AAPL vs. PAYC: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AAPL and PAYC, 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 PAYC’s 13.48 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
With betas of 1.21 for AAPL and 0.82 for PAYC, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
| Symbol | AAPL | PAYC |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Apple Inc. | Paycom Software, Inc. |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Technology | Technology |
| Industry | Consumer Electronics | Software - Application |
| CEO | Timothy D. Cook | Chad R. Richison |
| Price | 213.55 USD | 233.07 USD |
| Market Cap | 3,189.54 billion USD | 13.48 billion USD |
| Beta | 1.21 | 0.82 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NYSE |
| IPO Date | December 12, 1980 | April 15, 2014 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AAPL and PAYC 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.
PAYC
25.50%
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 59.01%
- Q3
- 17.85%
- Median
- 4.73%
- Q1
- -10.56%
- Min
- -52.94%
In the upper quartile for the Software - Application industry, PAYC’s Return on Equity of 25.50% 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.
PAYC
18.14%
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 35.07%
- Q3
- 9.72%
- Median
- 0.76%
- Q1
- -8.68%
- Min
- -34.12%
In the upper quartile for the Software - Application industry, PAYC’s Return on Invested Capital of 18.14% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
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.
PAYC
20.60%
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 48.14%
- Q3
- 16.07%
- Median
- 1.83%
- Q1
- -9.60%
- Min
- -45.64%
A Net Profit Margin of 20.60% places PAYC in the upper quartile for the Software - Application 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.
PAYC
27.88%
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 51.67%
- Q3
- 15.35%
- Median
- 1.79%
- Q1
- -12.42%
- Min
- -45.17%
An Operating Profit Margin of 27.88% places PAYC in the upper quartile for the Software - Application 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 | PAYC |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 151.31% | 25.50% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 29.37% | 8.62% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 47.30% | 18.14% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 24.30% | 20.60% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 31.81% | 27.88% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 46.63% | 80.38% |
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.
PAYC
1.20
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 5.09
- Q3
- 2.84
- Median
- 1.70
- Q1
- 1.12
- Min
- 0.04
PAYC’s Current Ratio of 1.20 aligns with the median group of the Software - Application industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
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.
PAYC
0.05
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 1.85
- Q3
- 0.77
- Median
- 0.18
- Q1
- 0.05
- Min
- 0.00
Falling into the lower quartile for the Software - Application industry, PAYC’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.05 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
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.
PAYC
156.12
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 39.23
- Q3
- 8.55
- Median
- 1.48
- Q1
- -14.59
- Min
- -39.97
With an Interest Coverage Ratio of 156.12, PAYC demonstrates a superior capacity to service its debt, placing it well above the typical range for the Software - Application industry. This stems from either robust earnings or a conservative debt load.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AAPL | PAYC |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 0.82 | 1.20 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.78 | 1.20 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 1.47 | 0.05 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.30 | 0.02 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.50 | -0.63 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | -- | 156.12 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AAPL and PAYC. 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.
PAYC
0.64%
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 3.66%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 0.64%, PAYC offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Software - Application 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.
PAYC
21.48%
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 81.09%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
PAYC’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 21.48% is in the upper quartile for the Software - Application industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AAPL | PAYC |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.47% | 0.64% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 15.74% | 21.48% |
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.
PAYC
33.11
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 194.31
- Q3
- 98.56
- Median
- 51.87
- Q1
- 22.76
- Min
- 1.02
PAYC’s P/E Ratio of 33.11 is within the middle range for the Software - Application 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.
PAYC
3.20
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 15.44
- Q3
- 6.57
- Median
- 2.78
- Q1
- 0.55
- Min
- 0.00
PAYC’s Forward PEG Ratio of 3.20 is within the middle range of its peers in the Software - Application 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.
PAYC
7.04
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 23.49
- Q3
- 11.14
- Median
- 5.62
- Q1
- 2.84
- Min
- 0.33
PAYC’s P/S Ratio of 7.04 aligns with the market consensus for the Software - Application industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
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.
PAYC
7.60
Software - Application Industry
- Max
- 21.03
- Q3
- 10.49
- Median
- 6.36
- Q1
- 2.89
- Min
- 0.12
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Software - Application industry.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AAPL | PAYC |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 32.91 | 33.11 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 3.79 | 3.20 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 7.97 | 7.04 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 47.94 | 7.60 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 32.39 | 35.01 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 23.47 | 18.70 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 8.14 | 6.81 |