FY2027 EPS Estimates for Apple Increased by Erste Group Bank

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) – Investment analysts at Erste Group Bank upped their FY2027 earnings estimates for Apple in a research report issued on Thursday, October 8th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now expects that the iPhone maker will post earnings per share of $9.57 for the year, up from their previous forecast of $9.56. The consensus estimate for Apple’s current full-year earnings is $8.75 per share.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.57 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on AAPL. Evercore set a $380.00 price objective on Apple and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, September 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut Apple from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $365.00 target price on Apple in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Finally, DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $270.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. One equities 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 given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $340.39.

Apple Trading Up 1.3%

Shares of Apple stock opened at $340.97 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.98 trillion, a PE ratio of 39.10, a P/E/G ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 1.07. Apple has a twelve month low of $243.42 and a twelve month high of $345.34. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $323.36 and its 200 day moving average price is $303.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Terra Nova Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Apple by 53.1% during the 3rd quarter. Terra Nova Asset Management LLC now owns 18,214 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $5,755,000 after acquiring an additional 6,316 shares during the last quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC grew its holdings in shares of Apple by 15.4% in the third quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 542,787 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $182,216,000 after purchasing an additional 72,305 shares during the period. Haven Capital Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Apple by 0.4% in the third quarter. Haven Capital Group Inc. now owns 41,123 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $13,695,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares during the period. JGP Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Apple by 0.3% during the third quarter. JGP Wealth Management LLC now owns 233,607 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $77,796,000 after purchasing an additional 789 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sacks & Associates LLC acquired a new stake in Apple during the third quarter worth about $448,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.73% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 2,399 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.01, for a total value of $796,491.99. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 39,593 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,145,271.93. This trade represents a 5.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Timothy Cook sold 191,753 shares of Apple stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.96, for a total value of $63,846,078.88. Following the transaction, the insider owned 3,264,168 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,086,837,377.28. The trade was a 5.55% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 279,383 shares of company stock worth $92,912,517 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th were issued a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 10th. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.39%.

Trending Headlines about Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support strengthened. JPMorgan raised its Apple price target from $340 to $360 and maintained an Overweight rating, while Bank of America reiterated its Buy rating and kept a $370 target. Analysts cited the iPhone 18 cycle and manageable competitive risks. Apple Stock Climbs as JPMorgan Lifts Target, BofA Reiterates Buy
• Positive Sentiment: iPhone momentum remains a key catalyst. Counterpoint data showed Apple reaching a 22% global smartphone share in the third quarter, just behind Samsung, as premium iPhone 18 Pro demand offset an overall market contraction. Reports also indicate strong orders for Apple’s new foldable iPhone. Apple Stock Nears Record High as iPhone Market Share Hits 22%
• Positive Sentiment: Apple is preparing a smart-home push. The “Welcome Home” event is expected to introduce products such as a HomeView hub, updated Apple TV and HomePod mini, potentially filling a major gap in Apple’s ecosystem and creating new recurring-services opportunities. Apple’s Best Defense in the AI Race Could Be Winning Your Home
• Neutral Sentiment: Apple is promoting Safari’s privacy, distraction-control and battery-life advantages in a new campaign targeting Chrome users. The effort may improve engagement within Apple’s ecosystem but is unlikely to materially affect near-term revenue. Apple’s New Switch to Safari Campaign
• Negative Sentiment: AI execution remains a concern. Gene Munster warned that Apple could lose user engagement and future AI monetization if Siri improvements lag rivals such as Meta’s Muse and xAI’s Grok.
• Negative Sentiment: SpaceX’s Starlink creates a longer-term threat. Analysts say a Starlink smartphone or wireless service could pressure carrier subsidies that help support iPhone sales and challenge Apple’s premium-device position. SpaceX’s Starlink Could Pose Risks to Apple
• Negative Sentiment: Reported reductions in iPhone 18 production orders, rising memory costs and a valuation above the consensus price target present near-term risks ahead of Apple’s October 29 earnings report.

About Apple

Apple Inc is a technology company that designs, develops and markets consumer electronics, software and digital services. Its best-known products include the iPhone smartphone, Mac personal computers, iPad tablets, Apple Watch, AirPods and other accessories. The company also develops operating systems and software platforms, including iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS and visionOS.

Apple’s services business includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+ and iCloud.