Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.19 EPS

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The iPhone maker reported $2.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.65 by $0.19, FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $143.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $138.25 billion. Apple had a return on equity of 164.05% and a net margin of 26.92%.

Apple Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of AAPL stock traded up $1.73 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $258.17. 60,898,315 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 49,260,461. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. Apple has a 12-month low of $169.21 and a 12-month high of $288.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.79 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 1.09. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $268.78 and its 200-day moving average price is $251.02.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AAPL has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Seaport Research Partners raised shares of Apple to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 1st. Raymond James Financial reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, January 2nd. CLSA increased their price objective on shares of Apple from $265.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Loop Capital reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $325.00 target price (up from $315.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, Wedbush reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $282.80.

Key Apple News

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple announced the acquisition of Israeli audio-AI startup Q.ai, signaling a targeted push into voice/audio AI that investors view as strengthening Apple’s AI roadmap and product differentiation. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Prediction markets show very high odds (reported ~94%) that Apple will beat EPS estimates tonight — a bullish near-term catalyst that can lift the stock into and immediately after the print if results meet expectations. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and previews point to strong iPhone 17/holiday quarter sales and services growth as the main support for a potential “beat” in revenue — a fundamental driver that underpins near-term upside if Apple reports the expected strength. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Options traders expect a multi-percent post-earnings move (~3.9%), implying elevated volatility; good results could produce an outsized move up, but miss or cautious guidance could trigger a sharp reversal. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Some supplier reports (e.g., STMicro) and industry data point to improving chip demand for consumer electronics — a tailwind for Apple’s supply picture, but not guaranteed to change near-term guidance. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Public criticism from investors (e.g., Ross Gerber calling for Tim Cook to step down over AI strategy) adds headline risk and can amplify volatility around the earnings event if management’s AI messaging disappoints. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Ongoing legal/antitrust scrutiny (recent suit alleging stolen camera tech) is a background risk — unlikely to move fundamentals immediately but a potential overhang if escalated. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market pressure—reports note the Nasdaq leading U.S. stocks lower into the final hour—can cap gains even if Apple reports a beat, raising the chance of muted upside or profit-taking. Read More.

Insider Buying and Selling at Apple

In other news, insider Chris Kondo sold 3,752 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $271.23, for a total value of $1,017,654.96. Following the sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Apple

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC grew its stake in Apple by 1,800.0% in the 1st quarter. ROSS JOHNSON & Associates LLC now owns 190 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of Apple in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $65,000. HFM Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in Apple in the first quarter worth approximately $99,000. Collier Financial purchased a new position in Apple during the 3rd quarter worth $149,000. Finally, Sagard Holdings Management Inc. bought a new stake in Apple during the 2nd quarter valued at $121,000. 67.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.