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 |
| 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 | 4,592.15 billion USD | 1,523.79 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) | 46.99% | -16.24% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 18.24% | 27.53% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 17.70% | 11.41% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | AAPL | META |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 24.13% | 37.70% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.09 | 1.24 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -33.36% | -76.74% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 53.93M | 17.22M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | AAPL | META |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 1.78 | -0.54 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 2.83 | -0.77 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both companies show strong equity returns, but Apple (AAPL) at 141.47% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; Meta Platforms (META) at 32.93% also sits in the top quartile.
AAPL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
141.47%
- AAPL
- 141.47%
- Max
- 44.16%
- Q3
- 19.42%
- Median
- 10.99%
- Q1
- 1.30%
- Min
- -25.17%
META
Media & Entertainment industry group
32.93%
- Max
- 38.89%
- META
- 32.93%
- Q3
- 15.20%
- Median
- 6.10%
- Q1
- -4.21%
- Min
- -29.59%
Net Margin (TTM)
Meta Platforms (META) at 32.84% keeps the most of each sales dollar — above its industry’s net margin range — and Apple (AAPL) at 27.15% also retains a top-quartile share.
AAPL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
27.15%
- Max
- 30.43%
- AAPL
- 27.15%
- Q3
- 12.35%
- Median
- 4.70%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -14.09%
META
Media & Entertainment industry group
32.84%
- META
- 32.84%
- Max
- 30.77%
- Q3
- 10.56%
- Median
- 3.23%
- Q1
- -3.26%
- Min
- -20.69%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Apple (AAPL) at 32.28% and Meta Platforms (META) at 40.62% 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
32.28%
- AAPL
- 32.28%
- Max
- 32.28%
- Q3
- 15.55%
- Median
- 6.62%
- Q1
- 2.19%
- Min
- -11.92%
META
Media & Entertainment industry group
40.62%
- Max
- 41.37%
- META
- 40.62%
- Q3
- 16.45%
- Median
- 7.14%
- Q1
- -3.48%
- Min
- -27.39%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | AAPL | META |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 141.47% | 32.93% |
| ROA (TTM) | 26.23% | 16.40% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 27.15% | 32.84% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 32.28% | 40.62% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 47.86% | 81.94% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Revenue Growth Metrics
| Metric | AAPL | META |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 6.43% | 22.17% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 1.81% | 19.89% |
EPS Growth
EPS Growth Metrics
| Metric | AAPL | META |
|---|---|---|
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 22.70% | -1.55% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 6.88% | 39.84% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Meta Platforms (META) at 2.35 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while Apple (AAPL) at 1.07 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — different working-capital profiles, both worth examining.
AAPL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
1.07
- Max
- 5.80
- Q3
- 3.18
- Median
- 1.90
- Q1
- 1.28
- AAPL
- 1.07
- Min
- 0.37
META
Media & Entertainment industry group
2.35
- Max
- 4.37
- META
- 2.35
- Q3
- 2.34
- Median
- 1.40
- Q1
- 0.90
- Min
- 0.31
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Apple (AAPL) at 0.80 and Meta Platforms (META) at 0.36 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
AAPL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
0.80
- Max
- 2.02
- Q3
- 0.88
- AAPL
- 0.80
- Median
- 0.31
- Q1
- 0.06
- Min
- 0.00
META
Media & Entertainment industry group
0.36
- Max
- 2.46
- Q3
- 1.20
- Median
- 0.47
- META
- 0.36
- Q1
- 0.15
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | AAPL | META |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.07 | 2.35 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.80 | 0.36 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.10 | 0.05 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both Apple (AAPL) at 0.34% and Meta Platforms (META) at 0.36% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.
AAPL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
0.34%
- Max
- 0.87%
- Q3
- 0.35%
- AAPL
- 0.34%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
META
Media & Entertainment industry group
0.36%
- Max
- 2.03%
- Q3
- 0.99%
- META
- 0.36%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Both Apple (AAPL) at 12.59% and Meta Platforms (META) at 7.64% 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
12.59%
- Max
- 36.36%
- Q3
- 14.56%
- AAPL
- 12.59%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
META
Media & Entertainment industry group
7.64%
- Max
- 45.76%
- Q3
- 20.83%
- META
- 7.64%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | AAPL | META |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.34% | 0.36% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 12.59% | 7.64% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Apple (AAPL) at 37.81 and Meta Platforms (META) at 21.82 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
37.81
- Max
- 159.86
- Q3
- 80.52
- Median
- 38.02
- AAPL
- 37.81
- Q1
- 23.45
- Min
- 8.37
META
Media & Entertainment industry group
21.82
- Max
- 77.46
- Q3
- 40.32
- Median
- 22.49
- META
- 21.82
- Q1
- 12.83
- Min
- 1.64
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Both Apple (AAPL) at 10.17 and Meta Platforms (META) at 7.09 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
10.17
- Max
- 16.90
- AAPL
- 10.17
- Q3
- 7.86
- Median
- 3.64
- Q1
- 1.41
- Min
- 0.00
META
Media & Entertainment industry group
7.09
- Max
- 8.62
- META
- 7.09
- Q3
- 4.09
- Median
- 1.51
- Q1
- 0.64
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both look rich against book: Meta Platforms (META) at 6.25 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and Apple (AAPL) at 43.07 prices even higher, above its industry range.
AAPL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
43.07
- AAPL
- 43.07
- Max
- 17.76
- Q3
- 8.60
- Median
- 4.14
- Q1
- 2.10
- Min
- -3.40
META
Media & Entertainment industry group
6.25
- Max
- 10.92
- META
- 6.25
- Q3
- 5.28
- Median
- 1.91
- Q1
- 0.77
- Min
- -3.80
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | AAPL | META |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 37.81 | 21.82 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 10.17 | 7.09 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 43.07 | 6.25 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 2.20% | 1.68% |