Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Stock Rating Upgraded by Phillip Securities

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

Several other equities analysts have also commented on AAPL. Evercore ISI reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Monday. Barclays reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and set a $239.00 price objective (up from $230.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday. DZ Bank upgraded Apple from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $300.00 price objective on Apple in a research note on Friday, October 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $291.70.

Apple Trading Up 4.1%

NASDAQ AAPL opened at $270.05 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $268.26 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $252.43. Apple has a twelve month low of $169.21 and a twelve month high of $288.62. The company has a market capitalization 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 announced 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 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%.Apple’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.40 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Apple will post 7.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Apple

In other Apple news, insider Chris Kondo sold 3,752 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 15,098 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,095,030.54. This represents a 19.90% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Apple

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AAPL. Isthmus Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Apple by 6.4% in the 3rd quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 97,177 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 5,808 shares during the period. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC grew its holdings in Apple by 110.9% in the third quarter. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC now owns 135 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC increased its stake in shares of Apple by 1,800.0% during the first quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. Nexus Investment Management ULC lifted its holdings in shares of Apple by 333.3% during the second quarter. Nexus Investment Management ULC now owns 260 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LSV Asset Management purchased a new position in shares of Apple during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $65,000. 67.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines 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

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.