Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Raised to “Hold” at Phillip Securities

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) was upgraded by analysts at Phillip Securities from a “moderate sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Sunday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other analysts also recently commented on AAPL. Evercore ISI reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $270.00 price target on shares of Apple in a report on Friday. DZ Bank raised Apple from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $325.00 target price on 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 note on Tuesday, January 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Apple presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $291.70.

Apple Price Performance

AAPL opened at $270.05 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $3.97 trillion, a PE ratio of 34.14, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.09. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $268.26 and a 200-day moving average price of $252.43. Apple has a 1 year low of $169.21 and a 1 year high of $288.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.94.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The iPhone maker reported $2.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.67 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $143.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $138.25 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.04% and a return on equity of 159.94%. Apple’s revenue was up 15.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.40 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Apple will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Apple news, insider Chris Kondo sold 3,752 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.23, for a total value of $1,017,654.96. Following 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Apple

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

Apple News Roundup

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

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.