Apple (AAPL) closed at $130.15 in the latest trading session, marking a +0.39% move from the prior day. This move outpaced the S&P 500’s daily loss of 0.54%.
Heading into today, shares of the maker of iPhones, iPads and other products had gained 3.84% over the past month, lagging the Computer and Technology sector’s gain of 6.51% and outpacing the S&P 500’s gain of 1.91% in that time.
AAPL will be looking to display strength as it nears its next earnings release. The company is expected to report EPS of $0.99, up 52.31% from the prior-year quarter. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $72.75 billion, up 21.88% from the prior-year quarter.
Looking at the full year, our Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $5.17 per share and revenue of $355.55 billion. These totals would mark changes of +57.62% and +29.52%, respectively, from last year.
Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for AAPL. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the company’s business outlook.
Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 1.36% higher. AAPL is holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) right now.
Looking at its valuation, AAPL is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 25.06. This valuation marks a premium compared to its industry’s average Forward P/E of 17.13.
It is also worth noting that AAPL currently has a PEG ratio of 2. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock’s expected earnings growth rate. Computer – Mini computers stocks are, on average, holding a PEG ratio of 1.16 based on yesterday’s closing prices.
The Computer – Mini computers industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 24, which puts it in the top 10% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.