KeyCorp Has Positive Forecast for Apple Q3 Earnings

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) – Investment analysts at KeyCorp boosted their Q3 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Apple in a research note issued on Monday, July 13th. KeyCorp analyst B. Nispel now expects that the iPhone maker will earn $1.93 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $1.89. KeyCorp currently has a “Underweight” rating and a $250.00 target price on the stock. The consensus estimate for Apple’s current full-year earnings is $8.74 per share. KeyCorp also issued estimates for Apple’s Q4 2026 earnings at $2.12 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $8.91 EPS.

AAPL has been the subject of several other reports. Bank of America reissued a “buy” rating and set a $380.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Robert W. Baird set a $310.00 price target on Apple in a report on Friday, May 1st. KGI Securities downgraded Apple from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $315.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Monness Crespi & Hardt lifted their target price on Apple from $315.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $314.26.

Apple Stock Performance

Shares of AAPL opened at $327.50 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 1.02. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $301.89 and its 200-day moving average is $276.27. Apple has a 12-month low of $201.50 and a 12-month high of $328.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.81 trillion, a P/E ratio of 39.60, a P/E/G ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.10.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.01 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.95 by $0.06. Apple had a net margin of 27.15% and a return on equity of 146.69%. The company had revenue of $111.18 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.46 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.65 EPS. Apple’s revenue was up 16.6% on a year-over-year basis.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Apple

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new position in Apple in the fourth quarter valued at about $41,000. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Apple by 1,800.0% during the 1st quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. LSV Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of Apple during the 4th quarter valued at about $65,000. Timmons Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Apple in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $69,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC acquired a new position in Apple in the fourth quarter worth approximately $76,000. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Apple

In other news, insider Ben Borders sold 1,274 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.00, for a total value of $369,460.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,226,770. This trade represents a 3.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Kevan Parekh sold 1,534 shares of Apple stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.00, for a total value of $421,850.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 13,366 shares in the company, valued at $3,675,650. This represents a 10.30% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 2,924 shares of company stock worth $825,546. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Apple Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 14th. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th were paid a $0.27 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 11th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. This is a positive change from Apple’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 13.06%.

Key Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: China approved Apple Intelligence for iPhones, a key regulatory green light that clears the way for Apple’s AI rollout in one of its most important markets and could help support upgrades and Services growth. Reuters: Apple Intelligence AI service registered with China’s cyberspace regulator
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that Apple is exploring acquisitions of AI chip startups to strengthen its server and AI hardware capabilities reinforced the idea that the company is actively investing to remain competitive in AI without a huge data-center spending spree. Reuters: Apple chasing AI chip company deals, The Information reports
• Positive Sentiment: News that Apple may spend about $30 billion through its Broadcom partnership adds confidence in supply-chain security and custom silicon development, which investors see as supportive for future product cycles and margins. Yahoo Finance/Reuters: Apple Plans to Spend $30 Billion in a Deal With Broadcom (AVGO)
• Positive Sentiment: Apple also won dismissal of a high-stakes iCloud-related lawsuit, removing an overhang and improving sentiment around legal risk. Yahoo Finance: Apple Wins Dismissal of iCloud Lawsuit
• Neutral Sentiment: Several media and analyst pieces noted Apple’s stock hitting record highs and trading near a new 52-week high, reflecting strong momentum after a sharp run-up rather than a fresh fundamental surprise. Investopedia: Apple Could Buy an AI Chip Company. Its Hot Stock Just Set a Fresh Record High
• Negative Sentiment: KeyBanc downgraded Apple to Underweight, warning that slowing hardware demand, softer Services growth, and valuation concerns could limit further upside. Yahoo Finance: KeyBanc Downgrades Apple on Growth Concerns

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.