KeyCorp Forecasts Apple's Q2 Earnings (NASDAQ:AAPL)

Key Points

• KeyCorp raised its Q2 2026 EPS forecast for Apple to $1.94 from $1.70, and also issued Q4 2026 and FY2027 estimates of $2.01 and $9.19 per share while keeping a "Sector Weight" rating.
• Apple recently beat expectations for its last quarter, reporting $2.84 EPS versus $2.67 expected and $143.76 billion in revenue (up 15.7% year‑over‑year).
• The stock carries a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $301.37, and several major banks (JPMorgan, BofA, TD Cowen) have recently raised price targets into the mid‑$300s.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Free Report) - Investment analysts at KeyCorp lifted their Q2 2026 earnings per share estimates for Apple in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, April 6th. KeyCorp analyst B. Nispel now forecasts that the iPhone maker will post earnings of $1.94 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $1.70. KeyCorp currently has a "Sector Weight" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Apple's current full-year earnings is $7.28 per share. KeyCorp also issued estimates for Apple's Q4 2026 earnings at $2.01 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $9.19 EPS.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on AAPL. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Oppenheimer reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Apple from $315.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $325.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price objective on Apple from $320.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $301.37.

Apple Stock Performance

Shares of AAPL opened at $266.43 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $3.91 trillion, a PE ratio of 33.68, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 1.11. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $260.12 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $263.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.94. Apple has a 1 year low of $189.81 and a 1 year high of $288.62.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The iPhone maker reported $2.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.67 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $143.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $138.25 billion. Apple had a return on equity of 159.94% and a net margin of 27.04%.The business's revenue was up 15.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.40 earnings per share.

Apple Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 12th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 9th were paid a $0.26 dividend. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 9th. Apple's dividend payout ratio is currently 13.15%.

Insider Transactions at Apple

In other Apple news, CEO Timothy D. Cook sold 64,949 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $254.23, for a total value of $16,511,984.27. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 3,280,418 shares in the company, valued at $833,980,668.14. This represents a 1.94% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, SVP Deirdre O'brien sold 30,002 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.06% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Apple

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV increased its stake in Apple by 5.8% in the 1st quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 171,512 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $43,528,000 after acquiring an additional 9,475 shares during the last quarter. Marathon Strategic Advisors LLC increased its stake in Apple by 7.0% in the 1st quarter. Marathon Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 1,373 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $348,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Brady Martz Wealth Solutions LLC increased its stake in Apple by 50.5% in the 1st quarter. Brady Martz Wealth Solutions LLC now owns 23,929 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $6,073,000 after acquiring an additional 8,025 shares during the last quarter. J. Derek Lewis & Associates Inc. bought a new position in Apple in the 4th quarter worth about $18,936,000. Finally, Up Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Apple in the 4th quarter worth about $1,583,000. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America raised its price target and reiterated a bullish outlook ahead of Q2, citing strong iPhone and Services momentum — a clear analyst catalyst supporting upside expectations. Apple price target raised ahead of earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call buying: traders purchased ~1.03M Apple calls (≈24% above typical daily call volume), signaling short‑term bullish positioning that can amplify intraday gains.
• Positive Sentiment: Product catalysts — reports on Apple’s imminent foldable iPhone and recent product announcements keep a tangible growth story intact (new hardware can lift ASPs and Services engagement). Apple's Foldable iPhone Foray
• Neutral Sentiment: Amazon’s acquisition of Globalstar reshapes Apple’s satellite dependence — it creates near‑term uncertainty (a critical vendor now controlled by a competitor) but also a potential catalyst if Apple elects to accelerate its own satellite strategy or strike new partnerships. Apple Sends an SOS
• Neutral Sentiment: AI narrative and positioning: multiple pieces flag rising investor focus on Apple’s AI approach versus peers — positive long‑term but execution and timing remain uncertain, so this is more of a watch‑item than an immediate earnings lever. Apple: More Attention On AI Strategy
• Negative Sentiment: App‑store security incident: a fake Ledger app that stole ~$9.5M highlighted review gaps and raises regulatory/PR risk around App Store oversight (Apple removed the app, but incidents like this can drive scrutiny). Apple removes fake Ledger app
• Negative Sentiment: Store closures including a unionized location drew criticism and union‑busting claims — reputational and workforce risks are remote to revenue but could attract regulatory or headline pressure. Apple closing 3 stores

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.

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