Analysis of Avaii Wealth Management LLC's Stock Position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)

• Avaii Wealth Management LLC reduced its stake in Apple by 0.9% during Q4, selling 142 shares, leaving it with 16,413 shares worth $4,110,000. Apple represents approximately 2.0% of its portfolio, making it the 17th largest position.

• Other institutional investors' activities:

  • Passive Capital Management LLC. increased its stake by 52.6%, holding 4,244 shares worth $894,000.
  • Alternative Investment Advisors LLC. acquired a new position worth $1,151,000.
  • Sage Advisors LLC increased its stake by 3.3%, holding 44,403 shares worth $9,352,000.
  • Ashburton Jersey Ltd and Mattson Financial Services LLC each acquired new positions worth $15,855,000 and $7,371,000, respectively.

• Analyst sentiment: Apple has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average target price of $243.65. Notable ratings include:

  • Needham & Company LLC: "Buy" ($260.00)
  • UBS Group: "Hold" ($236.00)
  • Barclays: "Underweight" ($197.00)
  • Goldman Sachs Group: "Buy"
  • Argus: "Strong-Buy"

• Earnings performance: Apple reported EPS of $2.40 for the latest quarter, exceeding expectations by $0.04. It has a net margin of 24.30% and a return on equity of 160.83%. Analysts predict EPS of **7.28 for the current fiscal year.

• Dividend announcement: Apple declared a quarterly dividend of $0.25, paid on February 13, with an annualized yield of 0.47% and a payout ratio of 15.87%.

• Company profile: Apple designs, manufactures, and markets smartphones (iPhone), personal computers (Mac), tablets (iPad), wearables, and accessories globally.

Key Takeaways:

• Mixed investor sentiment: While some hedge funds are reducing positions, others are increasing theirs.
• Strong earnings and high net margin indicate sustained profitability.
• Analysts remain cautiously optimistic with a "Moderate Buy" rating.
• Dividend payments provide income appeal for investors.