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

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty-seven brokerages that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a hold rating, twenty-two have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $284.0715.

AAPL has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen lowered Apple from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 9th. Tigress Financial increased their target price on shares of Apple from $300.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $315.00 price target (up from $305.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Loop Capital restated a “buy” rating and issued a $325.00 target price (up previously from $315.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd.

Apple Stock Performance

NASDAQ AAPL opened at $259.96 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $272.28 and its 200 day simple moving average is $248.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.82 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.80, a P/E/G ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. Apple has a 1 year low of $169.21 and a 1 year high of $288.62.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The iPhone maker reported $1.85 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.74 by $0.11. Apple had a return on equity of 164.05% and a net margin of 26.92%.The firm had revenue of $102.47 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $101.65 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.64 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that Apple will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 13th. Investors of record on Monday, November 10th were issued a dividend of $0.26 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 10th. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 13.92%.

Apple News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple formally tapped Google’s Gemini to power the next Siri and other AI features — a faster route to a competitive AI user experience that could accelerate device refresh cycles and Services monetization. Why Apple Chose Google to Power the Future of AI
• Positive Sentiment: Apple launched Creator Studio, a $12.99/month subscription bundling creative apps with new AI features — a near-term Services revenue catalyst that helps diversify recurring revenue beyond hardware. Apple rolls out Creator Studio
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts and firms reaffirmed bullish views after the Gemini tie-up (Wedbush, J.P. Morgan commentary), supporting the investment case that Apple can boost Services growth while preserving capital discipline. Wedbush Reiterates Outperform on Apple
• Neutral Sentiment: Early reviews of Vision Pro continue to be mixed — strong technical demo value but user experience gaps remain; important for long‑term AR/VR monetization but unlikely to move near‑term revenue materially. I Watched the Lakers-Bucks Game Courtside on Apple Vision Pro (CNET)
• Neutral Sentiment: High‑profile portfolio moves (e.g., Peter Thiel shifting capital into Apple) can signal institutional interest, but such filings are noisy and not definitive proof of sustained buying pressure. Why Peter Thiel Just Sold All His Nvidia Stock for Apple and Microsoft
• Neutral Sentiment: Unverified remarks suggesting Apple invested in Intel created chatter that helped INTC shares — impacts for Apple are speculative and likely immaterial unless confirmed. “Apple Went In”: Intel Stock Gains
• Negative Sentiment: Reports of a shortage in a key chipboard material (high‑grade glass cloth) could constrain Apple device supply or raise component costs if the bottleneck persists — a tangible short‑term production risk. AI Demand Triggers Chip Material Shortage
• Negative Sentiment: Coalitions of women’s and advocacy groups are pressuring Apple (and Google) to remove X/Grok from app stores over AI‑generated sexualized content — a reputational and regulatory risk that could force policy changes or moderation costs. Women’s groups call on Apple, Google to drop X and Grok

Insider Transactions at Apple

In other Apple news, insider Chris Kondo sold 3,752 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $271.23, for a total value of $1,017,654.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 15,098 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,095,030.54. This trade represents a 19.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Financial Futures Ltd Liability Co. boosted its stake in shares of Apple by 13.2% in the second quarter. Financial Futures Ltd Liability Co. now owns 3,552 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $729,000 after purchasing an additional 415 shares during the period. Monarch Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Apple by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter. Monarch Capital Management Inc. now owns 66,967 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $13,740,000 after buying an additional 2,920 shares in the last quarter. American National Bank & Trust boosted its position in Apple by 2.4% in the 2nd quarter. American National Bank & Trust now owns 195,482 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $40,107,000 after buying an additional 4,543 shares during the period. Riverwater Partners LLC boosted its position in Apple by 17.9% in the 2nd quarter. Riverwater Partners LLC now owns 5,404 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $1,109,000 after buying an additional 819 shares during the period. Finally, Highland Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Apple by 2.2% in the third quarter. Highland Capital Management LLC now owns 397,834 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $101,301,000 after acquiring an additional 8,446 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

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.