AAPL vs. DELL: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on July 7, 2025

Here’s a clear look at AAPL and DELL, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Overview

AAPL’s market capitalization of 3,189.54 billion USD is substantially larger than DELL’s 85.01 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.

With betas of 1.21 for AAPL and 1.09 for DELL, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.

Symbol	AAPL	DELL
Company Name	Apple Inc.	Dell Technologies Inc.
Country	US	US
Sector	Technology	Technology
Industry	Consumer Electronics	Computer Hardware
CEO	Timothy D. Cook	Michael Saul Dell
Price	213.55 USD	125.22 USD
Market Cap	3,189.54 billion USD	85.01 billion USD
Beta	1.21	1.09
Exchange	NASDAQ	NYSE
IPO Date	December 12, 1980	August 17, 2016
ADR	No	No

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of AAPL and DELL by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.

Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

AAPL vs. DELL: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Profitability

Return on Equity

AAPL

151.31%

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 14.30%
Q3: 14.30%
Median: 5.13%
Q1: -15.88%
Min: -27.23%

AAPL’s Return on Equity of 151.31% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Consumer Electronics industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.

DELL

-189.86%

Computer Hardware Industry

Max: 123.03%
Q3: 15.78%
Median: -13.44%
Q1: -119.16%
Min: -227.95%

DELL has a negative Return on Equity of -189.86%. This indicates the company is generating a loss for its shareholders, which can be a result of unprofitability or negative shareholder equity and is often a sign of financial distress.

AAPL vs. DELL: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Consumer Electronics and Computer Hardware industry benchmarks.

Return on Invested Capital

AAPL

47.30%

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 4.18%
Q3: 4.18%
Median: 4.09%
Q1: -0.34%
Min: -0.34%

AAPL’s Return on Invested Capital of 47.30% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Consumer Electronics industry. This demonstrates an outstanding ability to deploy capital efficiently and create significant value.

DELL

12.89%

Computer Hardware Industry

Max: 30.37%
Q3: 20.44%
Median: 7.03%
Q1: -12.47%
Min: -31.70%

DELL’s Return on Invested Capital of 12.89% is in line with the norm for the Computer Hardware industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.

AAPL vs. DELL: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Consumer Electronics and Computer Hardware industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin

AAPL

24.30%

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 24.30%
Q3: 8.81%
Median: 8.10%
Q1: -4.74%
Min: -7.22%

A Net Profit Margin of 24.30% places AAPL in the upper quartile for the Consumer Electronics industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

DELL

4.75%

Computer Hardware Industry

Max: 40.72%
Q3: 10.87%
Median: 4.33%
Q1: -378.64%
Min: -753.20%

DELL’s Net Profit Margin of 4.75% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Computer Hardware industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

AAPL vs. DELL: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Consumer Electronics and Computer Hardware industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin

AAPL

31.81%

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 31.81%
Q3: 16.77%
Median: 10.95%
Q1: -0.21%
Min: -4.78%

An Operating Profit Margin of 31.81% places AAPL in the upper quartile for the Consumer Electronics industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

DELL

6.70%

Computer Hardware Industry

Max: 42.27%
Q3: 13.53%
Median: 4.56%
Q1: -295.01%
Min: -592.84%

DELL’s Operating Profit Margin of 6.70% is around the midpoint for the Computer Hardware industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

AAPL vs. DELL: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Consumer Electronics and Computer Hardware industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	AAPL	DELL
Return on Equity (TTM)	151.31%	-189.86%
Return on Assets (TTM)	29.37%	5.29%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)	47.30%	12.89%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	24.30%	4.75%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	31.81%	6.70%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	46.63%	22.11%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio

AAPL

0.82

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 0.82
Q3: 0.82
Median: 0.70
Q1: 0.64
Min: 0.63

AAPL’s Current Ratio of 0.82 aligns with the median group of the Consumer Electronics industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

DELL

0.85

Computer Hardware Industry

Max: 20.73
Q3: 11.54
Median: 2.69
Q1: 1.40
Min: 0.73

DELL’s Current Ratio of 0.85 falls into the lower quartile for the Computer Hardware industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

AAPL vs. DELL: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Consumer Electronics and Computer Hardware industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

AAPL

1.47

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 2.23
Q3: 1.47
Median: 0.80
Q1: 0.51
Min: 0.16

AAPL’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.47 is typical for the Consumer Electronics industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

DELL

-9.52

Computer Hardware Industry

Max: 1.36
Q3: 0.67
Median: 0.04
Q1: 0.03
Min: 0.00

DELL has a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of -9.52, which indicates negative shareholder equity where liabilities exceed assets. This is a critical sign of financial distress.

AAPL vs. DELL: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Consumer Electronics and Computer Hardware industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio

AAPL

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 14.74
Q3: 8.73
Median: 3.32
Q1: -40.43
Min: -114.16

Interest Coverage Ratio data for AAPL is currently unavailable.

DELL

4.56

Computer Hardware Industry

Max: 32.50
Q3: 21.85
Median: 4.98
Q1: -7.71
Min: -34.24

DELL’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 4.56 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Computer Hardware industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

AAPL vs. DELL: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Consumer Electronics and Computer Hardware industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	AAPL	DELL
Current Ratio (TTM)	0.82	0.85
Quick Ratio (TTM)	0.78	0.70
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)	1.47	-9.52
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)	0.30	0.33
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)	0.50	2.09
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	--	4.56

Growth

The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AAPL and DELL. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.

Revenue Growth

AAPL vs. DELL: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Revenue Growth.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

AAPL vs. DELL: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth.

Free Cash Flow Growth

AAPL vs. DELL: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Free Cash Flow Growth.

Dividend

Dividend Yield

AAPL

0.47%

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 1.88%
Q3: 0.53%
Median: 0.50%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AAPL’s Dividend Yield of 0.47% is consistent with its peers in the Consumer Electronics industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

DELL

1.49%

Computer Hardware Industry

Max: 9.24%
Q3: 1.58%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

DELL’s Dividend Yield of 1.49% is consistent with its peers in the Computer Hardware industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

AAPL vs. DELL: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Consumer Electronics and Computer Hardware industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio

AAPL

15.74%

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 98.30%
Q3: 15.74%
Median: 10.10%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AAPL’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 15.74% is within the typical range for the Consumer Electronics industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

DELL

29.04%

Computer Hardware Industry

Max: 193.79%
Q3: 30.72%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

DELL’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 29.04% is within the typical range for the Computer Hardware industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

AAPL vs. DELL: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Consumer Electronics and Computer Hardware industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	AAPL	DELL
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.47%	1.49%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	15.74%	29.04%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio

AAPL

32.91

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 51.71
Q3: 41.35
Median: 30.99
Q1: 25.46
Min: 19.94

AAPL’s P/E Ratio of 32.91 is within the middle range for the Consumer Electronics industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

DELL

18.85

Computer Hardware Industry

Max: 24.60
Q3: 24.01
Median: 20.31
Q1: 18.24
Min: 13.38

DELL’s P/E Ratio of 18.85 is within the middle range for the Computer Hardware industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

AAPL vs. DELL: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Consumer Electronics and Computer Hardware industry benchmarks.

Forward P/E to Growth Ratio

AAPL

3.79

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 7.16
Q3: 5.62
Median: 3.99
Q1: 2.77
Min: 2.43

The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Consumer Electronics industry.

DELL

1.58

Computer Hardware Industry

Max: 9.77
Q3: 5.18
Median: 1.77
Q1: 1.17
Min: 0.02

The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Computer Hardware industry.

AAPL vs. DELL: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Consumer Electronics and Computer Hardware industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio

AAPL

7.97

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 7.50
Q3: 4.17
Median: 1.76
Q1: 0.88
Min: 0.16

With a P/S Ratio of 7.97, AAPL trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Consumer Electronics industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.

DELL

0.88

Computer Hardware Industry

Max: 57.61
Q3: 47.40
Median: 3.37
Q1: 1.56
Min: 0.43

In the lower quartile for the Computer Hardware industry, DELL’s P/S Ratio of 0.88 indicates its revenue is valued more conservatively than most of its peers. This could present a compelling opportunity if the market has overlooked its sales-generating capabilities.

AAPL vs. DELL: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Consumer Electronics and Computer Hardware industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio

AAPL

47.94

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 3.36
Q3: 3.36
Median: 2.83
Q1: 2.78
Min: 2.78

At 47.94, AAPL’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Consumer Electronics industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.

DELL

-28.65

Computer Hardware Industry

Max: 21.21
Q3: 14.71
Median: 9.28
Q1: 3.74
Min: 0.43

DELL has a negative P/B Ratio of -28.65, indicating its liabilities exceed its assets and result in negative shareholder equity. This is a critical warning sign of financial distress.

AAPL vs. DELL: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Consumer Electronics and Computer Hardware industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	AAPL	DELL
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)	32.91	18.85
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)	3.79	1.58
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)	7.97	0.88
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)	47.94	-28.65
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)	32.39	23.29
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)	23.47	10.54
EV-to-Sales (TTM)	8.14	1.10