An expert analyst at Jeffries has signaled that Apple Inc. (AAPL) is set to outperform in the first quarter of 2026, raising their forecast for AAPL stock. Jefferies analyst Edison Lee raised the firm’s price target on Apple (AAPL) to $283.36 from $246.99. However, the analyst did maintain a Hold rating on the shares, not blowing the horn just yet on rating them a buy.
Jeffries projects Apple to see strong sales in Q1 2026, raising Q1 and FY26 iPhone unit estimates by 7% and 3%, respectively. Edison Lee also believes Apple is highly resilient to memory cost hikes owing to its high average selling prices. “As the foldable phone and the potential 20th anniversary edition will likely push up ASP further and keep margin strong, it could more than offset slowing vol growth into FY26 and FY27 on a high base, price hike (JEFe) and spaced out new product launches,” the analyst went on to add.
Furthermore, with memory prices having gone through the roof due to its high ASP, Lee thinks the tech giant is “highly resilient to memory cost hikes, and could benefit from pulled-in consumer demand.” Since tariff-riddled April, AAPL has been one of the winning-est stocks on the US market, posting strong sales, including a successful iPhone 17 launch.
Also Read: PayPal (PYPL): Why Morgan Stanley Doesn’t Buy the Stock Hype
Per CoinCodex AAPL stats, Apple may reach a new high of $305 by March 31st. The stock may average at $285 around March 3 before spiking up eventually. “According to our current Apple stock forecast, the value of AAPL shares will drop by -0.26% and reach $285.46 per share by March 3, 2026. Per our technical indicators, the current sentiment is bullish, while the Fear & Greed Index is showing 39 (fear). AAPL stock recorded 16/30 (53%) green days with 2.08% price volatility over the last 30 days. Last update: Dec 3, 2025 – 01:26 PM (GMT+5).”
At press time, AAPL is trading near the top of its 52-week range and above its 200-day simple moving average.