Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.19 EPS

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The iPhone maker reported $2.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.65 by $0.19, FiscalAI reports. Apple had a return on equity of 164.05% and a net margin of 26.92%.The company had revenue of $143.76 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $138.25 billion.

Apple Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of Apple stock traded up $1.73 during trading on Thursday, hitting $258.17. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 60,898,315 shares, compared to its average volume of 49,260,461. Apple has a 52 week low of $169.21 and a 52 week high of $288.62. The company has a market capitalization of $3.79 trillion, a PE ratio of 34.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $268.78 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $251.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 0.89.

Key Headlines Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple announced the acquisition of Israeli audio-AI startup Q.ai, signaling a targeted push into voice/audio AI that investors view as strengthening Apple’s AI roadmap and product differentiation. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Prediction markets show very high odds (reported ~94%) that Apple will beat EPS estimates tonight — a bullish near-term catalyst that can lift the stock into and immediately after the print if results meet expectations. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and previews point to strong iPhone 17/holiday quarter sales and services growth as the main support for a potential “beat” in revenue — a fundamental driver that underpins near-term upside if Apple reports the expected strength. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Options traders expect a multi-percent post-earnings move (~3.9%), implying elevated volatility; good results could produce an outsized move up, but miss or cautious guidance could trigger a sharp reversal. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Some supplier reports (e.g., STMicro) and industry data point to improving chip demand for consumer electronics — a tailwind for Apple’s supply picture, but not guaranteed to change near-term guidance. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Public criticism from investors (e.g., Ross Gerber calling for Tim Cook to step down over AI strategy) adds headline risk and can amplify volatility around the earnings event if management’s AI messaging disappoints. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Ongoing legal/antitrust scrutiny (recent suit alleging stolen camera tech) is a background risk — unlikely to move fundamentals immediately but a potential overhang if escalated. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market pressure—reports note the Nasdaq leading U.S. stocks lower into the final hour—can cap gains even if Apple reports a beat, raising the chance of muted upside or profit-taking. Read More.

Insider Buying and Selling at Apple

In other news, insider Chris Kondo sold 3,752 shares of Apple stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.23, for a total transaction 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 is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AAPL. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC raised its holdings in Apple by 1,800.0% in the first quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. LSV Asset Management purchased a new stake in Apple during the 4th quarter valued at $65,000. 49 Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Apple by 15.7% in the 3rd quarter. 49 Wealth Management LLC now owns 298,920 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 40,543 shares in the last quarter. HFM Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Apple in the first quarter worth approximately $99,000. Finally, Sagard Holdings Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Apple during the second quarter valued at $121,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have weighed in on AAPL shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Wedbush reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Wednesday. Melius Research set a $345.00 target price on Apple in a research note on Friday, October 31st. CLSA lifted their price target on shares of Apple from $265.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Seaport Research Partners raised shares of Apple to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Apple presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $282.80.

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.