Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the thirty-nine ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Four investment 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 given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $330.5314.

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on AAPL shares. Seaport Research Partners downgraded Apple from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. China Renaissance downgraded Apple from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $280.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Oppenheimer restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. DZ Bank downgraded Apple from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $310.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Piper Sandler started coverage on Apple in a report on Monday, August 17th. They set an “overweight” rating on the stock.

Apple Trading Down 1.9%

Shares of AAPL stock traded down $6.19 on Friday, hitting $313.51. The stock had a trading volume of 15,152,948 shares, compared to its average volume of 49,963,801. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $4.58 trillion, a P/E ratio of 35.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.09. Apple has a 1 year low of $225.95 and a 1 year high of $344.57. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $312.24 and its 200-day moving average price is $288.52.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.04 billion. Apple had a return on equity of 135.46% and a net margin of 27.62%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.57 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Apple will post 8.76 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

In other Apple news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the company’s 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 sale, the insider owned 38,713 shares in the company, valued at $11,425,754.82. This represents a 0.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available 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 stock was 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. This trade represents a 3.72% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 4,433 shares of company stock worth $1,367,024. 0.06% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AAPL. Rainier Family Wealth Inc. raised its stake in shares of Apple by 14.1% during the first quarter. Rainier Family Wealth Inc. now owns 24,386 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $6,189,000 after acquiring an additional 3,014 shares during the last quarter. Eaton Cambridge Inc. raised its stake in shares of Apple by 21.3% during the first quarter. Eaton Cambridge Inc. now owns 13,968 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $3,545,000 after acquiring an additional 2,450 shares during the last quarter. Torren Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Apple during the fourth quarter valued at $1,178,000. Summit Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Apple by 108.3% during the first quarter. Summit Wealth Partners LLC now owns 34,989 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $8,880,000 after acquiring an additional 18,188 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Adventist Health System Sunbelt Healthcare Corp bought a new position in shares of Apple during the fourth quarter valued at $105,482,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Apple News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Orderly CEO succession: Tim Cook is leaving the CEO role after 15 years but will remain Apple’s executive chairman. Cook strongly endorsed successor John Ternus, a longtime hardware leader, potentially reducing fears of an abrupt management break. Tim Cook’s parting message: Apple is in the hands of a product builder
• Positive Sentiment: Product catalysts ahead: Apple’s first major product event under Ternus is expected September 9, with reports pointing to new iPhones and a possible foldable model. Strong iPhone demand, potential iOS market-share gains and rising interest in Mac hardware for AI workloads could support future revenue. Apple Valuation Nears $5T as John Ternus Steps Up as New CEO
• Neutral Sentiment: Strong track record and support: Cook’s tenure produced substantial shareholder gains, while Apple’s latest quarter delivered revenue growth and an earnings beat. Analysts’ median price target remains above the current quotation, although the stock’s elevated valuation leaves less room for disappointment.
• Negative Sentiment: AI strategy concerns: Ternus inherits an artificial-intelligence strategy that relies heavily on outside partners, leaving Apple behind leading rivals in some areas. Investors will look for evidence that the new CEO can accelerate AI-powered Siri and on-device capabilities. Apple’s New CEO Inherits an AI Strategy Built on Outsiders
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and valuation risks: Commentators warn that App Store pressure, supply-chain challenges, potential memory-cost inflation and a trailing P/E near 37 make Apple vulnerable if the September launch disappoints. Apple TV+’s latest price increase could also slow subscriber growth. Apple Is Facing One of Its Most Challenging Times in a Decade

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.