Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Trading 1.1% Higher on Analyst Upgrade

Shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) were up 1.1% during trading on Tuesday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on the stock from $305.00 to $315.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has an overweight rating on the stock. Apple traded as high as $261.95 and last traded at $258.27. Approximately 48,784,771 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 1% from the average daily volume of 49,299,301 shares. The stock had previously closed at $255.41.

Several other research firms have also commented on AAPL. Robert W. Baird set a $300.00 price objective on Apple in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Rosenblatt Securities upped their target price on Apple from $241.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Raymond James Financial reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, January 2nd. Wall Street Zen lowered Apple from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 9th. Finally, CLSA increased their price objective on shares of Apple from $265.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Apple presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $282.80.

Insider Activity at Apple

In other news, insider Chris Kondo sold 3,752 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.23, for a total transaction of $1,017,654.96. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 15,098 shares of the company’s stock, 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Key Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised Apple’s price target to $315, citing strong iPhone demand into the quarter — a bullish analyst upgrade that supports upside expectations. Apple gets price target boost from JPMorgan
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect roughly 10–12% sales growth in fiscal Q1 driven by strong iPhone demand and Services momentum — a concrete revenue-growth thesis heading into the report. Buy, Sell or Hold the Apple Stock? Key Tips Ahead of Q1 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Apple is set to unveil a Gemini-powered Siri in February (deeper Google AI tie-up) — a near-term product/AI catalyst that investors view as progress in Apple’s AI roadmap. Apple will reportedly unveil its Gemini-powered Siri assistant in February
• Positive Sentiment: Apple announced expanded App Store ad opportunities for developers starting in March, which could help Services/ad revenue over time. Apple’s Expanded Ad Opportunities For Developers Coming in March
• Neutral Sentiment: Options traders are pricing a roughly 4.15% move into Apple’s Q1 print — signaling elevated near-term volatility rather than a directional view. Apple Is About to Report Q1 Earnings. Options Traders Are Expecting a 4.15% Move
• Neutral Sentiment: High-profile portfolio disclosures (Pelosi filing) show large Apple share sales but simultaneous long-dated call (LEAPS) buys — a mixed signal that frees cash while keeping upside exposure. Pelosi’s Bullish 2026 Buy List: AI, Power & Dividends
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector-wide AI spending and infrastructure decisions (big cap investments in 2026) create both opportunity and uncertainty for monetization timing — Apple participates but monetization pathways differ vs. Search-first peers. The $530 Billion AI Question: Which Big Tech Stock Is Winning?
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry supply/demand shifts: Broadcom and others expanding custom AI chip share, and Nvidia is growing as TSMC’s top customer — evolving supplier dynamics that may change Apple’s chip roadmap/priorities over time. Broadcom Set To Dominate Custom AI Chip Market With 60% Share By 2027
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies warned that App Store growth is slowing and flagged Google ad exposure risks, trimming upside in Jefferies’ framework — a fundamental concern for Services expansion. Jefferies Flags App Store and Google Ad Risks for Apple (AAPL)
• Negative Sentiment: Some boutique shops remain bearish: Aletheia reiterated a Sell and cut its target to ~$205, arguing hardware margin pressure — a reminder of downside scenarios for valuation-sensitive investors. Aletheia Maintains Sell on Apple (AAPL), Lowers Target Price
• Negative Sentiment: Privacy/legal headlines resurfaced around alleged voice-data collection and related settlements — reputational/legal items that can pressure sentiment if material fines or user trust erosion occurs. Google, Apple to pay combined $163M to settle bombshell lawsuits

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Apple

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AAPL. Financial Futures Ltd Liability Co. raised its holdings in Apple by 13.2% during the 2nd quarter. Financial Futures Ltd Liability Co. now owns 3,552 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $729,000 after purchasing an additional 415 shares during the last quarter. Monarch Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Apple by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter. Monarch Capital Management Inc. now owns 66,967 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $13,740,000 after buying an additional 2,920 shares during the period. American National Bank & Trust raised its stake in shares of Apple by 2.4% during the second quarter. American National Bank & Trust now owns 195,482 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $40,107,000 after buying an additional 4,543 shares during the last quarter. Riverwater Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Apple by 17.9% in the second quarter. Riverwater Partners LLC now owns 5,404 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $1,109,000 after buying an additional 819 shares during the period. Finally, Highland Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Apple by 2.2% in the third quarter. Highland Capital Management LLC now owns 397,834 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $101,301,000 after acquiring an additional 8,446 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Apple Trading Up 1.1%

The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $269.21 and its 200-day simple moving average is $250.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.80 trillion, a P/E ratio of 34.57, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.09.

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

Apple Announces Dividend

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

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.