FY2027 EPS Estimates for Apple Increased by Erste Group Bank

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) – Equities researchers at Erste Group Bank boosted their FY2027 earnings estimates for shares of Apple in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, September 8th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now anticipates that the iPhone maker will post earnings per share of $9.55 for the year, up from their previous forecast of $9.54. The consensus estimate for Apple’s current full-year earnings is $8.74 per share.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded Apple from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Barclays reissued an “underweight” rating and issued a $245.00 price target (down from $253.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, July 31st. Loop Capital reduced their price target on shares of Apple from $350.00 to $340.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $365.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $360.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have issued a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $338.80.

Apple Stock Performance

Shares of Apple stock opened at $331.34 on Monday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $319.02 and its 200 day simple moving average is $293.47. 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 $236.32 and a 12 month high of $344.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.84 trillion, a P/E ratio of 38.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 1.08.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last released its earnings results 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 company 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.57 earnings per share.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Apple

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AAPL. Berkshire Hathaway Inc bought a new position in Apple in the 2nd quarter worth about $65,950,297,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in shares of Apple during the second quarter valued at about $36,986,090,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in shares of Apple during the second quarter valued at about $30,443,242,000. Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new stake in shares of Apple in the second quarter worth about $13,658,359,000. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Apple in the second quarter worth about $10,588,946,000. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Apple

In other Apple news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,438 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $317.23, for a total transaction of $456,176.74. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 34,352 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,897,484.96. The trade was a 4.02% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 7,194 shares of company stock worth $2,245,142. Insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Apple Announces Dividend

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

Key Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple’s new iPhone Duo foldable is generating significant investor interest. Analysts and commentators including Jim Cramer and Gary Black believe demand could be substantial, while some coverage suggests the device could expand Apple’s addressable market and support a longer-term upgrade cycle. Jim Cramer on Apple foldable demand
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts remain bullish. Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating with a $370 price target, JPMorgan reaffirmed its Buy rating, and Morgan Stanley reportedly increased its conviction as Apple’s hardware and AI offerings become more compelling. Bank of America Apple rating
• Positive Sentiment: Apple had a record Emmy performance, taking home the most awards and strengthening Apple TV+’s position in streaming. The recognition could support customer engagement and Apple’s services strategy, although the direct financial effect is difficult to quantify. Apple Emmy coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Early iPhone 18 Pro delivery times are shorter than last year’s, producing mixed interpretations: they may indicate softer demand, or consumers may be waiting for the foldable Duo. Apple’s stock is also roughly 4% below its recent high, limiting the margin for disappointment.
• Negative Sentiment: Reports describe iPhone 18 Pro demand as lukewarm, with shorter lead times and some indications of surprisingly weak preorders. Investors are concerned that the standard premium iPhone cycle may not justify Apple’s valuation. Apple iPhone 18 Pro demand
• Negative Sentiment: The redesigned Siri is launching under a beta label with language, regional, device and waitlist restrictions. Reported usage caps and response times of five to 15 seconds could delay the expected AI-driven upgrade cycle. Apple Siri AI rollout
• Negative Sentiment: India’s consumer regulator escalated an investigation into Apple’s software warranty terms and repair costs, creating potential regulatory, reputational and financial risk in an important growth market. India investigation into Apple

About Apple

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.