Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts rate Apple a “Moderate Buy”: Of 39 firms covering the stock, 22 recommend buying, 12 rate it a hold, four recommend selling and one issues a strong buy. The average 12-month price target is $330.53.
• Apple recently exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $2.02 in EPS versus $1.89 expected and $109.42 billion in revenue, up 16.4% year over year. Shares opened at $314.58, while the company maintains a $0.27 quarterly dividend yielding about 0.3%.
• Upcoming products and AI plans are key catalysts, but valuation and execution remain risks: Investors are watching the September 9 iPhone event, potential foldable iPhone and AI-focused Mac releases, while leadership changes, AI-related layoffs and a price-to-earnings ratio above 36 could weigh on sentiment.

Shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of "Moderate Buy" by the thirty-nine ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, twelve have assigned a hold recommendation, twenty-two have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $330.5314.

AAPL has been the topic of several research reports. Oppenheimer restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, July 31st. DZ Bank lowered Apple from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $310.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. KGI Securities lowered shares of Apple from an "outperform" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $315.00 target price for the company. in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Apple from $364.00 to $360.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, BTIG Research started coverage on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday, August 17th. They issued a "neutral" rating on the stock.

Apple Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ AAPL opened at $314.58 on Friday. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $311.80 and its 200-day simple moving average is $288.21. Apple has a 52-week low of $225.95 and a 52-week high of $344.57. The firm has a market cap of $4.59 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

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

Apple Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th were issued a $0.27 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 10th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. Apple's dividend payout ratio is presently 12.39%.

Key Headlines Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple’s September 9 product event will be the first major launch under incoming CEO John Ternus. Investors expect the iPhone 18 lineup, Apple Watch updates and potentially Apple’s first foldable iPhone. IDC reportedly expects more than 10 million foldable iPhone shipments in the first year, creating a potential new growth category. Apple sets Sept. 9 date for next iPhone launch event
• Positive Sentiment: New Mac mini and Mac Studio models using M6 and M5 Ultra chips are being positioned for demanding AI workloads. Improved on-device AI performance could support Mac upgrades and strengthen Apple’s appeal among developers, potentially expanding hardware and services revenue. Apple’s AI Mac Push Could Spark New Opportunities
• Positive Sentiment: Recent iPhone momentum remains constructive: global shipments reportedly rose 13% in the second quarter, aided by iPhone 17 demand and stable pricing. Apple’s latest earnings beat and strong profitability also provide fundamental support for the stock. iPhone Buyers Rush in Before Potential Apple Price Increases
• Neutral Sentiment: The CEO transition is now an immediate catalyst and risk. Ternus’s product-design background may reassure investors, but the rapid succession from leadership change to a major iPhone launch leaves little time to establish credibility.
• Negative Sentiment: Apple is cutting roughly 147–150 positions across Siri, machine-learning and Vision Pro teams while reorganizing around AI. Management may view the reductions as strategic pruning, but investors could interpret them as evidence that Apple’s AI effort and Siri reliability remain behind expectations. Apple’s rare Bay Area layoffs hit Vision Pro and Siri teams amid AI shake-up
• Negative Sentiment: Apple’s valuation leaves less room for disappointment, with a reported price-to-earnings ratio above 36. Analysts and commentators continue to question whether AI growth and future products justify the premium after the stock’s substantial rally.
• Negative Sentiment: Senior Vice President Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares worth approximately $447,000, reducing her direct holdings by 3.72%. The transaction is small relative to Apple’s market capitalization and may be routine, but insider selling can weigh modestly on sentiment. SEC Form 4 filing

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Apple news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the senior vice president owned 37,229 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,576,357.55. The trade was a 3.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total value of $34,236.24. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 38,713 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. The trade was a 0.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 4,433 shares of company stock worth $1,367,024. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Apple

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AAPL. Berkshire Hathaway Inc acquired a new position in Apple in the 2nd quarter valued at about $65,950,297,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Apple during the fourth quarter worth about $52,266,468,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in shares of Apple during the second quarter worth about $36,986,090,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in shares of Apple during the second quarter worth about $30,443,242,000. Finally, Nuveen LLC purchased a new position in shares of Apple in the first quarter valued at approximately $17,472,482,000. 67.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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