Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Stock Now Rated “Moderate Buy” by Sell-Side Analysts

by · The Cerbat Gem

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the forty-two brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, thirteen have issued a hold recommendation, twenty-six have issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $340.14.

AAPL has been the topic of a number of research reports. Daiwa Securities Group boosted their target price on shares of Apple from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Apple from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, August 17th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. Finally, Arete Research increased their target price on shares of Apple from $305.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th.

Check Out Our Latest Report on Apple

More Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: iPhone 18 demand remains encouraging. Long lines in India and strong interest in the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max suggest Apple’s premium pricing is holding up in an important growth market. Evercore ISI raised its price target to $380 from $365 while maintaining an outperform rating. Apple iPhone demand in India
  • Positive Sentiment: Momentum and technical positioning remain supportive. AAPL has gained roughly 10% over the past month and is approaching a potential buy point, helping sustain investor interest. Bank of America and JPMorgan have reiterated bullish ratings, while several analysts maintain targets above the current trading range. Apple stock approaches buy point
  • Neutral Sentiment: Apple is expanding its product ecosystem. The company plans a refreshed HomePod mini, while reports suggest it may develop its own AI server chips. These initiatives could support future ecosystem engagement and infrastructure efficiency, but they are not yet material earnings drivers. Apple to release new HomePod mini
  • Negative Sentiment: Rising component costs could pressure margins. Bernstein warned that surging memory and other smartphone component costs may weigh on gross margins and earnings in the December quarter, particularly as Apple introduces more expensive iPhones. Apple’s expensive new iPhones and margins
  • Negative Sentiment: Valuation and AI execution remain key risks. At nearly $5 trillion in market value and about 38–39 times earnings, Apple requires continued earnings growth to justify its valuation. Analysts argue Alphabet’s Gemini ecosystem and monetization progress currently give it an edge in consumer AI, while Meta’s AI devices add competitive pressure. Alphabet versus Apple in consumer AI
  • Negative Sentiment: Legal and product issues add uncertainty. A judge certified a class of payment card issuers in an Apple Pay antitrust lawsuit alleging improper fees. Separately, Apple is preparing a software fix for an iPhone 18 Pro reboot problem. Apple Pay class-action lawsuit

Apple Stock Performance

AAPL opened at $341.07 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.98 trillion, a P/E ratio of 39.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 1.08. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $321.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $297.37. 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 has a 12-month low of $243.42 and a 12-month high of $345.34.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.04 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.57 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Apple will post 8.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Apple

In other news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 2,399 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $340.06, for a total transaction of $815,803.94. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 44,391 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,095,603.46. The trade was a 5.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 11,031 shares of company stock worth $3,535,759. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Apple

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AAPL. Prospect Hill Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Apple in the second quarter worth about $146,370,000. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Apple during the second quarter worth about $168,646,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Apple during the 2nd quarter valued at about $482,388,000. Satovsky Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Apple during the 2nd quarter valued at about $16,064,000. Finally, Sterling Financial Planning Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Apple in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $4,666,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

About Apple

(Get Free Report)

Apple Inc is a technology company that designs, develops and markets consumer electronics, software and digital services. Its principal products include the iPhone, Mac computers, iPad tablets, Apple Watch, AirPods and other accessories. The company also develops operating systems and applications that support its hardware products.

Apple’s services business includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple News+, Apple Pay and iCloud. These services provide digital content, payments, cloud storage and subscription offerings across the company’s ecosystem of devices.

Founded in 1976, Apple is headquartered in Cupertino, California, and serves consumers, businesses, educational institutions and government customers worldwide.

See Also