Morgan Stanley Reaffirms “Overweight” Rating for Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)‘s stock had its “overweight” rating reaffirmed by research analysts at Morgan Stanley in a report issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $360.00 price objective on the iPhone maker’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s price objective points to a potential upside of 10.43% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on AAPL. HSBC raised Apple from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $260.00 to $366.00 in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $365.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on Apple from $350.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Phillip Securities lowered shares of Apple from a “hold” rating to a “moderate sell” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Seaport Research Partners downgraded Apple from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Apple presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $330.61.

Apple Stock Up 0.3%

NASDAQ:AAPL traded up $0.85 on Wednesday, reaching $325.99. 20,033,140 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 49,956,711. The company has a market capitalization of $4.76 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.34, a PEG ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. Apple has a 12 month low of $225.95 and a 12 month high of $344.57. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $313.24 and its 200 day simple moving average is $289.18.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.13. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The company had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.04 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.57 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Apple will post 8.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Apple

In related news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total transaction of $34,236.24. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,425,754.82. This trade represents a 0.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.95, for a total value of $447,457.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 37,229 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,576,357.55. This represents a 3.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 4,433 shares of company stock valued at $1,367,024. 0.06% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Apple

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. First National Bank of Hutchinson grew its holdings in shares of Apple by 24.6% in the fourth quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 35,319 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $8,845,000 after purchasing an additional 6,982 shares during the last quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Apple by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC now owns 54,085 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $13,544,000 after purchasing an additional 272 shares in the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake 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 worth $134,554,000 after buying an additional 69,207 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Apple by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 66,857 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $16,742,000 after acquiring an additional 2,695 shares during the period. Finally, Highview Capital Management LLC DE raised its position in shares of Apple by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Highview Capital Management LLC DE now owns 50,264 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $12,587,000 after purchasing an additional 1,155 shares during the period. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CEO transition initially reassures investors. John Ternus officially became CEO after 15 years of Cook’s leadership. His 25 years at Apple and background in hardware engineering are viewed as offering continuity, while Cook remains executive chairman and is expected to provide strategic support. Apple Shares Rise as John Ternus Takes Over as CEO
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are anticipating the September 9 product event. Ternus described the upcoming iPhone launch as “phenomenal,” with reports pointing to a potential premium-only lineup and possibly a foldable iPhone. A successful launch could support revenue growth and strengthen the new CEO’s credibility. Apple’s New CEO Teases Phenomenal iPhone Launch
• Positive Sentiment: Services pricing highlights a growing, high-margin revenue stream. Apple raised Apple TV+ and Apple One prices by as much as 20%, potentially improving Services monetization and recurring revenue, although customer reaction will be important. What Does Apple’s TV Price Hike Say About Where the Stock Is Heading?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views remain divided. Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating and a $380 target, citing potential “device dominance” in the AI era. Conversely, DA Davidson reaffirmed Neutral with a $270 target, implying substantial downside from current levels; Rosenblatt also maintained Neutral despite raising its target to $303.
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO compensation was disclosed. Ternus is eligible for roughly $58 million in fiscal 2027 compensation, with much of the equity tied to relative shareholder returns. Cook will receive approximately $47 million as executive chairman, signaling that Apple expects him to remain closely involved.
• Negative Sentiment: AI execution remains the central concern. Ternus inherits pressure to improve Siri and Apple’s broader AI strategy, while the company also faces elevated memory costs that could weigh on margins. At a valuation near 37 times earnings, investors may demand clear evidence that AI and new hardware can sustain growth.
• Negative Sentiment: Apple’s trade-secret lawsuit against OpenAI is escalating. Apple alleges that former employees transferred confidential information and that evidence may have been destroyed; OpenAI calls the case baseless. The dispute creates legal uncertainty and highlights competitive tensions in AI. OpenAI Responds to Apple Trade-Secret Lawsuit

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.