AAPL vs. LIN: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AAPL and LIN, 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 LIN’s 223.87 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
With betas of 1.21 for AAPL and 0.98 for LIN, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
| Symbol | AAPL | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Apple Inc. | Linde plc |
| Country | US | GB |
| Sector | Technology | Basic Materials |
| Industry | Consumer Electronics | Chemicals - Specialty |
| CEO | Timothy D. Cook | Sanjiv Lamba |
| Price | 213.55 USD | 475.58 USD |
| Market Cap | 3,189.54 billion USD | 223.87 billion USD |
| Beta | 1.21 | 0.98 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NASDAQ |
| IPO Date | December 12, 1980 | June 17, 1992 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AAPL and LIN 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.
LIN
17.23%
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 34.45%
- Q3
- 15.78%
- Median
- 7.65%
- Q1
- 2.96%
- Min
- -12.04%
In the upper quartile for the Chemicals - Specialty industry, LIN’s Return on Equity of 17.23% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
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.
LIN
8.94%
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 20.22%
- Q3
- 10.99%
- Median
- 5.25%
- Q1
- 3.06%
- Min
- -8.62%
LIN’s Return on Invested Capital of 8.94% is in line with the norm for the Chemicals - Specialty 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.
LIN
20.02%
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 23.23%
- Q3
- 10.64%
- Median
- 5.14%
- Q1
- 0.64%
- Min
- -8.93%
A Net Profit Margin of 20.02% places LIN in the upper quartile for the Chemicals - Specialty industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
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.
LIN
26.42%
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 26.42%
- Q3
- 15.81%
- Median
- 10.07%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -7.44%
An Operating Profit Margin of 26.42% places LIN in the upper quartile for the Chemicals - Specialty 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 | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 151.31% | 17.23% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 29.37% | 7.99% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 47.30% | 8.94% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 24.30% | 20.02% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 31.81% | 26.42% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 46.63% | 42.45% |
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.
LIN
0.94
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 3.95
- Q3
- 2.60
- Median
- 2.04
- Q1
- 1.60
- Min
- 0.77
LIN’s Current Ratio of 0.94 falls into the lower quartile for the Chemicals - Specialty 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.
LIN
0.63
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 1.65
- Q3
- 1.10
- Median
- 0.73
- Q1
- 0.55
- Min
- 0.01
LIN’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.63 is typical for the Chemicals - Specialty 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.
LIN
34.75
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 13.69
- Q3
- 9.06
- Median
- 5.24
- Q1
- 1.68
- Min
- -3.09
With an Interest Coverage Ratio of 34.75, LIN demonstrates a superior capacity to service its debt, placing it well above the typical range for the Chemicals - Specialty industry. This stems from either robust earnings or a conservative debt load.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AAPL | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 0.82 | 0.94 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.78 | 0.80 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 1.47 | 0.63 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.30 | 0.29 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.50 | 1.48 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | -- | 34.75 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AAPL and LIN. 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.
LIN
1.22%
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 9.19%
- Q3
- 2.44%
- Median
- 1.46%
- Q1
- 0.25%
- Min
- 0.00%
LIN’s Dividend Yield of 1.22% is consistent with its peers in the Chemicals - Specialty industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
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.
LIN
40.75%
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 163.70%
- Q3
- 57.04%
- Median
- 30.02%
- Q1
- 12.51%
- Min
- 0.00%
LIN’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 40.75% is within the typical range for the Chemicals - Specialty industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AAPL | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.47% | 1.22% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 15.74% | 40.75% |
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.
LIN
34.05
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 56.68
- Q3
- 33.75
- Median
- 23.45
- Q1
- 16.09
- Min
- 7.50
A P/E Ratio of 34.05 places LIN in the upper quartile for the Chemicals - Specialty industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
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.
LIN
4.93
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 6.58
- Q3
- 3.23
- Median
- 1.64
- Q1
- 0.96
- Min
- 0.16
A Forward PEG Ratio of 4.93 places LIN in the upper quartile for the Chemicals - Specialty industry. This suggests the stock is potentially expensive compared to its peers relative to its growth forecast, which may warrant caution.
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.
LIN
6.78
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 3.76
- Q3
- 2.31
- Median
- 1.38
- Q1
- 0.89
- Min
- 0.16
With a P/S Ratio of 6.78, LIN trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Chemicals - Specialty industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
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.
LIN
5.92
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 6.73
- Q3
- 3.78
- Median
- 1.56
- Q1
- 1.27
- Min
- 0.35
LIN’s P/B Ratio of 5.92 is in the upper tier for the Chemicals - Specialty industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AAPL | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 32.91 | 34.05 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 3.79 | 4.93 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 7.97 | 6.78 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 47.94 | 5.92 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 32.39 | 45.58 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 23.47 | 19.26 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 8.14 | 7.34 |