Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Shares Up 0.5% - What's Next?

Shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) traded up 0.5% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $217.49 and last traded at $216.35. 8,786,211 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 83% from the average session volume of 52,705,436 shares. The stock had previously closed at $215.24.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AAPL has been the subject of several research analyst reports. UBS Group increased their price objective on Apple to $236.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Wedbush reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $325.00 price target on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, March 14th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Apple from $183.00 to $197.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. DA Davidson set a $290.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Maxim Group lifted their price target on shares of Apple to $215.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, twenty-one have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $243.65.

Apple Trading Up 1.9 %

The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The firm has a market cap of $3.28 trillion, a P/E ratio of 34.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 1.18. The business's 50 day moving average is $231.82 and its 200-day moving average is $233.33.

Remove Ads

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.36 by $0.04. Apple had a net margin of 24.30% and a return on equity of 160.83%. As a group, analysts forecast that Apple Inc. will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.46%. Apple's payout ratio is 15.87%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Apple

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. High Net Worth Advisory Group LLC lifted its position in Apple by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. High Net Worth Advisory Group LLC now owns 64,015 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $14,916,000 after purchasing an additional 1,066 shares during the last quarter. Amara Financial LLC. bought a new stake in shares of Apple during the third quarter valued at approximately $288,000. Sterling Investment Counsel LLC boosted its position in shares of Apple by 3.8% during the third quarter. Sterling Investment Counsel LLC now owns 69,824 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $16,269,000 after buying an additional 2,565 shares during the period. Silicon Valley Capital Partners grew its holdings in Apple by 12.8% in the 3rd quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners now owns 253,743 shares of the iPhone maker's stock worth $59,122,000 after buying an additional 28,799 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Catalyst Financial Partners LLC increased its position in Apple by 4.2% in the 3rd quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 96,589 shares of the iPhone maker's stock valued at $22,505,000 after acquiring an additional 3,935 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.73% of the company's stock.

Apple Company Profile

Apple Inc designs, manufactures, and markets smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables, and accessories worldwide. The company offers iPhone, a line of smartphones; Mac, a line of personal computers; iPad, a line of multi-purpose tablets; and wearables, home, and accessories comprising AirPods, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Beats products, and HomePod.