Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Stock Has Average Target Price of $340.39

Shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the forty-three brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have assigned a hold rating, twenty-five have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $340.62.

AAPL has been the topic of several analyst reports. Seaport Research Partners lowered shares of Apple from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Needham & Company LLC restated a “hold” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Thursday, October 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $365.00 target price on Apple in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Yorkville Ives assumed coverage on Apple in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $400.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Evercore set a $380.00 price target on Apple and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, September 18th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 2,399 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $345.00, for a total value of $827,655.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 37,194 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,831,930. This trade represents a 6.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Deirdre O’brien sold 46,389 shares of Apple stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.42, for a total value of $15,467,020.38. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 136,810 shares in the company, valued at approximately $45,615,190.20. This represents a 25.32% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 284,454 shares of company stock valued at $94,662,594 over the last ninety days. 0.06% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Apple

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Berkshire Hathaway Inc purchased a new position in Apple in the second quarter valued at approximately $65,950,297,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in Apple during the second quarter valued at approximately $36,986,090,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in Apple during the second quarter valued at approximately $30,443,242,000. Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new stake in Apple during the second quarter worth approximately $13,658,359,000. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Apple during the second quarter worth approximately $10,588,946,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Apple Stock Performance

AAPL opened at $342.94 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.00. Apple has a 52-week low of $243.42 and a 52-week high of $348.15. The firm has a market cap of $5.00 trillion, a P/E ratio of 39.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 1.07. The business’s fifty day moving average is $326.53 and its 200-day moving average is $307.21.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.04 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.57 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Apple will post 8.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Announces Dividend

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

Apple News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong iPhone Duo demand: Preorders for Apple’s $1,999 foldable iPhone reportedly sold out quickly, with delivery estimates extending into January 2027. The robust response supports near-term revenue expectations and strengthens the case for Apple’s foldable-device strategy. Apple’s iPhone Duo Demand Soars as Deliveries Stretch Into January 2027
• Positive Sentiment: New product event announced: Apple will host its “Pro and Tell” event on October 28. Analysts expect new Macs and potentially the company’s first touchscreen MacBook, which could provide a catalyst for Mac growth and investor sentiment. Apple announces product launch event for Oct. 28
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains favorable: Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating with a $370 price target, while JPMorgan maintained its Overweight rating and $360 target, citing healthy demand trends and longer-term AI potential. Apple Maintained at Buy With Unchanged $370 Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider transactions: CFO Kevan Parekh and insider Ben Borders sold shares to cover tax withholding related to vested equity awards. The sales modestly reduced their holdings but do not appear to represent discretionary bearish bets.
• Negative Sentiment: Demand concerns and valuation risk: A KeyBanc survey indicated weaker consumer intentions to upgrade iPhones over the next year, despite better early iPhone 18 interest. With AAPL trading near its 52-week high at a premium earnings multiple, disappointment in future iPhone growth could pressure the stock. Apple Stock Escaped the AI Downturn
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory pressure: UK regulators are reportedly preparing to push Apple to allow alternative default payment services on iPhones, potentially weakening Apple Pay’s ecosystem advantages and services revenue.

Apple Company Profile

Apple Inc designs, develops and sells consumer electronics, software and digital services. Its best-known products include the iPhone smartphone, Mac personal computers, iPad tablets, Apple Watch, AirPods and other accessories. The company also develops operating systems and applications that support its hardware ecosystem.

Apple’s services business includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade, iCloud, Apple Pay and other subscription, payment and digital-content offerings.