AAPL vs. FLEX: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AAPL and FLEX, 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 FLEX’s 19.30 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
With betas of 1.21 for AAPL and 1.03 for FLEX, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
| Symbol | AAPL | FLEX |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Apple Inc. | Flex Ltd. |
| Country | US | SG |
| Sector | Technology | Technology |
| Industry | Consumer Electronics | Hardware, Equipment & Parts |
| CEO | Timothy D. Cook | Revathi Advaithi |
| Price | 213.55 USD | 51.69 USD |
| Market Cap | 3,189.54 billion USD | 19.30 billion USD |
| Beta | 1.21 | 1.03 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NASDAQ |
| IPO Date | December 12, 1980 | March 18, 1994 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AAPL and FLEX 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.
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.
FLEX
16.77%
Hardware, Equipment & Parts Industry
- Max
- 38.64%
- Q3
- 17.03%
- Median
- 8.95%
- Q1
- 1.23%
- Min
- -14.34%
FLEX’s Return on Equity of 16.77% is on par with the norm for the Hardware, Equipment & Parts industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
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.
FLEX
9.83%
Hardware, Equipment & Parts Industry
- Max
- 17.24%
- Q3
- 9.87%
- Median
- 6.54%
- Q1
- 1.56%
- Min
- -7.50%
FLEX’s Return on Invested Capital of 9.83% is in line with the norm for the Hardware, Equipment & Parts industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
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.
FLEX
3.25%
Hardware, Equipment & Parts Industry
- Max
- 22.76%
- Q3
- 11.04%
- Median
- 3.80%
- Q1
- 1.13%
- Min
- -8.57%
FLEX’s Net Profit Margin of 3.25% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Hardware, Equipment & Parts industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
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.
FLEX
4.53%
Hardware, Equipment & Parts Industry
- Max
- 25.25%
- Q3
- 13.73%
- Median
- 8.22%
- Q1
- 4.35%
- Min
- -0.79%
FLEX’s Operating Profit Margin of 4.53% is around the midpoint for the Hardware, Equipment & Parts industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AAPL | FLEX |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 151.31% | 16.77% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 29.37% | 4.56% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 47.30% | 9.83% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 24.30% | 3.25% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 31.81% | 4.53% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 46.63% | 8.36% |
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.
FLEX
1.30
Hardware, Equipment & Parts Industry
- Max
- 4.10
- Q3
- 3.23
- Median
- 2.37
- Q1
- 1.81
- Min
- 0.58
FLEX’s Current Ratio of 1.30 falls into the lower quartile for the Hardware, Equipment & Parts industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
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.
FLEX
0.33
Hardware, Equipment & Parts Industry
- Max
- 1.19
- Q3
- 0.56
- Median
- 0.33
- Q1
- 0.11
- Min
- 0.00
FLEX’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.33 is typical for the Hardware, Equipment & Parts industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
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.
FLEX
5.36
Hardware, Equipment & Parts Industry
- Max
- 28.37
- Q3
- 14.25
- Median
- 9.35
- Q1
- 2.86
- Min
- -13.16
FLEX’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 5.36 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Hardware, Equipment & Parts industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AAPL | FLEX |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 0.82 | 1.30 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.78 | 0.79 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 1.47 | 0.33 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.30 | 0.09 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.50 | -0.39 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | -- | 5.36 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AAPL and FLEX. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
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.
FLEX
0.00%
Hardware, Equipment & Parts Industry
- Max
- 2.16%
- Q3
- 0.66%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
FLEX currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
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.
FLEX
0.00%
Hardware, Equipment & Parts Industry
- Max
- 71.55%
- Q3
- 25.37%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
FLEX has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AAPL | FLEX |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.47% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 15.74% | 0.00% |
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.
FLEX
23.99
Hardware, Equipment & Parts Industry
- Max
- 86.58
- Q3
- 53.54
- Median
- 36.07
- Q1
- 25.99
- Min
- 12.16
In the lower quartile for the Hardware, Equipment & Parts industry, FLEX’s P/E Ratio of 23.99 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.
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.
FLEX
2.77
Hardware, Equipment & Parts Industry
- Max
- 5.22
- Q3
- 3.27
- Median
- 2.16
- Q1
- 1.77
- Min
- 0.00
The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Hardware, Equipment & Parts industry.
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.
FLEX
0.75
Hardware, Equipment & Parts Industry
- Max
- 8.50
- Q3
- 4.95
- Median
- 2.45
- Q1
- 1.17
- Min
- 0.32
In the lower quartile for the Hardware, Equipment & Parts industry, FLEX’s P/S Ratio of 0.75 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.
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.
FLEX
4.02
Hardware, Equipment & Parts Industry
- Max
- 7.53
- Q3
- 4.63
- Median
- 3.34
- Q1
- 2.35
- Min
- 0.48
FLEX’s P/B Ratio of 4.02 is within the conventional range for the Hardware, Equipment & Parts industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AAPL | FLEX |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 32.91 | 23.99 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 3.79 | 2.77 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 7.97 | 0.75 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 47.94 | 4.02 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 32.39 | 18.09 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 23.47 | 11.56 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 8.14 | 0.72 |