Ownership

Apple Inc. (AAPL) exhibits a significant concentration of ownership among institutional investors, which is common for large-cap companies.

• Institutional Ownership: As of the most recent filings, institutional ownership of Apple Inc. (AAPL) stands at approximately 59.39% of the outstanding shares. This figure represents the collective holdings of investment managers, mutual funds, pension funds, and other large financial entities.
• Activist Investors: Identifying a precise percentage for "activist investors" is challenging because they are a subset of institutional investors and their strategies can evolve. While Fintel tracks specific activist filings (like 13D filings), a consolidated percentage is not readily available as a distinct category from broader institutional ownership. However, Fintel's data allows for tracking significant institutional holders, some of whom may engage in activist strategies, by examining their filing types and historical engagement.
• Retail Investors: Retail investor ownership is typically estimated by subtracting institutional ownership from the total outstanding shares, assuming that the remaining shares are held by individual investors. Based on the institutional ownership, retail investors would hold approximately 40.61% of Apple's outstanding shares. It's important to note that this is an estimation, as some private holdings or non-institutional large holders might also be included in the "retail" residual.

This high level of institutional ownership often indicates a degree of stability in the stock, as these large holders tend to have longer investment horizons. However, it also means that significant shifts in institutional sentiment can have a notable impact on the stock price.

what is the institutional sentiment on AAPL?

Institutional sentiment for Apple Inc. (AAPL) can be gauged by analyzing various metrics derived from institutional filings, such as 13F reports, which provide insights into the buying and selling activity of large investment managers.

Here's an overview of the institutional sentiment for AAPL based on recent Fintel data:

• Number of Institutional Holders: As of the most recent quarter, 7,678 institutions have filed 13F forms disclosing ownership in AAPL. This number saw a slight increase of 0.22% in the most recent quarter, indicating a stable, albeit not significantly growing, interest from a broad base of institutional investors.1
• Changes in Holdings: While the number of institutions holding AAPL remained relatively stable, the aggregate institutional shares held long decreased by 1.75% in the most recent quarter. This suggests that some institutions reduced their long positions, or new positions were smaller than liquidated ones.1
• Average Portfolio Allocation: The average portfolio allocation to AAPL among institutional investors also saw a notable decrease of 11.66% in the most recent quarter. This indicates that, on average, institutions are allocating a smaller percentage of their total portfolio value to Apple, which can be interpreted as a slightly less bullish stance.1
• Fund Sentiment Score: Fintel's proprietary Fund Sentiment Score, a multi-factor quantitative model, identifies companies with the highest levels of institutional accumulation. This score ranges from 0 to 100, with 50 being the average. A higher score indicates greater accumulation. While the specific score for AAPL is not provided in the snippets, the model considers factors like the increase in disclosed owners and changes in portfolio allocations.1
• Institutional Put/Call Ratio: This ratio is another key indicator of sentiment, particularly for actively managed funds. A ratio greater than 1 suggests a bearish sentiment (more puts than calls), while a ratio less than 1 indicates a bullish sentiment (more calls than puts). Passively managed funds typically do not use options, making this a more refined measure of active fund sentiment.1

Overall, the recent data suggests a nuanced institutional sentiment for AAPL. While a large number of institutions continue to hold the stock, there's a recent trend of slight reduction in both aggregate long shares and average portfolio allocation, indicating a potentially cautious or moderately less bullish stance in the most recent quarter.

Analyze the historical trend of AAPL's Fund Sentiment Score over the past 12 months to identify sustained accumulation or distribution patterns.