Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Upgraded to Hold at Phillip Securities

Phillip Securities upgraded shares of Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) from a moderate sell rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Sunday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities analysts also recently commented on AAPL. Oppenheimer restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday. Stephens set a $315.00 price target on Apple in a report on Monday, January 26th. Argus set a $325.00 price objective on shares of Apple and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $325.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research report on Monday. Finally, Citigroup restated a “buy” rating and set a $315.00 target price (down previously from $330.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Apple currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $291.70.

Apple Stock Performance

Shares of AAPL opened at $270.05 on Friday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $268.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $252.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. Apple has a 52 week low of $169.21 and a 52 week high of $288.62. The stock has a market cap of $3.97 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.14, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.09.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The iPhone maker reported $2.84 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.67 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $143.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $138.25 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.04% and a return on equity of 159.94%. The firm’s revenue was up 15.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.40 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Apple will post 7.28 EPS for the current year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 12th. Investors of record on Monday, February 9th will be given a $0.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 9th. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.15%.

Insider Transactions at Apple

In other news, insider Chris Kondo sold 3,752 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the insider directly owned 15,098 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,095,030.54. This trade represents a 19.90% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Reyes Financial Architecture Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Apple by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Reyes Financial Architecture Inc. now owns 9,898 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $2,520,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. WESPAC Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Apple by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. WESPAC Advisors LLC now owns 12,326 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $3,351,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. American Alpha Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Apple by 3.7% in the third quarter. American Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 1,151 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $293,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Apple by 0.5% during the third quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,537 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $2,174,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Seven Springs Wealth Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Apple by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Seven Springs Wealth Group LLC now owns 15,451 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $3,934,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple posted record Q1 revenue and beat EPS estimates, which is being credited with restoring investor confidence after recent worries. Stock Market Today, Feb. 2: Apple Stock Jumps After Record Q1 Revenue Boosts Investor Confidence
• Positive Sentiment: Strong iPhone 17 demand (notably in China and India) has driven mid‑teen revenue growth and prompted bullish notes from major banks. Analysts at Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan are upbeat, raising price targets and keeping overweight/positive stances. Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Bullish on Apple Inc. (AAPL) on Strong iPhone 17 Demand
• Positive Sentiment: AI distribution is a growing catalyst: OpenAI launched a standalone Codex coding assistant app for Macs, extending Apple’s position as a preferred platform for AI apps. That helps the Mac/iOS ecosystem and services mix. OpenAI Unveils Codex App for Use with Apple (AAPL) Computers
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that Apple acquired Israeli AI audio startup Q.ai (≈$2B) signal strategic M&A to bolster its AI stack and services roadmap. Apple Inc. (AAPL) Acquires Israeli Startup Q.ai For Approximately $2 Billion: Report
• Positive Sentiment: Policy tailwinds for manufacturing — India granted a tax exemption for foreign-funded equipment for contract manufacturers — could lower Apple’s production costs and support regional supply diversification. India’s Major Tax Exemption On Foreign-Funded Equipment For Contract Manufacturers—Win For Apple?
• Neutral Sentiment: After the strong quarter Evercore removed Apple from a tactical outperform list — an acknowledgment the stock has run and may be less of a short-term trade idea rather than a strategic negative. Evercore Removes Apple (AAPL) From Tactical List after Strong Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Apple has lost several AI researchers to Meta and Google recently — a potential headwind for in‑house AI talent and long‑term product innovation. Apple Loses More AI Researchers to Meta and Google
• Negative Sentiment: TSMC’s AI-driven capacity push for Nvidia risks tighter supply for Apple’s chips/components, which could pressure iPhone or Mac supply in future cycles. Nvidia’s AI Takeover Leaves Apple Fighting For Supply
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts warn Apple’s partnerships with Alphabet/OpenAI could limit standalone AI upside or create strategic tradeoffs — a risk to how much value Apple can capture from AI long term. Apple ‘Selling Its Soul To The Devil’? Analyst Says Partnering With Alphabet Limits AI Upside

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.