Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Trading 1.5% Higher – Here’s What Happened

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s stock price traded up 1.5% on Friday . The company traded as high as $264.75 and last traded at $264.58. 40,734,445 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 23% from the average session volume of 53,083,090 shares. The stock had previously closed at $260.58.

Key Stories Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Supreme Court ruling likely lowers Apple’s tariff burden and near-term cost exposure — the decision to strike down broad tariffs reduces the company’s past and potential future tariff bills, easing supply-chain costs and improving margins. How the Supreme Court’s decision affects Apple and its $3.3 billion tariff bill
• Positive Sentiment: AI-led market rebound benefits Apple sentiment — coverage notes Apple alongside Nvidia as part of an AI recovery that has lifted tech stocks, supporting investor enthusiasm around Apple’s expanding AI initiatives and device roadmap. This Week’s Market Wrap: AI-Led Volatility, Inflation, And Late-Cycle Risk Signals
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish analyst stance — Wedbush and other bulls urge staying invested, arguing the pullback is overdone and 2026 could be a breakout year for Apple’s AI push, supporting demand for the shares. Ignore the Panic and Keep Buying Apple Stock, According to Wedbush
• Positive Sentiment: New distribution deals expand Apple TV reach — a Reuters report on Apple TV partnering with EverPass to carry live sports into bars/hotels incrementally supports services revenue and content monetization. Apple TV partners with EverPass Media
• Neutral Sentiment: Product/AI feature developments continue — Apple and Google adding music-focused generative-AI features signals steady product evolution but not an immediate revenue inflection. Google Gemini, Apple add music-focused generative AI features
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry supply dynamics — rising DRAM/chip prices are pressuring some hardware players, but coverage flags Apple as a relative bright spot; impact on Apple margins is mixed and dependent on component pass-through. Soaring DRAM Prices Shake Hardware Stocks, but Apple and Arista Remain Bright Spots
• Negative Sentiment: High-profile legal risk — West Virginia sued Apple alleging iCloud facilitated distribution of child sexual abuse material; this raises regulatory, reputational, and potential compliance costs that investors view as a meaningful overhang. Apple Sued Over Allegations of CSAM on iCloud
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional trimming signals caution — reports that Berkshire Hathaway/Warren Buffett and other funds reduced Apple stakes have raised questions about top-holder conviction and added selling pressure. Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett Trims Massive Apple Stake
• Negative Sentiment: Downgrade/concern narratives — some analysts and commentary cite margin pressure and a perceived lack of innovation, which can lengthen any correction if earnings guidance or product cadence disappoints. Apple: Margin Pressure And Lack Of Innovation (Rating Downgrade)

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on AAPL shares. Wells Fargo & Company set a $300.00 price target on shares of Apple and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. KGI Securities raised shares of Apple to an “outperform” rating and set a $306.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, January 30th. DZ Bank raised Apple from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Bank of America boosted their price target on Apple from $270.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $325.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, January 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Apple presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $292.13.

Apple Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $3.88 trillion, a P/E ratio of 33.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 0.97. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $265.27 and a 200-day moving average price of $256.99.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The iPhone maker reported $2.84 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 return on equity of 159.94% and a net margin of 27.04%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.40 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Apple Inc. will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 12th. Investors of record on Monday, February 9th were given a dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 9th. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 13.15%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Apple

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AAPL. SB Capital Management Inc purchased a new position in Apple during the fourth quarter valued at $2,159,000. Catalyst Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Apple during the fourth quarter valued at $1,903,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. raised its position in shares of Apple by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 125,257 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $34,052,000 after purchasing an additional 441 shares during the last quarter. Cambient Family Office LLC bought a new position in Apple in the 4th quarter worth about $23,289,000. Finally, McLaughlin Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Apple in the 4th quarter worth about $2,990,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

About Apple

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.