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AAPL vs. MSFT: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated

Here’s a clear look at AAPL and MSFT, comparing key factors like performance, valuation metrics, dividends, and financial strength. It’s built for investors or anyone curious to see how these two stocks match up.

Company Overview

AAPL (3,018.38 billion USD) and MSFT (3,363.74 billion USD) sit neck-and-neck in market cap terms.

AAPL at 1.27 and MSFT at 0.98 move in sync when it comes to market volatility.

SymbolAAPLMSFT
Company NameApple Inc.Microsoft Corporation
CountryUSUS
SectorTechnologyTechnology
IndustryConsumer ElectronicsSoftware - Infrastructure
CEOMr. Timothy D. CookMr. Satya Nadella
Price202.09 USD452.57 USD
Market Cap3,018.38 billion USD3,363.74 billion USD
Beta1.2750.985
ExchangeNASDAQNASDAQ
IPO DateDecember 12, 1980March 13, 1986
ADRNoNo

Performance Comparison

This chart compares the performance of AAPL and MSFT over the past year by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each (starting one year ago).

Hover over the lines to see the investment’s value and total return (%) at specific dates.

Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

Valuation Metrics Comparison

For a detailed comparison of valuation metrics between AAPL and MSFT, please refer to the table below.

SymbolAAPLMSFT
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)31.1434.82
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)2.852.11
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)7.5412.46
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)45.3610.45
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)30.6548.49
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)22.2422.63
EV-to-Sales (TTM)7.7112.58
EV-to-Free Cash Flow (TTM)31.3648.95

Dividend Comparison

Both AAPL at 0.50% and MSFT at 0.72% pay dividends, blending income with growth in their strategies. Their yields align closely, indicating similar income-growth balances.

SymbolAAPLMSFT
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.50%0.72%

Financial Strength Metrics Comparison

This section dives into the financial resilience of AAPL and MSFT, spotlighting key metrics like liquidity, leverage, and debt coverage. Check out the standout observations below where notable differences or extremes pop up.

  • AAPL posts a current ratio of 0.82 under 1, where current assets fall short of covering short-term debts—manageable perhaps with solid cash inflows. Compare that to MSFT, sitting at 1.37, where liabilities are comfortably met.
  • AAPL’s quick ratio sits at 0.78 below 0.8, leaving its cash and near-cash assets shy of short-term obligations—potentially a stretch without extra funds. Meanwhile, MSFT lands at 1.36, with enough liquidity to spare.
  • AAPL posts an interest coverage of “--”, hinting at interest costs so low they’re negligible—often from scant debt or dirt-cheap rates—while MSFT at 49.43 handles interest with solid earnings.
SymbolAAPLMSFT
Current Ratio (TTM)0.821.37
Quick Ratio (TTM)0.781.36
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)1.470.19
Debt-to-Assets Ratio (TTM)0.300.11
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)--49.43