Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Trading 1.5% Higher on Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• Apple shares rose 1.5% to about $310 after Rothschild & Co. Redburn upgraded the stock to “strong buy” and set a $400 price target.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with Apple carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $330.53.
• Apple’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with EPS of $2.02 and revenue of $109.42 billion, while revenue increased 16.4% year over year.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) shares rose 1.5% on Tuesday after Rothschild & Co Redburn upgraded the stock from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating. Rothschild & Co Redburn now has a $400.00 price target on the stock. Apple traded as high as $311.49 and last traded at $310.03. Approximately 51,631,891 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 2% from the average session volume of 50,691,762 shares. The stock had previously closed at $305.59.

AAPL has been the subject of several other reports. BTIG Research assumed coverage on Apple in a research report on Monday. They issued a "neutral" rating for the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Apple from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $270.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of Apple from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Raymond James Financial restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Apple presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $330.53.

Insider Activity

In other Apple news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total transaction of $34,236.24. Following the transaction, the insider owned 38,713 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. This represents a 0.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, 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 firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.75, for a total transaction of $442,852.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 40,107 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,342,929.25. This represents a 3.46% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Rothschild & Co. Redburn upgraded Apple from “Neutral” to “Buy” and raised its price target from $260 to $400. The firm cited Apple’s potential entry into premium foldable iPhones and a possible improvement in its artificial-intelligence strategy, including potential use of Nvidia models. Apple stock upgraded to Buy with $400 price target
• Positive Sentiment: Apple announced a simplified European fee structure, including a 5% commission on digital transactions for apps distributed through alternative app stores or the web. Removing the disputed Core Technology Fee may reduce regulatory uncertainty and make it easier for developers to remain in Apple’s ecosystem. Apple overhauls Europe app store fees
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts estimate a foldable iPhone could support an approximately 11% increase in average iPhone prices, with Redburn modeling 14 million units at a premium price of roughly $2,199. The product could provide a significant new growth and margin opportunity if demand materializes. Apple’s foldable could lift iPhone prices
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple is reportedly preparing a China-specific artificial-intelligence model with Alibaba’s assistance. A successful rollout could strengthen iPhone demand in China, but regulatory approval, execution and competition remain uncertainties. Apple builds custom AI models for China
• Negative Sentiment: The new European terms will likely reduce Apple’s economics on some transactions and expand alternative distribution options. Apple has acknowledged that antitrust actions and App Store changes are beginning to weigh on its highly profitable Services business. Antitrust attacks affect Apple’s Services business
• Negative Sentiment: Appaloosa Management, led by David Tepper, reported put positions referencing approximately 835,000 Apple shares. The trade signals concern about valuation and downside risk, although it does not necessarily represent an outright short position. David Tepper’s Apple position
• Negative Sentiment: U.S. officials are pressing Apple to avoid Chinese memory-chip suppliers, potentially limiting low-cost sourcing as memory prices rise because of artificial-intelligence demand. Higher component costs could pressure iPhone margins. Company news for August 18, 2026

Institutional Trading of Apple

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. First National Bank of Hutchinson boosted its holdings in Apple by 24.6% in the fourth quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 35,319 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $8,845,000 after purchasing an additional 6,982 shares during the last quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC raised its position in Apple by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC now owns 54,085 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $13,544,000 after acquiring an additional 272 shares in the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in Apple by 14.8% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 537,314 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $134,554,000 after acquiring an additional 69,207 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in Apple by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 66,857 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $16,742,000 after purchasing an additional 2,695 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Highview Capital Management LLC DE boosted its position in Apple by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Highview Capital Management LLC DE now owns 50,264 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $12,587,000 after purchasing an additional 1,155 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Apple Stock Up 1.5%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.00. The firm has a market cap of $4.52 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.55, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.09. The business's 50 day moving average price is $309.06 and its 200 day moving average price is $285.73.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $109.04 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The business's revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.57 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 EPS for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th were paid a dividend of $0.27 per share. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 10th. Apple's dividend payout ratio is presently 12.39%.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source