Apple (AAPL) stock has risen 1.6% over the past week, slipped 2.9% over the last month, yet still gained 14.3% over the past 12 months. Wall Street’s analysts are moderately bullish, assigning a “ModerateBuy” consensus and forecasting the shares to reach a price target of $305.59 over the next twelve months, above the last closing price of $259.48.
Claim 50% Off TipRanks Premium
- Unlock hedge fund-level data and powerful investing tools for smarter, sharper decisions
- Stay ahead of the market with the latest news and analysis and maximize your portfolio's potential
Among the latest voices, analyst Helena Wang of Phillip Securities Research upgraded Apple from Reduce to Hold (Neutral) on February 2, 2026, setting a target price of $260.00, which is just around current trading levels. Her stance reflects a balance between strong operational performance and lingering valuation concerns. While not a full-throated buy, the shift to Hold signals that some downside risk has eased as Apple’s fundamentals have improved.
Wang highlights that Apple just delivered its fastest revenue growth in four years, with first quarter 2026 revenue up 16% year-on-year to $143.8 billion, driven by a powerful iPhone 17 cycle and a sharp rebound in China. iPhone revenue climbed 23% year-on-year to a record $85.3 billion, and management expects revenue growth of 13–16% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, supported by continued iPhone momentum. She has raised her full‑year 2026 revenue and profit assumptions by 2% and 3%, respectively, and lifted her DCF-based target from $230 to $260.
At the same time, Wang remains cautious on Apple’s valuation, noting the shares trade at around 30.7x forward FY26 earnings and are still in a “prove-it” phase. She points to rising memory costs as a looming margin headwind, even as Apple benefits from strong demand, lean iPhone channel inventory, and constrained advanced-node chip supply. The success of the upcoming Siri rollout, enhanced by Apple’s collaboration with Gemini to strengthen Apple Intelligence and deepen ecosystem engagement, will be crucial in justifying the current valuation and supporting longer-term growth.
Wang is a mid-ranked analyst, standing at #4007 out of 11,984 on TipRanks, with a success rate of about 54.5% and an average return of 11.4% per rating. For investors, the overall picture is of a stock with solid underlying momentum, particularly in iPhone and China, but one that must continue to execute on product innovation and AI integration to sustain its premium multiple. Never miss a stock rating. Find all the latest ratings on TipRanks’ Top Wall Street Analysts page.