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AAPL vs. GOOGL: Apple vs. Alphabet Stock Comparison

How do Apple (AAPL) and Alphabet (GOOGL) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Apple (AAPL) is classified in the Information Technology sector (Technology Hardware & Equipment), whereas Alphabet (GOOGL) belongs to Communication Services (Media & Entertainment) — their GICS classifications point to very different parts of the market.

Company profile comparison for Apple (AAPL) and Alphabet (GOOGL)
Profile ItemAAPLGOOGL
NameApple Inc.Alphabet Inc. Class A Common Stock
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorInformation TechnologyCommunication Services
GICS Industry GroupTechnology Hardware & EquipmentMedia & Entertainment
GICS IndustryTechnology Hardware, Storage & PeripheralsInteractive Media & Services
GICS Sub-IndustryTechnology Hardware, Storage & PeripheralsInteractive Media & Services
Market Capitalization4,669.70 billion USD4,139.34 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNasdaqNasdaq
Listing DateDecember 12, 1980August 19, 2004
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

AAPL
GOOGL
GSPC
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Apple (AAPL) vs. Alphabet (GOOGL), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Apple (AAPL) and Alphabet (GOOGL). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Apple (AAPL) and Alphabet (GOOGL). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Apple (AAPL) and Alphabet (GOOGL)
MetricAAPLGOOGL
Total Return (1Y)33.94%46.21%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)19.62%36.06%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)16.28%18.91%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

AAPL
GOOGL
GSPC
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Apple (AAPL) vs. Alphabet (GOOGL), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Apple (AAPL) and Alphabet (GOOGL). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Apple (AAPL) and Alphabet (GOOGL)
MetricAAPLGOOGL
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)25.04%31.48%
Beta (5Y)1.081.21
Max Drawdown (5Y)-33.36%-44.32%
Avg. Volume (3M)54.18M30.43M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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AAPL and GOOGL are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. Each dashed Capital Allocation Line uses that stock's own industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Apple (AAPL) and Alphabet (GOOGL)
MetricAAPLGOOGL
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)1.191.34
Sortino Ratio (1Y)1.742.19

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both Apple (AAPL) at 148.75% and Alphabet (GOOGL) at 48.68% turn shareholders’ equity into profit at rates above their industry benchmark ranges for ROE. That is a strong capital-efficiency signal, though leverage and the equity base still matter.

AAPL

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

148.75%

AAPL
148.75%
Max
44.01%
Q3
18.81%
Median
10.41%
Q1
0.07%
Min
-24.95%

GOOGL

Media & Entertainment industry group

48.68%

GOOGL
48.68%
Max
45.82%
Q3
16.13%
Median
6.69%
Q1
-4.15%
Min
-26.31%
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Apple (AAPL) vs. Alphabet (GOOGL): A comparison of their ROE against their respective Technology Hardware & Equipment and Media & Entertainment industry group benchmarks.

Net Margin (TTM)

Alphabet (GOOGL) at 54.77% keeps the most of each sales dollar — above its industry’s net margin range — and Apple (AAPL) at 27.62% also retains a top-quartile share.

AAPL

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

27.62%

AAPL
27.62%
Max
27.62%
Q3
10.85%
Median
3.47%
Q1
-0.47%
Min
-14.17%

GOOGL

Media & Entertainment industry group

54.77%

GOOGL
54.77%
Max
29.84%
Q3
9.84%
Median
4.33%
Q1
-3.96%
Min
-17.61%
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Apple (AAPL) vs. Alphabet (GOOGL): A comparison of their net margin against their respective Technology Hardware & Equipment and Media & Entertainment industry group benchmarks.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Apple (AAPL) at 32.62% and Alphabet (GOOGL) at 34.03% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

AAPL

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

32.62%

Max
36.27%
AAPL
32.62%
Q3
17.23%
Median
7.28%
Q1
1.10%
Min
-21.39%

GOOGL

Media & Entertainment industry group

34.03%

Max
40.16%
GOOGL
34.03%
Q3
18.59%
Median
10.43%
Q1
0.85%
Min
-19.55%
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Apple (AAPL) vs. Alphabet (GOOGL): A comparison of their operating margin against their respective Technology Hardware & Equipment and Media & Entertainment industry group benchmarks.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Apple (AAPL) and Alphabet (GOOGL)
MetricAAPLGOOGL
ROE (TTM)148.75%48.68%
ROA (TTM)27.08%12.96%
Net Margin (TTM)27.62%54.77%
Operating Margin (TTM)32.62%34.03%
Gross Margin (TTM)48.65%60.90%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Alphabet (GOOGL) at 15.09% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Apple (AAPL) at 6.43% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for GOOGL.

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Apple (AAPL) vs. Alphabet (GOOGL): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both Apple (AAPL) at 22.70% and Alphabet (GOOGL) at 34.45% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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Apple (AAPL) vs. Alphabet (GOOGL): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Apple (AAPL) and Alphabet (GOOGL)
MetricAAPLGOOGL
Revenue Growth (YoY)6.43%15.09%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)1.81%12.51%
EPS Growth (YoY)22.70%34.45%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)6.88%33.34%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Alphabet (GOOGL) at 2.72 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while Apple (AAPL) at 1.00 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — different working-capital profiles, both worth examining.

AAPL

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

1.00

Max
4.90
Q3
2.94
Median
1.97
Q1
1.31
AAPL
1.00
Min
0.17

GOOGL

Media & Entertainment industry group

2.72

Max
4.50
GOOGL
2.72
Q3
2.38
Median
1.41
Q1
0.87
Min
0.23
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Apple (AAPL) vs. Alphabet (GOOGL): A comparison of their current ratio against their respective Technology Hardware & Equipment and Media & Entertainment industry group benchmarks.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Apple (AAPL) at 0.78 and Alphabet (GOOGL) at 0.19 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

AAPL

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

0.78

Max
1.80
Q3
0.86
AAPL
0.78
Median
0.27
Q1
0.04
Min
0.00

GOOGL

Media & Entertainment industry group

0.19

Max
3.84
Q3
1.70
Median
0.55
GOOGL
0.19
Q1
0.17
Min
0.00
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Apple (AAPL) vs. Alphabet (GOOGL): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against their respective Technology Hardware & Equipment and Media & Entertainment industry group benchmarks.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Apple (AAPL) and Alphabet (GOOGL)
MetricAAPLGOOGL
Current Ratio (MRQ)1.002.72
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.780.19
Net Debt / EBITDA0.13-0.70

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Apple (AAPL) at 0.32% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Alphabet (GOOGL) at 0.25% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, AAPL the richer one.

AAPL

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

0.32%

Max
0.77%
AAPL
0.32%
Q3
0.32%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

GOOGL

Media & Entertainment industry group

0.25%

Max
1.40%
Q3
0.58%
GOOGL
0.25%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Apple (AAPL) vs. Alphabet (GOOGL): A comparison of their dividend yield against their respective Technology Hardware & Equipment and Media & Entertainment industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Apple (AAPL) at 12.04% and Alphabet (GOOGL) at 4.26% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.

AAPL

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

12.04%

Max
32.21%
Q3
13.32%
AAPL
12.04%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

GOOGL

Media & Entertainment industry group

4.26%

Max
43.37%
Q3
19.42%
GOOGL
4.26%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Apple (AAPL) vs. Alphabet (GOOGL): A comparison of their payout ratio against their respective Technology Hardware & Equipment and Media & Entertainment industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Apple (AAPL) and Alphabet (GOOGL)
MetricAAPLGOOGL
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.32%0.25%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)12.04%4.26%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Apple (AAPL) at 36.61 and Alphabet (GOOGL) at 16.97 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

AAPL

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

36.61

Max
94.50
Q3
51.90
AAPL
36.61
Median
32.47
Q1
22.70
Min
12.14

GOOGL

Media & Entertainment industry group

16.97

Max
70.74
Q3
37.84
Median
18.97
GOOGL
16.97
Q1
10.76
Min
1.78
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Apple (AAPL) vs. Alphabet (GOOGL): A comparison of their P/E ratio against their respective Technology Hardware & Equipment and Media & Entertainment industry group benchmarks.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Both look expensive on sales: Apple (AAPL) at 10.00 sits in the upper P/S ratio quartile, and Alphabet (GOOGL) at 9.28 prices even higher, above its industry range.

AAPL

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

10.00

Max
15.81
AAPL
10.00
Q3
7.34
Median
3.08
Q1
1.16
Min
0.00

GOOGL

Media & Entertainment industry group

9.28

GOOGL
9.28
Max
6.88
Q3
3.57
Median
1.43
Q1
0.53
Min
0.00
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Apple (AAPL) vs. Alphabet (GOOGL): A comparison of their P/S ratio against their respective Technology Hardware & Equipment and Media & Entertainment industry group benchmarks.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Both look rich against book: Alphabet (GOOGL) at 6.65 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and Apple (AAPL) at 43.47 prices even higher, above its industry range.

AAPL

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

43.47

AAPL
43.47
Max
14.90
Q3
7.23
Median
3.73
Q1
1.98
Min
0.09

GOOGL

Media & Entertainment industry group

6.65

Max
10.81
GOOGL
6.65
Q3
4.77
Median
1.92
Q1
0.74
Min
-4.11
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Apple (AAPL) vs. Alphabet (GOOGL): A comparison of their P/B ratio against their respective Technology Hardware & Equipment and Media & Entertainment industry group benchmarks.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Apple (AAPL) and Alphabet (GOOGL)
MetricAAPLGOOGL
P/E Ratio (TTM)36.6116.97
P/S Ratio (TTM)10.009.28
P/B Ratio (MRQ)43.476.65
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)2.31%0.55%