AAPL vs. META: Apple vs. Meta Platforms Stock Comparison
How do Apple (AAPL) and Meta Platforms (META) 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 Meta Platforms (META) belongs to Communication Services (Media & Entertainment) — their GICS classifications point to very different parts of the market.
| Profile Item | AAPL | META |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Apple Inc. | Meta Platforms, Inc. Class A Common Stock |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Information Technology | Communication Services |
| GICS Industry Group | Technology Hardware & Equipment | Media & Entertainment |
| GICS Industry | Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals | Interactive Media & Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals | Interactive Media & Services |
| Market Capitalization | 4,464.80 billion USD | 1,502.65 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | December 12, 1980 | May 18, 2012 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | AAPL | META |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 31.91% | -24.34% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 20.00% | 24.79% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 16.04% | 10.38% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | AAPL | META |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 24.99% | 38.44% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.07 | 1.25 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -33.36% | -76.74% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 55.84M | 17.95M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | AAPL | META |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 1.12 | -0.74 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 1.64 | -1.02 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both companies show strong equity returns, but Apple (AAPL) at 148.75% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; Meta Platforms (META) at 29.85% also sits in the top quartile.
AAPL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
148.75%
- AAPL
- 148.75%
- Max
- 44.01%
- Q3
- 18.43%
- Median
- 10.41%
- Q1
- 0.66%
- Min
- -24.95%
META
Media & Entertainment industry group
29.85%
- Max
- 44.48%
- META
- 29.85%
- Q3
- 15.26%
- Median
- 6.57%
- Q1
- -4.94%
- Min
- -26.31%
Net Margin (TTM)
Apple (AAPL) at 27.62% keeps the most of each sales dollar — above its industry’s net margin range — and Meta Platforms (META) at 29.84% also retains a top-quartile share.
AAPL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
27.62%
- AAPL
- 27.62%
- Max
- 26.11%
- Q3
- 10.66%
- Median
- 3.40%
- Q1
- -0.39%
- Min
- -11.93%
META
Media & Entertainment industry group
29.84%
- Max
- 29.84%
- META
- 29.84%
- Q3
- 10.13%
- Median
- 3.96%
- Q1
- -3.20%
- Min
- -17.61%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Apple (AAPL) at 32.62% and Meta Platforms (META) at 34.83% 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
- 36.90%
- AAPL
- 32.62%
- Q3
- 17.13%
- Median
- 7.40%
- Q1
- 2.09%
- Min
- -18.45%
META
Media & Entertainment industry group
34.83%
- Max
- 41.37%
- META
- 34.83%
- Q3
- 18.71%
- Median
- 10.19%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -27.39%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | AAPL | META |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 148.75% | 29.85% |
| ROA (TTM) | 27.08% | 14.59% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 27.62% | 29.84% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 32.62% | 34.83% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 48.65% | 81.75% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Meta Platforms (META) at 22.17% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Apple (AAPL) at 6.43% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for META.
EPS Growth
Both Apple (AAPL) at 22.70% and Meta Platforms (META) at -1.55% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | AAPL | META |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 6.43% | 22.17% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 1.81% | 19.89% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 22.70% | -1.55% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 6.88% | 39.84% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Meta Platforms (META) at 2.23 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Apple (AAPL) at 1.00 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for AAPL.
AAPL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
1.00
- Max
- 4.95
- Q3
- 3.05
- Median
- 1.99
- Q1
- 1.32
- AAPL
- 1.00
- Min
- 0.17
META
Media & Entertainment industry group
2.23
- Max
- 4.50
- Q3
- 2.38
- META
- 2.23
- Median
- 1.45
- Q1
- 0.88
- Min
- 0.09
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Apple (AAPL) at 0.78 and Meta Platforms (META) at 0.43 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
AAPL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
0.78
- Max
- 1.80
- Q3
- 0.82
- AAPL
- 0.78
- Median
- 0.27
- Q1
- 0.04
- Min
- 0.00
META
Media & Entertainment industry group
0.43
- Max
- 2.66
- Q3
- 1.25
- Median
- 0.46
- META
- 0.43
- Q1
- 0.17
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | AAPL | META |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.00 | 2.23 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.78 | 0.43 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.13 | 0.20 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Apple (AAPL) at 0.34% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Meta Platforms (META) at 0.35% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, AAPL the richer one.
AAPL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
0.34%
- Max
- 0.74%
- AAPL
- 0.34%
- Q3
- 0.32%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
META
Media & Entertainment industry group
0.35%
- Max
- 1.43%
- Q3
- 0.59%
- META
- 0.35%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Both Apple (AAPL) at 12.04% and Meta Platforms (META) at 7.91% 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
- 34.91%
- Q3
- 14.28%
- AAPL
- 12.04%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
META
Media & Entertainment industry group
7.91%
- Max
- 34.19%
- Q3
- 14.58%
- META
- 7.91%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | AAPL | META |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.34% | 0.35% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 12.04% | 7.91% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Apple (AAPL) at 35.08 and Meta Platforms (META) at 22.22 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
35.08
- Max
- 106.10
- Q3
- 62.78
- Median
- 36.76
- AAPL
- 35.08
- Q1
- 22.85
- Min
- 11.58
META
Media & Entertainment industry group
22.22
- Max
- 72.44
- Q3
- 41.27
- META
- 22.22
- Median
- 20.06
- Q1
- 11.51
- Min
- 1.79
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Both Apple (AAPL) at 9.56 and Meta Platforms (META) at 6.58 command a richer price per dollar of sales than most peers, sitting in the upper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.
AAPL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
9.56
- Max
- 17.14
- AAPL
- 9.56
- Q3
- 7.76
- Median
- 3.42
- Q1
- 1.39
- Min
- 0.00
META
Media & Entertainment industry group
6.58
- Max
- 7.19
- META
- 6.58
- Q3
- 3.73
- Median
- 1.52
- Q1
- 0.63
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Meta Platforms (META) at 5.75 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Apple (AAPL) at 41.57 prices above its benchmark range — AAPL looks rich relative to book.
AAPL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
41.57
- AAPL
- 41.57
- Max
- 17.63
- Q3
- 8.56
- Median
- 4.23
- Q1
- 2.14
- Min
- -1.92
META
Media & Entertainment industry group
5.75
- Max
- 13.11
- Q3
- 5.79
- META
- 5.75
- Median
- 2.13
- Q1
- 0.83
- Min
- -4.58
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | AAPL | META |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 35.08 | 22.22 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 9.56 | 6.58 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 41.57 | 5.75 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 2.41% | 1.43% |