AAPL vs. PLTR: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AAPL and PLTR, 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 PLTR’s 304.04 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
PLTR carries a higher beta at 2.64, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while AAPL (beta: 1.21) exhibits greater stability.
| Symbol | AAPL | PLTR |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Apple Inc. | Palantir Technologies Inc. |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Technology | Technology |
| Industry | Consumer Electronics | Software - Infrastructure |
| CEO | Timothy D. Cook | Alexander C. Karp |
| Price | 213.55 USD | 134.36 USD |
| Market Cap | 3,189.54 billion USD | 304.04 billion USD |
| Beta | 1.21 | 2.64 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NASDAQ |
| IPO Date | December 12, 1980 | September 30, 2020 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AAPL and PLTR 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.
PLTR
12.03%
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 80.61%
- Q3
- 29.97%
- Median
- 2.84%
- Q1
- -8.35%
- Min
- -56.26%
PLTR’s Return on Equity of 12.03% is on par with the norm for the Software - Infrastructure 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.
PLTR
6.67%
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 39.31%
- Q3
- 11.97%
- Median
- 1.67%
- Q1
- -7.10%
- Min
- -34.29%
PLTR’s Return on Invested Capital of 6.67% is in line with the norm for the Software - Infrastructure industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
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.
PLTR
18.32%
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 46.46%
- Q3
- 14.65%
- Median
- 2.66%
- Q1
- -7.70%
- Min
- -35.45%
A Net Profit Margin of 18.32% places PLTR in the upper quartile for the Software - Infrastructure 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.
PLTR
13.02%
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 48.51%
- Q3
- 16.56%
- Median
- 4.48%
- Q1
- -6.43%
- Min
- -40.18%
PLTR’s Operating Profit Margin of 13.02% is around the midpoint for the Software - Infrastructure industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AAPL | PLTR |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 151.31% | 12.03% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 29.37% | 8.47% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 47.30% | 6.67% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 24.30% | 18.32% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 31.81% | 13.02% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 46.63% | 80.01% |
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.
PLTR
6.49
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 3.80
- Q3
- 2.25
- Median
- 1.51
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.23
PLTR’s Current Ratio of 6.49 is exceptionally high, placing it well outside the typical range for the Software - Infrastructure industry. This indicates a very strong liquidity position, though such a high ratio may also suggest that the company is not using its assets efficiently to generate profits.
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.
PLTR
0.05
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 2.56
- Q3
- 1.12
- Median
- 0.33
- Q1
- 0.05
- Min
- 0.00
Falling into the lower quartile for the Software - Infrastructure industry, PLTR’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.
PLTR
--
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 32.21
- Q3
- 5.24
- Median
- 0.95
- Q1
- -17.99
- Min
- -50.82
Interest Coverage Ratio data for PLTR is currently unavailable.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AAPL | PLTR |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 0.82 | 6.49 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.78 | 6.49 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 1.47 | 0.05 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.30 | 0.04 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.50 | -1.75 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AAPL and PLTR. 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.
PLTR
0.00%
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 4.07%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
PLTR currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
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.
PLTR
0.00%
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 48.68%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
PLTR has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AAPL | PLTR |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.47% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 15.74% | 0.00% |
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.
PLTR
552.96
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 107.77
- Q3
- 54.40
- Median
- 28.10
- Q1
- 18.03
- Min
- 5.32
At 552.96, PLTR’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Software - Infrastructure industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.
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.
PLTR
19.10
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 8.12
- Q3
- 3.94
- Median
- 2.13
- Q1
- 0.94
- Min
- 0.01
PLTR’s Forward PEG Ratio of 19.10 is exceptionally high for the Software - Infrastructure industry. This suggests its stock price is very high relative to its expected earnings growth, signaling significant overvaluation risk.
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.
PLTR
97.61
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 18.25
- Q3
- 9.05
- Median
- 4.77
- Q1
- 2.30
- Min
- 0.11
With a P/S Ratio of 97.61, PLTR trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Software - Infrastructure industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
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.
PLTR
58.18
Software - Infrastructure Industry
- Max
- 19.94
- Q3
- 10.91
- Median
- 6.33
- Q1
- 2.95
- Min
- 0.51
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Software - Infrastructure industry.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AAPL | PLTR |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 32.91 | 552.96 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 3.79 | 19.10 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 7.97 | 97.61 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 47.94 | 58.18 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 32.39 | 230.62 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 23.47 | 707.45 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 8.14 | 97.37 |