FY2027 EPS Estimates for Apple Increased by Erste Group Bank

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) – Stock analysts at Erste Group Bank raised their FY2027 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Apple in a report released on Friday, September 18th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now expects that the iPhone maker will earn $9.56 per share for the year, up from their previous estimate of $9.55. The consensus estimate for Apple’s current full-year earnings is $8.74 per share.

A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $365.00 price target on Apple in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on Apple from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Bank of America reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $370.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research note on Thursday, September 17th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Thursday. Finally, CICC Research upped their price target on shares of Apple from $310.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $340.14.

Apple Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of AAPL stock opened at $338.98 on Monday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $320.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $295.43. 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 1 year low of $243.42 and a 1 year high of $344.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.95 trillion, a P/E ratio of 38.87, a PEG ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 1.08.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.04 billion. Apple had a return on equity of 135.46% and a net margin of 27.62%.Apple’s quarterly revenue was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.57 EPS.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Apple

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in AAPL. Prospect Hill Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Apple during the second quarter worth approximately $146,370,000. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Apple in the 2nd quarter valued at $168,646,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in Apple in the 2nd quarter valued at $482,388,000. Baron Silver Stevens Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in Apple by 65.6% during the 2nd quarter. Baron Silver Stevens Financial Advisors LLC now owns 66,717 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $19,305,000 after purchasing an additional 26,418 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rainier Family Wealth Inc. increased its stake in Apple by 14.1% during the 1st quarter. Rainier Family Wealth Inc. now owns 24,386 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $6,189,000 after purchasing an additional 3,014 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Apple

In other news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $317.01, for a total transaction of $456,177.39. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 35,790 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,345,787.90. This trade represents a 3.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders have sold 8,632 shares of company stock valued at $2,719,955 over the last 90 days. 0.06% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Apple Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th were given a $0.27 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 10th. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Apple’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.39%.

Trending Headlines about Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong iPhone 18 Pro demand: JPMorgan said average delivery times increased to 23 days in the second preorder week from seven days in the first, suggesting demand may be stronger than expected. Analyst Gene Munster said current iPhone 18 estimates could be too conservative, while Evercore ISI raised its price target to $380. JPMorgan sees stronger iPhone 18 Pro demand
• Positive Sentiment: Foldable iPhone creates a potential premium-growth opportunity: Apple’s new iPhone Duo, priced at $1,999 and scheduled for an October 23 release, represents the company’s largest iPhone design change in years. Investors view the product as a possible catalyst for higher average selling prices and a new upgrade cycle under CEO John Ternus. Apple’s new CEO bets big on a foldable iPhone
• Positive Sentiment: AI and capital returns support the bullish case: Coverage highlighted the successful rollout of upgraded Siri AI, Apple’s reported interest in building AI inference servers, and its shrinking share count from buybacks. Apple’s large cash position, history of earnings beats and long-term shareholder returns are also reinforcing investor confidence. Apple’s shrinking share count
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader strategic opportunities: Apple and Google are hiring digital-asset specialists, potentially signaling future initiatives involving payments, stablecoins or tokenization. The company could also benefit if U.S.-China trade discussions reduce tariff pressure on technology companies. Google and Apple digital-asset hiring
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution risks are rising: Commentators described AAPL as relatively expensive near its highs, while the $1,999 Duo could limit adoption and expose Apple to foldable-screen execution risks. Google’s AI-powered laptops and Meta’s Muse app also highlight intensifying competition in AI and consumer technology.
• Negative Sentiment: Legal overhang: Apple has begun a 90-day claims period tied to a $250 million settlement over allegations that it falsely advertised Apple Intelligence and Siri capabilities. The financial cost is manageable for Apple, but the dispute could weigh on trust in its AI strategy. $250 million Apple AI settlement claims period

Apple Company Profile

Apple Inc is a technology company that designs, develops and markets consumer electronics, software and digital services. Its principal products include the iPhone, Mac computers, iPad tablets, Apple Watch, AirPods and other accessories. The company also develops operating systems and applications that support its hardware products.

Apple’s services business includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple News+, Apple Pay and iCloud. These services provide digital content, payments, cloud storage and subscription offerings across the company’s ecosystem of devices.

Founded in 1976, Apple is headquartered in Cupertino, California, and serves consumers, businesses, educational institutions and government customers worldwide.