Apple looks like it's in a better position heading into its earnings report than it has been in a year, according to Angelo Zino, a senior equity analyst at CFRA Research.

Zino pointed to how investors now have more clarity relating to Apple's regulatory issues and the potential impact of tariffs.

"Recent comments about tariffs tied to the company from the Trump administration make us feel much more comfortable about the margin outlook ahead," he added.

Demand for iPhones also looks solid heading into the print. CFRA said it was "conservatively" estimating that iPhone revenue was on track to grow 6% for the current quarter and 5% for the upcoming quarter.

CFRA issued a "Buy" rating on Apple and a $280 price target, implying 4% upside from the stock's current levels.

Bank of America has a strong outlook for Apple over the next five years. Analysts pointed to revenues potentially increasing due to AI and its possible impact on coming product offerings.

Analysts also said they saw "strength" in new iPhone demand, and estimated that total iPhone unit sales could reach 57 million for the current quarter, compared to consensus estimates of 54 million.

"Reiterate Buy on strong capital returns, eventual winner in AI at the edge & optionality from new products/markets," BofA said on their rating of the stock.

Analysts lifted their price target for the stock from $270 to $320 a share, implying 19% upside from Wednesday's price.

JPMorgan said it expected Apple earnings to "track modestly better" from September through the end of the year, thanks to strong demand for the iPhone 17.

The bank also said it expects Apple to post solid revenue growth in the first quarter of its 2026 fiscal year.

"AAPL shares are heading into the upcoming earnings print with a greater halo of positivity than any time in the past year," analysts wrote in a recent client note, adding that they believed that chatter around Apple's investment thesis had narrowed down to the strength of new iPhone sales.

Apple stock could be boosted by a few catalysts contained in its report, Melius Research said.

The research firm said it believed that the company's sales in China would pick up over the near term. Profit margins could also improve on demand for Apple's new lineup of iPhones, analysts said, adding that they believed Apple was "getting its groove back."

"We think there is more to go as a beat and raise could be on the horizon when it reports," analysts wrote of the stock's momentum."Bottom Line: Apple is on a mission to silence its critics. We see upside to sales in China into CY26 and momentum in new models overall."

The firm reiterated its "Buy" rating on the stock and issued a price target of $290 a share, implying 8% upside from current levels.

Analysts at Goldman said they expect Apple to beat on earnings for the quarter, driven largely by strong demand for its new iPhones.

The bank estimated that iPhone product revenue could see a 10% year-over-year increase to $50.8 billion, compared to the consensus estimate of $49.8 billion in revenue for the quarter.

Apple could also see its services revenue grow 13% year-over-year, thanks to continued momentum across subscription services like iCloud+ and AppleCare+, analysts added.

Still, "key areas of debate" among investors include the sustainability of iPhone demand due to trade policy uncertainty, as well as risks to the company's App Store revenue, the bank said.

Goldman reiterated its "Buy" rating for the stock and issued a price target of $279 a share, implying 3% upside from current levels.