Shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the thirty-five ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating, twenty-two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $304.3143.
Several equities analysts recently commented on AAPL shares. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $330.00 price objective (up from $315.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $335.00 price target (up from $325.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Friday. Rosenblatt Securities lifted their price objective on shares of Apple from $268.00 to $276.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, January 2nd.
Read Our Latest Report on Apple
Apple Stock Up 3.3%
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.01 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.95 by $0.06. Apple had a return on equity of 161.46% and a net margin of 27.15%.The company had revenue of $111.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.46 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.65 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 16.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Apple will post 8.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Apple Increases Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.27 per share. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 11th. This is a boost from Apple’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 13.15%.
Insider Activity
In related news, SVP Deirdre O’brien sold 30,002 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $255.35, for a total value of $7,661,010.70. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 136,810 shares in the company, valued at $34,934,433.50. This represents a 17.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Kevan Parekh sold 1,534 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $275.00, for a total transaction of $421,850.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 13,366 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,675,650. This trade represents a 10.30% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 96,485 shares of company stock valued at $24,594,845. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Trading of Apple
Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Global Assets Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of Apple by 20.6% in the first quarter. Global Assets Advisory LLC now owns 81,000 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $20,557,000 after acquiring an additional 13,861 shares during the period. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in Apple by 0.6% during the first quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC now owns 117,454 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $29,809,000 after purchasing an additional 718 shares during the period. Castleview Partners LLC lifted its position in Apple by 4.5% during the first quarter. Castleview Partners LLC now owns 25,446 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $6,458,000 after purchasing an additional 1,095 shares during the period. United Bank boosted its holdings in Apple by 4.5% in the first quarter. United Bank now owns 48,325 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $12,264,000 after purchasing an additional 2,069 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ARQ Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Apple by 99.1% during the 1st quarter. ARQ Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 29,174 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $7,404,000 after purchasing an additional 14,521 shares during the period. 67.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Apple News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q2 results beat and June-quarter guidance well above Street expectations, giving investors confidence in near-term sales momentum and margins. Apple stages sharpest rally in 9 months as execs cite iPhone, Mac demand in boosting guidance
- Positive Sentiment: Management expanded capital returns — a large share buyback ($100B) plus a dividend raise — which supports EPS and buyback-driven upside. Apple (AAPL) Stock: Q2 Earnings Beat … and $100B Buyback
- Positive Sentiment: Stronger-than-expected demand in Greater China and for the iPhone 17 and Mac lineup (including Mac Mini demand for AI work) is driving top-line upside and a re-rating by some analysts. Apple’s China sales jumped 28%: now analysts are rethinking AAPL
- Positive Sentiment: Multiple firms raised price targets and options activity surged, signaling bullish positioning and expectations for further upside. Analyst moves & options flow
- Neutral Sentiment: Apple signaled it is retiring its net-cash-neutral target — investors interpret this as freeing cash for a potential large AI acquisition, but timing and impact remain speculative. Apple just gave a subtle clue that a splashy AI acquisition may be in the cards
- Neutral Sentiment: Media/services expansion — Apple aims to grow its sports/TV footprint (Formula One content and TV deals), which supports longer-term services revenue diversification but is incremental near term. Apple’s Cue expects F1 movie sequel…
- Negative Sentiment: Management warned that the global memory-chip shortage is worsening — that creates a real near-term cost/margin headwind and could force pricing or longer-term supplier commitments. Apple Warns the Memory Shortage Is Getting Worse
- Negative Sentiment: Some analysts remain cautious — Wall Street is split on whether the beat is sustainable versus one-time effects (tariff refunds, inventory/timing), leaving valuation and durability questions. Wall Street Splits on Apple After Q2 Beat
Apple Company Profile
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.
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