AAPL Options Signal Bullishness as Analysts Target $371
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- Barchart reported large, unusual volume in AAPL options, including out-of-the-money puts, a pattern that typically signals bullish investor sentiment on the stock.
- AAPL traded at $249.10 in midday trading, down from $258.86 on April 6 and well off its recent peak of $274.23 on Feb. 25.
- Applying a 40x multiple to projected FY2026 free cash flow of roughly $136.2 billion implies a market cap of $5.448 trillion and a price target of $371.16 — 49% above today's level.
- A more conservative 30x FCF multiple (matching Apple's 5-year historical P/E) still implies a near-term target of $278.24, or 11.7% upside, with a midpoint estimate of $324.50 (~30% higher).
- 48 Yahoo! Finance analysts carry an average price target of $295.32, and Barchart's mean survey sits at $296.04 — both up from approximately $292 three months earlier.
- Anachart.com's survey price target moved in the opposite direction, ticking down from $290.80 to $290.54, diverging from the broader upward analyst revision trend.
Why it matters: With AAPL trading roughly 4% below its April 6 close and 9% off its February peak, the convergence of unusual bullish options activity and analyst targets 17-30% above the $249.10 current price suggests institutional investors and analysts view the recent pullback as a buying opportunity rather than the start of a deeper decline.
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