FY2026 EPS Estimates for Apple Boosted by Erste Group Bank

Key Points

• Erste Group Bank raised Apple’s FY2026 EPS estimate slightly to $8.85 from $8.84, above the broader consensus estimate of $8.76.
• Apple’s consensus analyst rating remains “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $330.53, though several firms recently lowered targets or maintained neutral ratings.
• Recent fundamentals were strong: Apple reported quarterly EPS of $2.02 versus $1.89 expected, while revenue rose 16.4% year over year to $109.42 billion. Investors are also watching potential catalysts including a foldable iPhone and subscription price increases, alongside AI execution and premium-valuation risks.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) - Stock analysts at Erste Group Bank raised their FY2026 earnings per share estimates for Apple in a report released on Thursday, August 27th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now forecasts that the iPhone maker will post earnings per share of $8.85 for the year, up from their previous forecast of $8.84. The consensus estimate for Apple's current full-year earnings is $8.76 per share.

A number of other research firms have also recently issued reports on AAPL. KGI Securities cut shares of Apple from an "outperform" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $315.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Oppenheimer reaffirmed a "market perform" rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Apple from $345.00 to $340.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Apple from $364.00 to $360.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Piper Sandler assumed coverage on Apple in a report on Monday, August 17th. They set an "overweight" rating on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Apple currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $330.53.

Apple Stock Performance

AAPL opened at $319.70 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $4.67 trillion, a P/E ratio of 36.66, a PEG ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The company's 50 day moving average is $312.24 and its 200-day moving average is $288.52. Apple has a 1-year low of $225.95 and a 1-year high of $344.57.

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

Apple Announces Dividend

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Apple news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total transaction of $34,236.24. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 38,713 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. This trade represents a 0.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 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 company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $310.95, for a total value 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. The trade was a 3.72% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 4,433 shares of company stock worth $1,367,024 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.06% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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

Key Headlines Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple’s September 9 event will be the first major product launch under incoming CEO John Ternus. Expectations for the iPhone 18 lineup, camera improvements and a possible foldable iPhone are supporting sentiment. IDC reportedly expects more than 10 million foldable iPhone shipments in the first year, although that forecast remains speculative. Apple stock rises ahead of September event
• Positive Sentiment: Apple is raising U.S. prices for Apple TV and Apple One subscriptions, in some cases by up to 20%. The increases could lift services revenue and margins, though investors will monitor customer retention and potential subscription churn. Apple raises subscription prices
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart plans to add Apple Pay support across its U.S. stores and Sam’s Club locations by the end of 2026. Wider acceptance could increase Apple Pay usage and strengthen Apple’s payments ecosystem. Walmart to add Apple Pay support
• Positive Sentiment: Recent results provide fundamental support: Apple reported quarterly EPS of $2.02 versus a $1.89 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 16.4% year over year to $109.42 billion.
• Neutral Sentiment: The CEO transition creates both opportunity and execution risk. Ternus’s product-design background is viewed favorably, but he will face an immediate test with the iPhone launch shortly after taking over from Tim Cook. Apple’s first iPhone launch under John Ternus
• Negative Sentiment: Apple is eliminating roughly 147–200 jobs across Siri, machine-learning and Vision Pro teams while redirecting resources toward AI. The restructuring may improve focus, but it also highlights concerns about Siri’s delays and Apple’s position in generative AI. Apple layoffs in Siri and Vision Pro teams
• Negative Sentiment: High expectations and a premium valuation leave less room for disappointing foldable-iPhone demand, AI progress or margins. Rising memory-chip costs could also pressure profitability.
• Negative Sentiment: Apple SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares worth approximately $447,000. The sale is small relative to Apple’s size and may be routine, but it provides a modest negative sentiment signal. SEC Form 4 filing

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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