FY2027 EPS Estimates for Apple Increased by Erste Group Bank

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) – Investment analysts at Erste Group Bank upped their FY2027 earnings per share estimates for shares of Apple in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, February 18th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now anticipates that the iPhone maker will earn $9.34 per share for the year, up from their previous estimate of $9.32. The consensus estimate for Apple’s current full-year earnings is $7.28 per share.

AAPL has been the subject of several other research reports. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $315.00 price objective (up previously from $305.00) on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Maxim Group raised shares of Apple from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, January 30th. CLSA lifted their price target on shares of Apple from $265.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $276.47 target price on Apple and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $292.13.

Apple Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $264.58 on Monday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $265.00 and its 200 day simple moving average is $258.12. The company has a market cap of $3.88 trillion, a P/E ratio of 33.45, a PEG ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 0.97. Apple has a one year low of $169.21 and a one year high of $288.62.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The iPhone maker reported $2.84 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.67 by $0.17. Apple had a return on equity of 159.94% and a net margin of 27.04%.The company had revenue of $143.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $138.25 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.40 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 15.7% on a year-over-year basis.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 12th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 9th were issued a dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 9th. Apple’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.15%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Apple

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Financial Futures Ltd Liability Co. increased its position in shares of Apple by 13.2% in the 2nd quarter. Financial Futures Ltd Liability Co. now owns 3,552 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $729,000 after acquiring an additional 415 shares during the period. Monarch Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Apple by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter. Monarch Capital Management Inc. now owns 66,967 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $13,740,000 after acquiring an additional 2,920 shares during the period. Riverwater Partners LLC grew its stake in Apple by 17.9% during the 2nd quarter. Riverwater Partners LLC now owns 5,404 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $1,109,000 after purchasing an additional 819 shares during the last quarter. Highland Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Apple by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Highland Capital Management LLC now owns 397,834 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $101,301,000 after purchasing an additional 8,446 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI increased its holdings in shares of Apple by 48.4% in the third quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 1,426,605 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $363,256,000 after purchasing an additional 465,393 shares during the period. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Apple News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Supreme Court ruling likely lowers Apple’s tariff burden and near-term cost exposure — the decision to strike down broad tariffs reduces the company’s past and potential future tariff bills, easing supply-chain costs and improving margins. How the Supreme Court’s decision affects Apple and its $3.3 billion tariff bill
• Positive Sentiment: AI-led market rebound benefits Apple sentiment — coverage notes Apple alongside Nvidia as part of an AI recovery that has lifted tech stocks, supporting investor enthusiasm around Apple’s expanding AI initiatives and device roadmap. This Week’s Market Wrap: AI-Led Volatility, Inflation, And Late-Cycle Risk Signals
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish analyst stance — Wedbush and other bulls urge staying invested, arguing the pullback is overdone and 2026 could be a breakout year for Apple’s AI push, supporting demand for the shares. Ignore the Panic and Keep Buying Apple Stock, According to Wedbush
• Positive Sentiment: New distribution deals expand Apple TV reach — a Reuters report on Apple TV partnering with EverPass to carry live sports into bars/hotels incrementally supports services revenue and content monetization. Apple TV partners with EverPass Media
• Neutral Sentiment: Product/AI feature developments continue — Apple and Google adding music-focused generative-AI features signals steady product evolution but not an immediate revenue inflection. Google Gemini, Apple add music-focused generative AI features
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry supply dynamics — rising DRAM/chip prices are pressuring some hardware players, but coverage flags Apple as a relative bright spot; impact on Apple margins is mixed and dependent on component pass-through. Soaring DRAM Prices Shake Hardware Stocks, but Apple and Arista Remain Bright Spots
• Negative Sentiment: High-profile legal risk — West Virginia sued Apple alleging iCloud facilitated distribution of child sexual abuse material; this raises regulatory, reputational, and potential compliance costs that investors view as a meaningful overhang. Apple Sued Over Allegations of CSAM on iCloud
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional trimming signals caution — reports that Berkshire Hathaway/Warren Buffett and other funds reduced Apple stakes have raised questions about top-holder conviction and added selling pressure. Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett Trims Massive Apple Stake
• Negative Sentiment: Downgrade/concern narratives — some analysts and commentary cite margin pressure and a perceived lack of innovation, which can lengthen any correction if earnings guidance or product cadence disappoints. Apple: Margin Pressure And Lack Of Innovation (Rating Downgrade)

About Apple

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.