AAPL vs. MS: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AAPL and MS, 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 MS’s 231.25 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
With betas of 1.21 for AAPL and 1.29 for MS, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
| Symbol | AAPL | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Apple Inc. | Morgan Stanley |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Technology | Financial Services |
| Industry | Consumer Electronics | Financial - Capital Markets |
| CEO | Timothy D. Cook | Edward N. Pick |
| Price | 213.55 USD | 144.14 USD |
| Market Cap | 3,189.54 billion USD | 231.25 billion USD |
| Beta | 1.21 | 1.29 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NYSE |
| IPO Date | December 12, 1980 | February 23, 1993 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AAPL and MS 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.
MS
14.01%
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 42.02%
- Q3
- 20.69%
- Median
- 13.73%
- Q1
- 3.33%
- Min
- -21.32%
MS’s Return on Equity of 14.01% is on par with the norm for the Financial - Capital Markets 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.
MS
2.64%
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 30.24%
- Q3
- 13.34%
- Median
- 6.20%
- Q1
- -1.71%
- Min
- -16.91%
Return on Invested Capital is often not a primary measure of capital efficiency in the Financial - Capital Markets industry.
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.
MS
13.52%
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 28.67%
- Q3
- 13.52%
- Median
- 10.47%
- Q1
- 0.24%
- Min
- -9.55%
MS’s Net Profit Margin of 13.52% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Financial - Capital Markets 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.
MS
17.73%
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 56.86%
- Q3
- 25.29%
- Median
- 15.90%
- Q1
- 0.51%
- Min
- -19.18%
MS’s Operating Profit Margin of 17.73% is around the midpoint for the Financial - Capital Markets industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AAPL | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 151.31% | 14.01% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 29.37% | 1.18% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 47.30% | 2.64% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 24.30% | 13.52% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 31.81% | 17.73% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 46.63% | 56.30% |
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.
MS
0.66
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 4.60
- Q3
- 3.24
- Median
- 1.32
- Q1
- 0.96
- Min
- 0.05
For the Financial - Capital Markets industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.
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.
MS
3.45
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 3.63
- Q3
- 1.68
- Median
- 0.37
- Q1
- 0.09
- Min
- 0.00
MS’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Financial - Capital Markets industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 3.45. 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.
MS
0.41
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 12.71
- Q3
- 7.94
- Median
- 1.92
- Q1
- 0.24
- Min
- -7.71
The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Financial - Capital Markets industry.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AAPL | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 0.82 | 0.66 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.78 | 0.66 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 1.47 | 3.45 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.30 | 0.30 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.50 | 11.97 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | -- | 0.41 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AAPL and MS. 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.
MS
2.57%
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 5.86%
- Q3
- 1.74%
- Median
- 0.79%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 2.57%, MS offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Financial - Capital Markets 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.
MS
42.94%
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 128.06%
- Q3
- 43.11%
- Median
- 12.56%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
MS’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 42.94% is within the typical range for the Financial - Capital Markets industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AAPL | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.47% | 2.57% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 15.74% | 42.94% |
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.
MS
15.97
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 42.65
- Q3
- 29.09
- Median
- 20.52
- Q1
- 14.58
- Min
- 8.28
MS’s P/E Ratio of 15.97 is within the middle range for the Financial - Capital Markets industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
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.
MS
2.27
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 4.05
- Q3
- 2.46
- Median
- 1.52
- Q1
- 0.78
- Min
- 0.02
MS’s Forward PEG Ratio of 2.27 is within the middle range of its peers in the Financial - Capital Markets industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
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.
MS
2.19
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 14.34
- Q3
- 7.63
- Median
- 2.98
- Q1
- 1.50
- Min
- 0.04
The P/S Ratio is often not a primary valuation tool in the Financial - Capital Markets industry.
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.
MS
2.18
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 9.60
- Q3
- 6.00
- Median
- 2.91
- Q1
- 1.84
- Min
- 0.53
MS’s P/B Ratio of 2.18 is within the conventional range for the Financial - Capital Markets industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AAPL | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 32.91 | 15.97 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 3.79 | 2.27 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 7.97 | 2.19 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 47.94 | 2.18 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 32.39 | -110.12 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 23.47 | 21.68 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 8.14 | 4.88 |