Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA increased its Apple position by 7.7% during the first quarter, according to its latest 13F filing. The firm bought 49,829 additional shares, bringing its total holding to 697,188 AAPL shares valued at about $176.9 million.
Apple now represents around 6.7% of Lombard Odier’s portfolio and ranks as its second-largest holding. Institutional investors and hedge funds currently own about 67.73% of Apple stock, showing continued large-investor exposure to the company. The purchases came as investors continued assessing Apple’s product pipeline, costs and supply plans.
Several other institutional investors also increased their Apple holdings in recent quarters. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position by 14.8% after adding 69,207 shares, while First National Bank of Hutchinson raised its stake by 24.6%.
Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its Apple holding by 4.2%, and Highview Capital Management LLC DE raised its position by 2.4%. Eagle Capital Management LLC also added shares, increasing its stake by 0.5% during the fourth quarter.
Apple is testing memory chips from China-based CXMT for selected iPhones and MacBooks sold in China. The company could gain another supply source if the chips receive required approval from U.S. authorities.
The move comes as memory and storage markets face tighter supply because of rising demand from artificial intelligence infrastructure. However, U.S. restrictions, production capacity and technology differences could limit Apple’s ability to rely on CXMT at scale.
Some Apple investors remain positive about future iPhone demand, artificial intelligence features and possible device upgrades. Deepwater Asset Management’s Gene Munster has argued that Apple shares could still offer value despite recent concerns around product pricing and growth.
Jefferies has taken a weaker view. The firm downgraded Apple from Hold to Underperform and cut its price target to $263.66 from $285.56. Analyst Edison Lee reportedly cited production challenges linked to a planned all-glass iPhone.
Apple also faces higher component costs. Reports suggest iPhone 18 production costs could rise by about 38% because of memory and storage shortages, leaving Apple to either raise prices or accept lower margins.
Apple is scheduled to pay a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share on August 13 to eligible shareholders. The payment provides a near-term cash return while investors assess supply costs, pricing decisions, and future product demand.
In related activity, insider Ben Borders sold 116 Apple shares on June 16 at an average price of $295.14. The transaction totaled $34,236.24 and was made to cover tax withholding obligations tied to vested equity awards.
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