Brokerages Set Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) PT at $283.92

Shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the thirty-seven brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating, twenty-three have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $283.92.

A number of research firms have weighed in on AAPL. Melius Research set a $345.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Wells Fargo & Company set a $300.00 price objective on Apple and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $315.00 target price (up from $305.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Apple from $290.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 31st.

Key Stores Impacting Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley and other Wall Street analysts lifted targets and reiterated bullish views on Apple based on iPhone strength and expected AI-driven earnings upside; those upgrades help justify higher valuations and buying interest. Morgan Stanley Lifts Apple Inc. (AAPL) Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Apple released a new AI model and market commentary points to growing confidence that Apple’s AI roadmap (including Siri enhancements) could become a revenue/engagement driver in 2026 — a potential catalyst for multiple expansion. Apple Just Released a New AI Model
• Positive Sentiment: Several bullish research notes and price-target raises (including a high-profile $350 call) and coverage arguing material upside as Apple executes on hardware + AI have lifted investor sentiment. Analysts’ momentum supports flows into AAPL. Wall Street Analysts See Major Upside as AI Plans Unfold
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple spent 2025 restructuring and positioning for future growth with moves beyond pure AI hype; that strategic pacing may comfort long-term investors but delays near-term AI monetization. Apple spent 2025 setting itself up for the future
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports that Apple is targeting 2026 launches for AI smart glasses and camera-equipped AirPods are encouraging for product-cycle upside but represent forward-looking expectations rather than immediate revenue. Apple Targets 2026 Launch For AI Smart Glasses
• Negative Sentiment: Italy’s competition authority fined Apple ~98.6M euros (~$115M) for alleged abuse tied to an App Store privacy feature — a regulatory cost and reputational headwind that can increase scrutiny and compliance expenses in Europe. Italy fines Apple for alleged App Store abuse
• Negative Sentiment: Apple agreed to allow third?party app stores on iOS in Brazil to settle a multi?year regulatory case — this reduces App Store exclusivity and could pressure App Store revenues if similar rules spread to other jurisdictions. Apple to allow third-party app stores in Brazil
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Berkshire Hathaway sold portions of its Apple stake continue to be cited by media and may stoke short-term selling or narrative risk, even as some analysts view the moves as portfolio-sizing rather than a long-term vote of no confidence. Buffett’s $24 Billion Selling Spree
• Neutral Sentiment: China’s vice commerce minister met Apple’s COO to discuss operations — a potentially constructive development for supply chains and market access, but its impact is contingent on follow-up actions. China official met Apple COO

Apple Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of AAPL opened at $272.36 on Friday. Apple has a 52-week low of $169.21 and a 52-week high of $288.62. The stock has a market cap of $4.02 trillion, a PE ratio of 36.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 1.10. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $271.11 and its two-hundred day moving average is $240.79. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The iPhone maker reported $1.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.74 by $0.11. Apple had a net margin of 26.92% and a return on equity of 164.05%. The firm had revenue of $102.47 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $101.65 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.64 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Apple will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 10th were paid a dividend of $0.26 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 10th. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. Apple’s payout ratio is 13.92%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Katherine L. Adams sold 47,125 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $256.79, for a total value of $12,101,228.75. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 179,158 shares in the company, valued at approximately $46,005,982.82. This represents a 20.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Deirdre O’brien sold 43,013 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $257.39, for a total value of $11,071,116.07. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 136,687 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $35,181,866.93. The trade was a 23.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 228,052 shares of company stock worth $58,604,588. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Apple

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of AAPL. First National Bank of Hutchinson raised its position in Apple by 24.6% in the fourth quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 35,319 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $8,845,000 after purchasing an additional 6,982 shares during the period. Eagle Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Apple by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC now owns 54,085 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $13,544,000 after buying an additional 272 shares in the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in shares of Apple by 14.8% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 537,314 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $134,554,000 after buying an additional 69,207 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Apple by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 66,857 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $16,742,000 after buying an additional 2,695 shares during the period. Finally, Highview Capital Management LLC DE lifted its stake in Apple by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Highview Capital Management LLC DE now owns 50,264 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $12,587,000 after acquiring an additional 1,155 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

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.