Embree Financial Group's Stake in Apple Inc.

Embree Financial Group has made a slight adjustment to its investment in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), reducing its stake by 0.8% during the third quarter of the year, according to reports from Holdings Channel. Following this reduction, the firm currently holds 134,547 shares of the popular iPhone manufacturer's stock after selling 1,024 shares in the recent quarter. As a result, Apple now constitutes 5.6% of Embree Financial Group's overall portfolio, ranking it as the company’s fourth largest holding. According to the firm’s latest filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the value of its holdings in Apple reached approximately $31,350,000.

In addition to Embree Financial Group, other institutional investors have also modified their positions in Apple. For instance, China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. significantly increased its stake in Apple by 127.4% during the first quarter, now owning 75,479 shares valued at around $12,943,000 after adding 42,282 shares in the last quarter. Arjuna Capital also raised its position by 2.5% during the same quarter; it now owns 137,393 shares worth approximately $23,560,000, increasing its holdings by 3,321 shares. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC boosted its investment in Apple by 54.6%, currently holding 209,343 shares valued at about $35,898,000 after acquiring 73,909 additional shares.

Meanwhile, Vaughan David Investments LLC IL increased its positions by 7.9% to own 37,490 shares valued at $6,429,000. Similarly, Oxford Financial Group LTD. LLC raised its stake by a marginal 0.5%, bringing its total to 134,403 shares valued at approximately $23,047,000 after acquiring 696 more shares. Collectively, hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of Apple’s stock, reflecting widespread confidence in the tech giant.

Analyst Ratings and Insights

Apple Inc. has been the subject of various analyst evaluations. On October 9th, Piper Sandler reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on Apple's stock, setting a price target of $225. Additionally, Bank of America raised their price target to $256 while maintaining a “buy” rating. On September 10th, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated an “overweight” rating with a price target of $265. In a positive note, Tigress Financial increased their target from $245 to $295, assigning a “strong-buy” rating to the stock. Citigroup also raised their price target to $185, supporting their “buy” rating. Current statistics show that only two analysts rate the stock as a sell, while twelve give it a hold rating, twenty-three recommend a buy, and one has assigned a strong buy rating. Overall, Apple holds an average rating of “Moderate Buy” with analysts projecting a price target of $236.78.

Insider Transactions

In news related to insider activity, Apple’s CEO, Timothy D. Cook, sold 223,986 shares on October 2nd, fetching an average price of $224.46, totaling around $50,275,897. Following this transaction, Cook continues to own 3,280,180 shares of Apple, estimated at approximately $736,269,202.60, representing a 6.39% decrease from his prior holdings. Another insider, Chris Kondo, sold 4,130 shares on November 18th at an average price of $228.87, amounting to about $945,233.10. After this sale, Kondo holds 15,419 shares valued at $3,528,946.53, which is a 21.13% reduction from previous ownership levels. Over the past ninety days, insiders sold a total of 408,170 shares for around $92,007,745, with insiders owning just 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Performance of Apple Stock

As of the latest market update, Apple stock opened at $248.13. It has maintained a 50-day simple moving average of $232.50 and a 200-day simple moving average of $223.41. Furthermore, the company showcases a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 0.87, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51. Over the past year, Apple’s stock has fluctuated, recording a low of $164.07 and a high of $250.80, and it currently holds a market capitalization of $3.75 trillion. The P/E ratio stands at 40.81, with a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.23.

Apple’s most recent quarterly earnings were released on October 31st. The company reported earnings of $1.64 per share, marginally exceeding analysts’ expectations of $1.60 by $0.04. Apple also recorded a remarkable return on equity of 152.94%, with a net margin of 23.97%. It generated $94.93 billion in revenue for the quarter, surpassing predictions of $94.52 billion, and reflecting a 6.1% increase from the same period last year. Experts forecast that Apple will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Dividend Information

Additionally, Apple recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was distributed on November 14th to shareholders recorded as of November 11th. The amount issued was $0.25 per share, translating to an annualized dividend of $1.00, resulting in a dividend yield of 0.40%. As of now, Apple maintains a dividend payout ratio of 16.45%.

About Apple Inc.

Apple Inc. is a leading technology company engaged in the design, manufacture, and marketing of smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables, and accessories worldwide. The firm’s product lineup consists of the iPhone, a series of smartphones; the Mac, a range of personal computers; the iPad, a series of versatile tablets; as well as wearables, home, and accessories products, which include AirPods, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Beats products, and HomePod.

Apple, investments, dividends