Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Shares Up 1.6% – Should You Buy?

Posted by Geri Gentry on Aug 28th, 2026

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) shares rose 1.6% on Friday . The company traded as high as $322.37 and last traded at $319.70. 38,188,919 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 24% from the average daily volume of 50,174,578 shares. The stock had previously closed at $314.58.

Trending Headlines about Apple

Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

Positive Sentiment: Apple’s September 9 event will be the first major product launch under incoming CEO John Ternus. Investors are focused on the iPhone 18 lineup and reports that Apple could introduce its first foldable iPhone; IDC reportedly expects more than 10 million first-year shipments, suggesting a potentially meaningful new growth category. Apple stock rises ahead of September event
Positive Sentiment: New Mac mini and Mac Studio models featuring M6 and M5 Ultra chips are being positioned for demanding on-device AI workloads. Stronger AI performance could encourage Mac upgrades, attract developers and support Apple’s hardware and services ecosystem. Apple’s latest Mac upgrades and AI strategy
Positive Sentiment: Apple’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with revenue up 16.4% year over year and strong profitability. Reports that Walmart will add Apple Pay across its U.S. stores and Sam’s Club locations by the end of 2026 could broaden transaction volumes and strengthen Apple’s payments ecosystem. Walmart to add Apple Pay support
Neutral Sentiment: Apple is preparing for a CEO handoff from Tim Cook to Ternus on September 1, leaving the new leader only a short period before the iPhone launch. Ternus’s product-design background may reassure investors, but execution at the event will be an early test of the succession plan. John Ternus prepares to take over as CEO
Negative Sentiment: Apple is eliminating more than 200 positions across its Siri and Vision Pro organizations while redirecting resources toward AI. The restructuring could improve focus, but it also highlights concerns about delayed Siri improvements and Apple’s ability to compete in the AI-agent market. Apple layoffs hit Vision Pro and Siri teams
Negative Sentiment: Apple’s premium valuation leaves limited room for disappointment, particularly if the foldable iPhone carries a high price or AI features fail to accelerate demand. Rising memory and chip costs could also pressure margins.
Negative Sentiment: Apple raised U.S. prices for Apple TV and Apple One subscriptions. The move may lift services revenue and partially offset cost inflation, but it could increase customer pushback or churn. Apple raises Apple TV and Apple One prices

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on AAPL. Bank of America reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $380.00 target price on shares of Apple in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Phillip Securities cut Apple from a “hold” rating to a “moderate sell” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group lowered Apple from a “buy” rating to an “underperform” rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $285.56 to $263.66 in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Maxim Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $350.00 target price (up from $310.00) on shares of Apple in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Monday, June 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $330.53.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Apple

Apple Stock Up 1.6%

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $311.80 and a two-hundred day moving average of $288.21. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The company has a market capitalization of $4.67 trillion, a PE ratio of 36.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 1.09.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.13. Apple had a return on equity of 135.46% and a net margin of 27.62%.The firm had revenue of $109.42 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.04 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.57 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Apple Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th were paid a dividend of $0.27 per share. 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 dividend payout ratio is 12.39%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Apple news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of Apple stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total value of $34,236.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,425,754.82. The trade was a 0.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.95, for a total transaction of $447,457.05. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 37,229 shares in the company, valued at $11,576,357.55. This represents a 3.72% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 4,433 shares of company stock valued at $1,367,024 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Apple

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AAPL. Berkshire Hathaway Inc purchased a new position in shares of Apple in the 2nd quarter valued at about $65,950,297,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Apple in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $52,266,468,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in Apple in the second quarter worth approximately $36,986,090,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in Apple in the second quarter worth approximately $30,443,242,000. Finally, Nuveen LLC acquired a new position in Apple during the 1st quarter worth approximately $17,472,482,000. 67.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Apple

(Get Free Report)

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.

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