of July 21), the investment community is clearly rewarding the business. This perspective might prove to be right.

I predict that Apple will be a long-term AI winner. It comes down to the company's distribution advantage, superior user experience, and robust free cash flow (FCF).

Image source: Getty Images.

Distribution advantage During the company's Q1 2026 earnings call in January, CEO Tim Cook said that Apple's installed base hit a fresh record of more than 2.5 billion active devices. This gives the company an unrivaled distribution advantage, as Apple's hardware is ubiquitous. New AI features, whether launched by Apple or by other businesses, will likely be accessed by consumers via these products.

There's always a chance that AI enables the creation of an entirely new product by another company. But it doesn't seem likely anytime soon. In the second quarter (ended March 28), iPhone revenue jumped 21.7% year over year to $57 billion.

Differentiation creates value Apple Intelligence, which is what the business calls its AI offerings, is partly powered by the company's Apple Foundation Models, which were custom-built in collaboration with Alphabet's Gemini capabilities. Apple pays $1 billion per year for this ability.

There's a hybrid approach here. User requests are processed by models that run locally on devices for simpler tasks, while others that are more complex get routed to Apple's Private Cloud Compute infrastructure.

For the end user, though, it doesn't matter what AI model, graphics processing units, or data centers are being used. This is all happening in the background. The user experience is what matters most. This suggests that AI infrastructure will be commoditized, leaving value at the differentiated layer that is hardware, software, and services. These are the areas that Apple excels in.

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No hit to free cash flow Apple is staying out of the AI spending spree. At the same time, Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta Platforms are planning for roughly $700 billion in combined capital expenditures (capex) in 2026. Apple's capex is tiny by comparison, totaling just $4.3 billion in the last two quarters, as it doesn't need to rapidly build data center capacity.

Therefore, the business still produces massive FCF, to the tune of $78.3 billion in the first six months of fiscal 2026, up 63% year over year. This figure represented 30.7% of Apple's entire revenue. Consensus analyst estimates call for FCF to grow at a compound annual rate of 19.1% between fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2028.

At the end of the day, FCF is what drives a company's value. Unlike its big tech peers, Apple doesn't have to prove that its capex can eventually produce an adequate return.

Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Posted by Defense World Staff on Jul 24th, 2026

Elevated Capital Advisors LLC trimmed its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) by 8.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 45,998 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 4,274 shares during the quarter. Apple comprises 2.9% of Elevated Capital Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest holding. Elevated Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $11,674,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AAPL. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Apple during the 4th quarter valued at about $52,266,468,000. Nuveen LLC bought a new position in shares of Apple during the first quarter worth $17,472,482,000. Cardano Risk Management B.V. grew 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 valued at $11,413,990,000 after acquiring an additional 37,746,784 shares during the period. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Apple by 20,464.8% in 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 purchasing an additional 26,937,401 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position 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 acquiring an additional 26,856,752 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Apple In related news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total value of $34,236.24. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 38,713 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. The trade was a 0.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible 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.

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

Positive Sentiment: Ford will integrate Apple Maps and Apple software into upcoming lower-cost EVs and self-driving features, expanding Apple’s automotive footprint and creating another potential platform for its services ecosystem. Ford Will Use Apple Software in New Self-Driving System Positive Sentiment: Reports that Apple is preparing a smarter shopping assistant for the App Store and testing a more AI-driven buying experience suggest new ways to improve commerce, engagement, and monetization across its ecosystem. Apple Tests Smarter Shopping Experience Positive Sentiment: Wall Street sentiment remains constructive in places, with Morgan Stanley reportedly raising its Apple target and several pieces arguing Apple could be an underappreciated AI beneficiary as it readies new Macs, iMacs, and other hardware built for AI demand. Apple Plans To Overhaul Computers to Meet AI Demand Neutral Sentiment: Samsung’s new foldables and the broader “AI hardware” race are keeping Apple in the spotlight, but the news is mostly competitive context rather than a direct near-term catalyst. Negative Sentiment: Apple lost a key court bid, leaving a $634 million Apple Watch blood-oxygen patent verdict in place, which keeps legal overhangs alive and could raise investor concern about additional costs or product restrictions. Apple Fails to Overturn $634 Million Masimo Verdict Negative Sentiment: Multiple market notes point to Apple’s valuation being rich and the stock being vulnerable to volatility into earnings, with some analysts warning that momentum may be peaking after a strong run. Apple Trading Down 1.3% Shares of NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $321.66 on Friday. Apple Inc. has a 12-month low of $201.50 and a 12-month high of $334.99. The business has a 50 day moving average of $305.96 and a 200-day moving average of $278.63. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. The stock has a market cap of $4.72 trillion, a PE ratio of 38.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.10.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.01 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.95 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $111.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.46 billion. Apple had a return on equity of 146.69% and a net margin of 27.15%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 16.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.65 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 11th were issued a dividend of $0.27 per share. This is a boost from Apple’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 11th. Apple’s payout ratio is 13.06%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of analysts have recently commented on AAPL shares. Rosenblatt Securities reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $276.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded shares of Apple from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $300.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th. HSBC upgraded shares of Apple from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $260.00 to $366.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, Wedbush reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $400.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, June 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Apple presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $326.83.

View Our Latest Stock 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.

Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than Apple Premium Retail’s Stress Test Is Separating Winners From Losers D-Wave Quantum or a Quantum ETF: Which Is the Better Bet? GE Vernova Just Sent a Mixed AI Signal to Investors Alphabet Crushed Earnings, But One Number Spooked the Market 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 Jul 24th, 2026

First National Bank & Trust Co. of Newtown lessened its stake in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) by 17.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 115,232 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 23,605 shares during the quarter. Apple makes up approximately 6.3% of First National Bank & Trust Co. of Newtown’s holdings, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding. First National Bank & Trust Co. of Newtown’s holdings in Apple were worth $29,245,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new position in shares of Apple during the fourth quarter worth approximately $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC raised its stake in Apple by 1,800.0% during the 1st quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management acquired a new position in Apple during the 4th quarter worth $65,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Apple in the fourth quarter worth $69,000. Finally, 49 Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Apple by 15.7% in the third quarter. 49 Wealth Management LLC now owns 298,920 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 40,543 shares in the last quarter. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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

Positive Sentiment: Ford will integrate Apple Maps and Apple software into upcoming lower-cost EVs and self-driving features, expanding Apple’s automotive footprint and creating another potential platform for its services ecosystem. Ford Will Use Apple Software in New Self-Driving System Positive Sentiment: Reports that Apple is preparing a smarter shopping assistant for the App Store and testing a more AI-driven buying experience suggest new ways to improve commerce, engagement, and monetization across its ecosystem. Apple Tests Smarter Shopping Experience Positive Sentiment: Wall Street sentiment remains constructive in places, with Morgan Stanley reportedly raising its Apple target and several pieces arguing Apple could be an underappreciated AI beneficiary as it readies new Macs, iMacs, and other hardware built for AI demand. Apple Plans To Overhaul Computers to Meet AI Demand Neutral Sentiment: Samsung’s new foldables and the broader “AI hardware” race are keeping Apple in the spotlight, but the news is mostly competitive context rather than a direct near-term catalyst. Negative Sentiment: Apple lost a key court bid, leaving a $634 million Apple Watch blood-oxygen patent verdict in place, which keeps legal overhangs alive and could raise investor concern about additional costs or product restrictions. Apple Fails to Overturn $634 Million Masimo Verdict Negative Sentiment: Multiple market notes point to Apple’s valuation being rich and the stock being vulnerable to volatility into earnings, with some analysts warning that momentum may be peaking after a strong run. Analyst Ratings Changes AAPL has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday, June 8th. UBS Group set a $365.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research note on Tuesday. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded shares of Apple from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $300.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Raymond James Financial set a $380.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday. Finally, KGI Securities lowered shares of Apple from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $315.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $326.83.

View Our Latest Report on Apple

Insider Activity In related news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the insider owned 38,713 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. This represents a 0.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing 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. 0.06% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Apple Price Performance Shares of NASDAQ AAPL opened at $321.66 on Friday. Apple Inc. has a twelve month low of $201.50 and a twelve month high of $334.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $305.96 and a two-hundred day moving average of $278.63. The company has a market capitalization of $4.72 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.89, a PEG ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.10.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.01 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.95 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $111.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.46 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.15% and a return on equity of 146.69%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 16.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.65 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 11th were issued a dividend of $0.27 per share. This is an increase from Apple’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 13.06%.

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.

Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than Apple Premium Retail’s Stress Test Is Separating Winners From Losers D-Wave Quantum or a Quantum ETF: Which Is the Better Bet? GE Vernova Just Sent a Mixed AI Signal to Investors Alphabet Crushed Earnings, But One Number Spooked the Market 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 Jul 24th, 2026

DMC Group LLC grew its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) by 9.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 57,819 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after buying an additional 4,872 shares during the period. Apple makes up about 9.9% of DMC Group LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its largest holding. DMC Group LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $14,674,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in AAPL. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new stake in Apple in the 4th quarter worth about $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Apple by 1,800.0% during the 1st quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 180 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management bought a new position in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter valued at $65,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Apple in the fourth quarter worth $69,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC purchased a new position in Apple in the fourth quarter worth about $76,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

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

Positive Sentiment: Ford will integrate Apple Maps and Apple software into upcoming lower-cost EVs and self-driving features, expanding Apple’s automotive footprint and creating another potential platform for its services ecosystem. Ford Will Use Apple Software in New Self-Driving System Positive Sentiment: Reports that Apple is preparing a smarter shopping assistant for the App Store and testing a more AI-driven buying experience suggest new ways to improve commerce, engagement, and monetization across its ecosystem. Apple Tests Smarter Shopping Experience Positive Sentiment: Wall Street sentiment remains constructive in places, with Morgan Stanley reportedly raising its Apple target and several pieces arguing Apple could be an underappreciated AI beneficiary as it readies new Macs, iMacs, and other hardware built for AI demand. Apple Plans To Overhaul Computers to Meet AI Demand Neutral Sentiment: Samsung’s new foldables and the broader “AI hardware” race are keeping Apple in the spotlight, but the news is mostly competitive context rather than a direct near-term catalyst. Negative Sentiment: Apple lost a key court bid, leaving a $634 million Apple Watch blood-oxygen patent verdict in place, which keeps legal overhangs alive and could raise investor concern about additional costs or product restrictions. Apple Fails to Overturn $634 Million Masimo Verdict Negative Sentiment: Multiple market notes point to Apple’s valuation being rich and the stock being vulnerable to volatility into earnings, with some analysts warning that momentum may be peaking after a strong run. Apple Trading Down 1.3% Shares of NASDAQ AAPL opened at $321.66 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.72 trillion, a P/E ratio of 38.89, a PEG ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.10. Apple Inc. has a 1-year low of $201.50 and a 1-year high of $334.99. The business’s 50 day moving average is $305.96 and its two-hundred day moving average is $278.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 1.02.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.01 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.95 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $111.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.46 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.15% and a return on equity of 146.69%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.65 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 EPS for the current year.

Apple Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 11th were issued a $0.27 dividend. This is a boost from Apple’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. Apple’s dividend payout ratio is presently 13.06%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. HSBC raised shares of Apple from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the company from $260.00 to $366.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Rosenblatt Securities reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $276.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. Finally, Wedbush reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $400.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, June 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $326.83.

View Our Latest Analysis on Apple

Insider Activity In other news, insider Ben Borders sold 1,274 shares of Apple stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.00, for a total value of $369,460.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,226,770. The trade was a 3.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

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.

See Also Five stocks we like better than Apple Premium Retail’s Stress Test Is Separating Winners From Losers D-Wave Quantum or a Quantum ETF: Which Is the Better Bet? GE Vernova Just Sent a Mixed AI Signal to Investors Alphabet Crushed Earnings, But One Number Spooked the Market

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Something odd has happened to Apple (AAPL -1.27%) on Wall Street. The 47 analysts covering the stock still rate it a buy, on average. But their average 12-month price target is now about $319 -- slightly below the roughly $320 the stock trades for as of this writing. In other words, the analysts who recommend buying Apple are, collectively, forecasting that it goes nowhere for a year.

That's an unusual setup for one of the world's most valuable tech companies, and the timing sharpens it. Apple reports fiscal third-quarter results on July 30, one week from today.

So is Wall Street quietly saying the stock is fully valued? Or have the targets simply not caught up with a stock that has moved faster than the models tracking it? A little of both, I'd argue.

Image source: Apple.

What a below-price average actually says The average hides a wide spread. Price targets on Apple run from a low of $215 to a high of $400, and the median target of about $329 sits modestly above the current share price.

The ratings lean the same direction as the average rating suggests. Of the 47 analysts, 29 rate the stock a buy or better, 14 call it a hold, and only four recommend selling.

That combination of bullish ratings and flat targets usually shows up after a stock has made a big move in a short time. Apple qualifies. Shares trade about 59% above their 52-week low of $201.50, and they set a record high of $334.99 within the past week.

Price targets tend to trail a run like that, getting revised upward in steps as analysts refresh their models. Indeed, the revisions are still coming. Morgan Stanley just lifted its target to $364.

But it would be too easy to dismiss the flat average as pure lag. The targets also reflect a valuation that has expanded dramatically. Apple trades at about 40 times earnings, a big premium to where it sat for most of the past few years.

The business is backing it up for now. Revenue rose 17% year over year in the fiscal second quarter, and earnings per share climbed 22%. But a year ago, investors could buy the same company for a much smaller premium. The below-price average is Wall Street's way of saying most of that improvement is now in the price.

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The setup into July 30 That leaves next week's report carrying more weight than usual. Apple has scheduled its fiscal third-quarter results for Thursday, July 30. A 40-times-earnings multiple on a company sitting 4% from its record high leaves little cushion if growth cools.

There are reasons to expect the growth to hold. The company's recent momentum has been broad. iPhone revenue hit $57 billion in the March quarter, a record for the period and up 22% year over year, and the high-margin services business set an all-time revenue record of its own.

And Apple keeps adding potential catalysts. A reported device-leasing program with Klarna is reportedly set to launch on July 28 -- a move that could nudge iPhone revenue toward steadier, subscription-like behavior.

With that said, investors shouldn't count on the report to deliver another leg higher. When the average analyst target sits below the price, good news mostly confirms what's already priced in, while any wobble invites the stock to close the gap with the models. Apple doesn't need to disappoint for the stock to stall. It just needs to be ordinary for a quarter.

As for what I'd do, I wouldn't treat a below-price average target as a sell signal. Analyst targets chase the stock in both directions, and Apple remains one of the highest-quality businesses in the world, with staying power that's difficult to find anywhere else. It's a stock I'd continue holding for the long haul, and I'd still call it a top stock to buy and hold -- in moderation -- even at today's premium.

But the flat consensus is useful as a temperature check. It says the easy stretch of this run is probably over, and that returns from here likely have to be earned by the business quarter after quarter, because the valuation multiple has already done its expanding. Going into July 30, that's worth keeping in mind before expecting fireworks.

Apple (AAPL - Free Report) closed at $321.66 in the latest trading session, marking a -1.3% move from the prior day. This move lagged the S&P 500's daily loss of 1.21%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a drop of 0.97%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw a decrease of 2.15%.

Shares of the maker of iPhones, iPads and other products witnessed a gain of 11.19% over the previous month, beating the performance of the Computer and Technology sector with its loss of 4.58%, and the S&P 500's gain of 0.42%.

Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Apple in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings report is set to be unveiled on July 30, 2026. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $1.88, reflecting a 19.75% increase from the same quarter last year. At the same time, our most recent consensus estimate is projecting a revenue of $108.79 billion, reflecting a 15.69% rise from the equivalent quarter last year.

In terms of the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of $8.76 per share and a revenue of $479.05 billion, indicating changes of +17.43% and +15.11%, respectively, from the former year.

Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for Apple. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the business outlook.

Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, running from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), holds an admirable track record of superior performance, independently audited, with #1 stocks contributing an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 0.09% higher. Apple presently features a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Digging into valuation, Apple currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 37.2. This represents a premium compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 23.5.

We can also see that AAPL currently has a PEG ratio of 2.81. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. The Computer - Micro Computers industry currently had an average PEG ratio of 2.81 as of yesterday's close.

The Computer - Micro Computers industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 19, finds itself in the top 8% echelons of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

To follow AAPL in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.

The pace of earnings reports is heating up. Notable stocks on deck to release second-quarter earnings next week include Apple AAPL-1.30%, Amazon.com AMZN-4.57%, Chipotle Mexican Grill CMG-0.59%, Meta Platforms META-3.36%, Microsoft MSFT-2.24%, PayPal Holdings PYPL+0.88%, Qualcomm QCOM-2.57% and Starbucks SBUX-0.74%.

After 15 years running Apple (AAPL -1.55%), Tim Cook will hand the CEO role to hardware chief John Ternus on Sept. 1, with Cook staying on as executive chairman. Ternus is a 25-year Apple veteran who helped launch the iPad and AirPods, so this is a carefully planned insider handoff, not a shake-up.

Here are three things Apple investors can reasonably expect from the leadership change.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Continuity, not a revolution Apple did not hire an outsider with a mandate to tear things up. Ternus has spent his entire career inside Apple, and Cook will remain as executive chairman to smooth the transition. Expect the strategy, the disciplined supply chain, and the capital-return program to carry on largely unchanged in the near term.

Cook is an operations master; Ternus is an engineer who ran hardware for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Watch. That suggests a CEO with a sharper instinct for the products themselves, which could mean more aggressive bets on new hardware like foldable devices, smart glasses, and AI-infused gadgets.

2. Pressure to fix Apple's AI story This is the big one. Apple has been widely seen as lagging in artificial intelligence (AI), with Siri and Apple Intelligence both underwhelming users and investors. Ternus inherits the job of making Apple a credible AI player, likely by leaning on its strength in on-device AI and custom silicon. How he handles this will define his tenure.

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3. Steady shareholder returns Don't expect the cash machine to slow down. Apple's massive buybacks and growing dividend should continue, and the real profit engine, its high-margin services business, keeps expanding. In the near term, watch iPhone gross margins, which some view as a key signal of financial health.

Ternus takes over with the stock near all-time highs, but that cuts both ways. Expectations are elevated, so every early decision and product launch will face intense scrutiny, and the share price could be volatile as investors judge whether he can innovate or merely maintain. New CEOs are rarely given much patience.

The takeaway for investors The handoff from Cook to Ternus looks about as smooth as a leadership change at a multitrillion-dollar company can be, which should reassure long-term shareholders. The real questions are about the future, not the transition: Can Ternus close Apple's AI gap and reignite hardware innovation, while protecting the margins and cash returns that investors prize?

I would treat September as the start of a show-me period rather than a reason to buy or sell, and judge the new CEO by his products, not his first press release.

2.07K Followers

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of AAPL either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Apple's (AAPL -1.55%) measured approach to artificial intelligence (AI), avoiding spending massive amounts of capital in this area like its big tech peers, appears to be a winning strategy from the market's point of view. Shares have climbed 22% in 2026 (as of July 20). They trade in record territory.

Should investors buy this "Magnificent Seven" stock right now?

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Investors might want to think twice about purchasing this business. That's because Apple shares aren't cheap.

The current price-to-earnings ratio of 39.5, which is near an 18-year high, indicates heightened investor enthusiasm. This adds greater downside risk should the business report financial results that disappoint investors.

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The market clearly has a favorable view of this company, though. Apple's financial performance has been superb. It reported 16.6% year-over-year revenue growth in Q2 2026 (ended March 28), with diluted earnings per share rising 21.8%. Demand for the latest iPhone 17 family has been off the charts, supporting the powerful ecosystem that drives customer stickiness.

Perhaps most importantly, Apple has stayed away from the unprecedented capital expenditure (capex) cycle that's defining the AI boom. Its capex totaled just $4.3 billion in the first six months of fiscal 2026.

Consequently, free cash flow remains robust. This gives the leadership team the ability to continue returning incredible amounts of capital to shareholders, primarily through stock buybacks.

Investors should keep Apple on their watch list, but wait for a better valuation.

Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Apple (AAPL -0.44%) is preparing to launch a device-leasing program called Apple Upgrade in the U.S. on July 28, Bloomberg reported this week. If the report is right, the program could push the tech company's biggest revenue line, the iPhone, toward faster upgrades and steadier, more subscription-like sales.

The reported structure works much like a car lease. Klarna (KLAR -6.02%) would provide the financing, enrollment would involve a soft credit check, and leases would reportedly run 24 months for iPhone and Apple Watch and 36 months for Mac and iPad. During a term, customers could pay the device off early or upgrade to a newer model. At the end of one, they could keep the device or return it.

The program would reportedly replace new enrollments in Apple's existing upgrade and financing options, though some lower-priced models wouldn't be eligible for it (including the iPhone 16, the entry-level iPad, and the Apple Watch SE). AppleCare coverage would no longer be included automatically.

Image source: Apple.

This could be material for Apple's business.

The first effect is upgrade frequency. A lease with a built-in upgrade path tends to shorten the replacement cycle, and every shortened cycle means more device sales per customer over time. That matters most for the iPhone, which generated $57 billion of revenue in the March quarter, up 22% year over year and a record for the period. Leasing is a way to keep that momentum going after the iPhone 17's blockbuster run.

Leasing could also smooth out demand cycles. Customers on standard two- and three-year terms can upgrade on a schedule rather than waiting for a hardware overhaul, ultimately making iPhone revenue less dependent on any single product cycle landing perfectly.

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And notably, Apple gets all of this without becoming a lender. Because Klarna would provide the financing, Apple keeps the customer relationship and the upgrade cadence while a partner carries the credit risk.

Of course, the company hasn't said any of this publicly yet, and reported plans can change. But Apple's fiscal third-quarter earnings report is scheduled for July 30 -- two days after the program's reported launch date, and management will likely face questions about what leasing means for the business. July 28 -- when Klarna and Apple are expected to roll out this program -- may start providing answers. And July 30 could finish the job.

By PYMNTS  |  July 22, 2026

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Apple reportedly wants to overhaul its Mac line as consumers seek artificial intelligence (AI)-powered computers.

The company plans to introduce new versions of every Mac product it sells, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday (July 22), citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the matter.

This will include long-awaited updates to the company’s desktops, several laptops and a revamped version of the MacBook Pro, all scheduled to roll out this fall and into 2027, the sources said.

The launches will begin with an updated low-end 14-inch MacBook Pro that will be among the first Macs to include a new M6 chip and the first new iMacs in two years, the sources added.

PYMNTS has contacted Apple for comment but has not yet received a reply.

Bloomberg noted that the Mac has seen a resurgence of late, with sales forecast to increase for the third straight year. These devices have become popular with people who run computing-intensive AI agents. At the same time, a dearth of memory chips strained manufacturing, causing Apple to increase prices, the report added.

Supply issues are such that new orders on some Mac mini and Mac Studio models won’t ship for at least three months, the report said, challenging Apple to introduce new models with its usual level of inventory, the report said.

Apple CEO Tim Cook had said in April that he thinks it could take “several months” for those machines to achieve supply demand balance, Bloomberg added. Apple raised prices on several products—though not its iPhone—in June.

A report earlier this month by Kiplinger said those price increases could lead to a years-long era of costlier electronics. Cook has blamed the price hikes on soaring memory chip costs, saying he’s never experienced anything like it in 40 years.

“We’re doing our best to mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us, and we’ve been trying to shield our customers from the increases, but the situation has become unsustainable,” Cook told the Wall Street Journal last month.

Bloomberg had reported Tuesday (July 21) that the company was readying a leasing program known as Apple Upgrade. Set to launch next week, this service will reportedly support most iPhone, Mac, iPad and Apple Watch models and work like a subscription.

“Users can pay off devices early in their term, upgrade earlier to newer models, or keep the original device until the leasing period ends,” PYMNTS wrote in a report on the program. “As with a car lease, the device could be returned when the term is up.”

For all PYMNTS AI and digital transformation coverage, subscribe to the daily AI and Digital Transformation Newsletters.

Apple (AAPL -0.44%) stock has quietly been one of 2026's top-performing stocks. It's up around 20% so far this year, outperforming many other big tech peers. In fact, it isn't that far away from retaking the title of world's largest company from Nvidia (NVDA +2.39%). Currently, Nvidia is a $4.9 trillion company, while Apple sits at $4.8 trillion. However, there's a hidden risk with Apple's stock that nobody is talking about: valuation.

Most of Apple's share price growth in recent years has come from investors being willing to pay more for its sales and earnings, not from actual improvements in its business performance. This could be a major issue, because Apple may have some emerging problems on its hands.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Apple's stock is expensive Apple has a track record of being one of the most consistently performing companies in the market, which should earn its shares a bit of a premium price tag. However, how much is too much? Apple shares trade for nearly 40 times trailing earnings, and 37 times forward earnings.

AAPL PE Ratio data by YCharts.

For comparison, the S&P 500 (^GSPC -0.14%) trades at 25.5 times trailing earnings and 21.5 times forward earnings. That means from a forward earnings standpoint, investors are paying nearly twice as much for Apple as they are for the average stock. Those are huge expectations to live up to, and there are reasons for investors to worry about whether it can.

Apple is about to face one of its biggest crises in recent memory: soaring commodity prices. The data center build-out has eaten up the production capacities of many of the companies that also make components for Apple's products. For example, there's now a shortage of memory chips, and their prices have soared dramatically as a result.

To compensate for its higher costs, Apple may have no choice but to start raising its iPhone prices, which may be poorly received among a consumer base that's already stretched financially thin. This could make maintaining margins difficult. Meanwhile, the company is also dealing with poor sales growth. The combination of all these factors may cause Apple's profits to fall, which would make Apple's already-pricey stock look even more expensive.

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I think this is a precarious setup for shareholders. Apple's stock is priced for perfection in a business where the environment is starting to worsen. There are many big tech stocks that are growing faster than Apple and trading at premiums far lower.

Take Nvidia, for example. The peak of the AI build-out still hasn't hit yet, and the chipmaker is still growing its revenue at an 85% year-over-year pace and trading at just 22.6 times forward earnings. Apple's stock has gotten far too expensive, and it's a risk that investors must know about, because they could get burned.

Apple (AAPL, Financials), the consumer technology company behind the iPhone and Apple Watch, failed to overturn a $634 million jury verdict in a patent dispute

Posted by Defense World Staff on Jul 22nd, 2026

Cvfg LLC lifted its stake in shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) by 154.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 81,665 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after purchasing an additional 49,606 shares during the quarter. Apple comprises 2.6% of Cvfg LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest holding. Cvfg LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $20,726,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new position in shares of Apple in the 4th quarter worth $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC lifted its stake 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 valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. Timmons Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Apple during the fourth quarter valued at about $69,000. LSV Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of Apple during the fourth quarter valued at about $65,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC bought a new stake in shares of Apple during the fourth quarter worth about $76,000. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity In related news, insider Ben Borders sold 1,274 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.00, for a total transaction of $369,460.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 38,713 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,226,770. This represents a 3.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Kevan Parekh sold 1,534 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $275.00, for a total transaction of $421,850.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 13,366 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,675,650. This trade represents a 10.30% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 2,924 shares of company stock valued at $825,546. 0.06% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Apple Price Performance Apple stock opened at $327.74 on Wednesday. Apple Inc. has a 52 week low of $201.50 and a 52 week high of $334.99. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $304.95 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $277.89. The stock has a market cap of $4.81 trillion, a P/E ratio of 39.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.95 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $111.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.46 billion. Apple had a return on equity of 146.69% and a net margin of 27.15%.Apple’s quarterly revenue was up 16.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.65 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 14th. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th were issued a $0.27 dividend. This is an increase from Apple’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 11th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Apple’s payout ratio is presently 13.06%.

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

Positive Sentiment: Apple is reportedly launching a new device leasing program with Klarna, a major change to how it sells hardware that could support upgrade demand and recurring device sales. Reuters: Apple to launch ‘Upgrade’ device leasing program to spur sales, Bloomberg News reports Positive Sentiment: HSBC upgraded Apple, saying it is entering a powerful new upgrade cycle supported by AI and a strong hardware roadmap. Barchart: HSBC Says Apple Is Entering a Powerful New Upgrade Cycle Positive Sentiment: Several commentators highlighted Apple’s pricing power, strong installed base, and relative insulation from the AI capex arms race as reasons investors are favoring AAPL over some other mega-cap tech names. MarketBeat: Apple Stock Sends Major Warning Signal as Momentum Hits Peak Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $310.00 target price on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, May 1st. HSBC raised Apple from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $260.00 to $366.00 in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Raymond James Financial set a $380.00 target price on Apple in a report on Monday. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $365.00 target price on Apple in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $325.71.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis 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 Confidence Is Back, But Earnings Show the Consumer Is Being Picky AeroVironment’s Stock Is Down, But Drone Demand Is Taking Off 3M’s Redemption Arc: Can Q2 Earnings Change the Narrative? 3 Photonics Companies Making Quantum Tech Possible 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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By PYMNTS  |  July 21, 2026

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Apple is reportedly preparing to launch a leasing program in partnership with Klarna.

That’s according to a report Tuesday (July 21) from Bloomberg News, which calls the Apple Upgrade service one of the largest-ever changes to how Apple sells its products.

Due to launch July 28, the program will support most iPhone, Mac, iPad and Apple Watch models, the report added, citing sources with knowledge of the matter. Klarna, those sources said, is serving as Apple Upgrade’s financial backer.

The report said Apple Upgrade will work like a subscription. Users can pay off devices early in their term, upgrade earlier to newer models, or keep the original device until the leasing period ends. As with a car lease, the device could be returned when the term is up.

PYMNTS has contacted both Apple and Klarna for comment but has not yet gotten a reply.

As Bloomberg notes, the program comes in the wake of Apple’s recent price increases — to the tune of hundreds of dollars — on several of its devices amid an industrywide memory shortage.

Apple CEO Tim Cook told the Wall Street Journal recently that memory chip costs are unlike anything he’s seen in 40 years.

“We’re doing our best to mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us, and we’ve been trying to shield our customers from the increases, but the situation has become unsustainable,” Cook said.

However, those increases did not extend to the iPhone, which allowed Apple to escape a sales slump that has hit other smartphone companies during the second quarter.

The company is also widely expected to raise the cost of a new iPhone when the latest model debuts in September, Bloomberg added.

The report said Apple aims to promote the program as a way to have lower payments than what current financing programs offer. The tech giant also intends to phase out new enrollments for its current iPhone payment programs — the iPhone Upgrade Program and standard financing — in favor of the Apple Upgrade service.

According to Bloomberg, Apple had been considering its own in-house iPhone and hardware subscription program, but called off those plans in 2024. The report argues that teaming with Klarna gives Apple the benefit of offering such a way to purchase its products without assuming the financial burden.

Apple is launching a device leasing program called ‘Apple Upgrade’ on July 28 in the US to boost sales, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

The new service arrives as Apple has raised prices on its iPads, MacBooks and other devices except the iPhone, no longer able to shield customers from surging memory and storage chip costs driven by the AI industry’s data-center buildout.

Apple Upgrade will support most iPhone, Mac, iPad and Apple Watch models and the company is partnering with Klarna Group as the financial backer for the program, the report said.

Apple Upgrade will support most iPhone, Mac, iPad and Apple Watch models, according to Bloomberg. Getty Images It will function as a subscription, allowing users to pay off their device early, switch to a new model before their term ends, or retain the device after the leasing period concludes, Bloomberg reported.

The service will be available in both Apple’s physical retail stores and online.

Apple intends to market the program as offering lower payments than its existing financing options, the report said.

The company plans to end new enrollments in its current iPhone payment plans — the iPhone Upgrade Program and standard financing — to clear the way for the new Apple Upgrade initiative.

Unlike the current iPhone Upgrade Program, Apple Upgrade will not include AppleCare.

Some devices, including the Apple Watch SE, the entry-level iPad, the iPhone 16 and the MacBook Neo, will not be eligible for the program, the report said.

Apple Upgrade will be available in the tech giant’s physical retail stores and online. Business and education purchases will also be excluded, according to Bloomberg.

Both Apple and Klarna did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

Shares of Apple (AAPL +0.67%) have been rallying in recent weeks as the company's slow-and-steady approach to artificial intelligence may be winning over investors after all. While there have been concerns that it's been moving too slowly, the stock's recent gains suggest the market isn't all that concerned. Amid the recent rally, it also briefly surpassed Nvidia in terms of market cap. Although it has given back some of its gains, at around $4.8 trillion, it's not far behind the chipmaker's $4.9 trillion valuation.

Apple's stock has hit a new all-time high along the way, and it's up 20% since the start of the year. Has it gotten too expensive, or can this "Magnificent Seven" stock still rise higher?

Image source: Getty Images.

Has Apple benefited from a market rotation? In recent weeks, there's been growing bearishness around many memory and storage stocks, including Micron Technology and Sandisk, which have been generating impressive results due to supply shortages. As their valuations have risen astronomically over the past year, investors appear to be second-guessing those stocks and moving into safer options, such as Apple.

Ironically, however, Apple itself isn't all that cheap. It trades at a price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of 40, which is a bit rich given that the business hasn't exactly been a growth machine historically. While there have been periods of high growth, Apple's been known more for stability and safety than for generating strong growth. In its most recent fiscal year, which ended on Sept. 27, 2025, revenue rose by a modest 6%, totaling $416 billion. That's not the kind of growth investors typically expect from a stock trading at such a high P/E multiple.

The big test for Apple looms later this month, when it releases its latest quarterly numbers. The bar could be high for the business, given that it's going into earnings with its stock trading at such an elevated valuation.

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Is Apple's stock still worth buying? Apple's business is solid, and it's easy to understand why investors may be gravitating to it in times of fear and uncertainty. But its valuation is also high, and there's no mistaking that. While it can still make for a solid investment in the long run, the risk is that when buying a stock at such high levels, returns can be limited, and it can take much longer to generate a strong return than if the stock were bought at a more modest level.

While it's a good stock, Apple may be a bit too expensive to buy right now. At the very least, I'd wait until after it reports earnings (on July 30), and reassess the tech stock then.

David Jagielski, CPA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Micron Technology, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Apple is ​launching a ‌device leasing ​program ​called 'Apple Upgrade' on ⁠July ​28 in ​the U.S. to boost ​sales, ​Bloomberg News reported ‌on ⁠Tuesday, citing people ​with ​knowledge ⁠of the ​matter.