AAPL vs. IBM: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AAPL and IBM, 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 IBM’s 271.36 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
AAPL’s beta of 1.21 points to significantly higher volatility compared to IBM (beta: 0.65), suggesting AAPL has greater potential for both gains and losses relative to market movements.
| Symbol | AAPL | IBM |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Apple Inc. | International Business Machines Corporation |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Technology | Technology |
| Industry | Consumer Electronics | Information Technology Services |
| CEO | Timothy D. Cook | Arvind Krishna |
| Price | 213.55 USD | 291.97 USD |
| Market Cap | 3,189.54 billion USD | 271.36 billion USD |
| Beta | 1.21 | 0.65 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NYSE |
| IPO Date | December 12, 1980 | September 24, 1915 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AAPL and IBM 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.
IBM
21.32%
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 47.24%
- Q3
- 23.27%
- Median
- 12.85%
- Q1
- 2.22%
- Min
- -26.63%
IBM’s Return on Equity of 21.32% is on par with the norm for the Information Technology Services 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.
IBM
8.48%
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 28.29%
- Q3
- 13.19%
- Median
- 7.24%
- Q1
- 0.23%
- Min
- -18.82%
IBM’s Return on Invested Capital of 8.48% is in line with the norm for the Information Technology Services 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.
IBM
8.71%
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 20.47%
- Q3
- 11.62%
- Median
- 5.97%
- Q1
- 1.89%
- Min
- -4.62%
IBM’s Net Profit Margin of 8.71% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Information Technology Services 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.
IBM
16.36%
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 29.42%
- Q3
- 14.75%
- Median
- 8.92%
- Q1
- 2.62%
- Min
- -11.92%
An Operating Profit Margin of 16.36% places IBM in the upper quartile for the Information Technology Services industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AAPL | IBM |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 151.31% | 21.32% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 29.37% | 3.76% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 47.30% | 8.48% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 24.30% | 8.71% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 31.81% | 16.36% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 46.63% | 57.04% |
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.
IBM
1.01
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 3.41
- Q3
- 2.37
- Median
- 1.58
- Q1
- 1.20
- Min
- 0.00
IBM’s Current Ratio of 1.01 falls into the lower quartile for the Information Technology Services 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.
IBM
2.49
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 2.63
- Q3
- 1.16
- Median
- 0.48
- Q1
- 0.09
- Min
- 0.01
IBM’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Information Technology Services industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 2.49. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.
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.
IBM
5.92
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 17.52
- Q3
- 10.04
- Median
- 4.66
- Q1
- 0.80
- Min
- -10.50
IBM’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 5.92 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Information Technology Services industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AAPL | IBM |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 0.82 | 1.01 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.78 | 0.97 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 1.47 | 2.49 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.30 | 0.46 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.50 | 4.53 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | -- | 5.92 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AAPL and IBM. 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.
IBM
2.29%
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 16.57%
- Q3
- 1.39%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 2.29%, IBM offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Information Technology Services industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
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.
IBM
112.81%
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 112.81%
- Q3
- 20.98%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
IBM’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 112.81% is above 100%. This means the company is paying out more in dividends than it earned, a practice that is often unsustainable and could indicate a risk to future dividend stability.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AAPL | IBM |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.47% | 2.29% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 15.74% | 112.81% |
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.
IBM
49.51
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 49.12
- Q3
- 36.91
- Median
- 24.84
- Q1
- 15.88
- Min
- 1.55
At 49.51, IBM’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Information Technology Services industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.
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.
IBM
9.51
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 5.35
- Q3
- 3.79
- Median
- 2.23
- Q1
- 1.19
- Min
- 0.03
IBM’s Forward PEG Ratio of 9.51 is exceptionally high for the Information Technology Services industry. This suggests its stock price is very high relative to its expected earnings growth, signaling significant overvaluation risk.
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.
IBM
4.32
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 8.15
- Q3
- 4.17
- Median
- 2.14
- Q1
- 1.00
- Min
- 0.10
IBM’s P/S Ratio of 4.32 is in the upper echelon for the Information Technology Services industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
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.
IBM
10.08
Information Technology Services Industry
- Max
- 11.78
- Q3
- 6.14
- Median
- 3.23
- Q1
- 1.97
- Min
- 0.42
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Information Technology Services industry.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AAPL | IBM |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 32.91 | 49.51 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 3.79 | 9.51 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 7.97 | 4.32 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 47.94 | 10.08 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 32.39 | 22.73 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 23.47 | 26.54 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 8.14 | 5.21 |