Apple’s (AAPL) Overweight Rating Reaffirmed at Morgan Stanley

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)‘s stock had its “overweight” rating reissued by investment analysts at Morgan Stanley in a report issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $360.00 target price on the iPhone maker’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 10.43% from the stock’s current price.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on the company. Phillip Securities lowered Apple from a “hold” rating to a “moderate sell” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. KGI Securities lowered shares of Apple from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $315.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Seaport Research Partners cut Apple from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. KeyCorp restated an “underweight” rating and set a $250.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, DZ Bank downgraded Apple from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $310.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $330.61.

Apple Stock Performance

AAPL traded up $0.85 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $325.99. 20,033,140 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 49,956,711. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $313.24 and its 200-day simple moving average is $289.18. Apple has a 1 year low of $225.95 and a 1 year high of $344.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.76 trillion, a P/E ratio of 37.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.09.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $109.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.04 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The firm’s revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.57 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Apple will post 8.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Apple

In other news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total transaction of $34,236.24. Following the sale, the insider owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. This represents a 0.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.95, for a total transaction of $447,457.05. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 37,229 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,576,357.55. This trade represents a 3.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 4,433 shares of company stock valued at $1,367,024. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Apple

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of AAPL. Sterling Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in Apple by 0.3% during the second quarter. Sterling Wealth Management Inc. now owns 11,579 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $3,351,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the period. Evansbrook LLC lifted its stake in shares of Apple by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Evansbrook LLC now owns 8,095 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $2,054,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the period. JMG Financial Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in Apple by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. JMG Financial Group Ltd. now owns 5,102 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $1,295,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Reyes Financial Architecture Inc. grew its holdings in Apple by 0.4% during the third quarter. Reyes Financial Architecture Inc. now owns 9,898 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $2,520,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the period. Finally, Advocate Investing Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Apple by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. Advocate Investing Services LLC now owns 7,847 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $2,271,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

More Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CEO transition initially reassures investors. John Ternus officially became CEO after 15 years of Cook’s leadership. His 25 years at Apple and background in hardware engineering are viewed as offering continuity, while Cook remains executive chairman and is expected to provide strategic support. Apple Shares Rise as John Ternus Takes Over as CEO
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are anticipating the September 9 product event. Ternus described the upcoming iPhone launch as “phenomenal,” with reports pointing to a potential premium-only lineup and possibly a foldable iPhone. A successful launch could support revenue growth and strengthen the new CEO’s credibility. Apple’s New CEO Teases Phenomenal iPhone Launch
• Positive Sentiment: Services pricing highlights a growing, high-margin revenue stream. Apple raised Apple TV+ and Apple One prices by as much as 20%, potentially improving Services monetization and recurring revenue, although customer reaction will be important. What Does Apple’s TV Price Hike Say About Where the Stock Is Heading?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views remain divided. Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating and a $380 target, citing potential “device dominance” in the AI era. Conversely, DA Davidson reaffirmed Neutral with a $270 target, implying substantial downside from current levels; Rosenblatt also maintained Neutral despite raising its target to $303.
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO compensation was disclosed. Ternus is eligible for roughly $58 million in fiscal 2027 compensation, with much of the equity tied to relative shareholder returns. Cook will receive approximately $47 million as executive chairman, signaling that Apple expects him to remain closely involved.
• Negative Sentiment: AI execution remains the central concern. Ternus inherits pressure to improve Siri and Apple’s broader AI strategy, while the company also faces elevated memory costs that could weigh on margins. At a valuation near 37 times earnings, investors may demand clear evidence that AI and new hardware can sustain growth.
• Negative Sentiment: Apple’s trade-secret lawsuit against OpenAI is escalating. Apple alleges that former employees transferred confidential information and that evidence may have been destroyed; OpenAI calls the case baseless. The dispute creates legal uncertainty and highlights competitive tensions in AI. OpenAI Responds to Apple Trade-Secret Lawsuit

About Apple

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.