Seek Returns logo

APP vs. SONY: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on

Here’s a clear look at APP and SONY, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Overview

APP’s market capitalization stands at 115.62 billion USD, while SONY’s is 154.12 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.

APP’s beta of 2.53 points to significantly higher volatility compared to SONY (beta: 0.77), suggesting APP has greater potential for both gains and losses relative to market movements.

SONY is an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), allowing U.S. investors direct exposure to its non-U.S. operations. APP, on the other hand, is a domestic entity.

SymbolAPPSONY
Company NameAppLovin CorporationSony Group Corporation
CountryUSJP
SectorTechnologyTechnology
IndustrySoftware - ApplicationConsumer Electronics
CEOAdam Arash ForoughiHiroki Totoki
Price341.64 USD25.58 USD
Market Cap115.62 billion USD154.12 billion USD
Beta2.530.77
ExchangeNASDAQNYSE
IPO DateApril 15, 2021December 1, 1958
ADRNoYes

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of APP and SONY 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.

APP vs. SONY: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Profitability

Return on Equity

APP

224.68%

Software - Application Industry

Max
59.01%
Q3
17.85%
Median
4.73%
Q1
-10.56%
Min
-52.94%

APP’s Return on Equity of 224.68% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Software - Application industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.

SONY

14.30%

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max
14.30%
Q3
14.30%
Median
5.13%
Q1
-15.88%
Min
-27.23%

SONY’s Return on Equity of 14.30% is on par with the norm for the Consumer Electronics industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

APP vs. SONY: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Software - Application and Consumer Electronics industry benchmarks.

Return on Invested Capital

APP

48.77%

Software - Application Industry

Max
35.07%
Q3
9.72%
Median
0.76%
Q1
-8.68%
Min
-34.12%

APP’s Return on Invested Capital of 48.77% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Software - Application industry. This demonstrates an outstanding ability to deploy capital efficiently and create significant value.

SONY

4.18%

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max
4.18%
Q3
4.18%
Median
4.09%
Q1
-0.34%
Min
-0.34%

SONY’s Return on Invested Capital of 4.18% is in line with the norm for the Consumer Electronics industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.

APP vs. SONY: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Software - Application and Consumer Electronics industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin

APP

37.39%

Software - Application Industry

Max
48.14%
Q3
16.07%
Median
1.83%
Q1
-9.60%
Min
-45.64%

A Net Profit Margin of 37.39% places APP in the upper quartile for the Software - Application industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

SONY

8.81%

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max
24.30%
Q3
8.81%
Median
8.10%
Q1
-4.74%
Min
-7.22%

SONY’s Net Profit Margin of 8.81% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Consumer Electronics industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

APP vs. SONY: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Software - Application and Consumer Electronics industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin

APP

42.86%

Software - Application Industry

Max
51.67%
Q3
15.35%
Median
1.79%
Q1
-12.42%
Min
-45.17%

An Operating Profit Margin of 42.86% places APP 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.

SONY

10.95%

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max
31.81%
Q3
16.77%
Median
10.95%
Q1
-0.21%
Min
-4.78%

SONY’s Operating Profit Margin of 10.95% is around the midpoint for the Consumer Electronics industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

APP vs. SONY: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Software - Application and Consumer Electronics industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

SymbolAPPSONY
Return on Equity (TTM)224.68%14.30%
Return on Assets (TTM)33.64%3.23%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)48.77%4.18%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)37.39%8.81%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)42.86%10.95%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)77.40%28.27%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio

APP

1.68

Software - Application Industry

Max
5.09
Q3
2.84
Median
1.70
Q1
1.12
Min
0.04

APP’s Current Ratio of 1.68 aligns with the median group of the Software - Application industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

SONY

0.70

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max
0.82
Q3
0.82
Median
0.70
Q1
0.64
Min
0.63

SONY’s Current Ratio of 0.70 aligns with the median group of the Consumer Electronics industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

APP vs. SONY: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Software - Application and Consumer Electronics industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

APP

6.45

Software - Application Industry

Max
1.85
Q3
0.77
Median
0.18
Q1
0.05
Min
0.00

With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 6.45, APP operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Software - Application industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.

SONY

0.51

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max
2.23
Q3
1.47
Median
0.80
Q1
0.51
Min
0.16

SONY’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.51 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.

APP vs. SONY: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Software - Application and Consumer Electronics industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio

APP

7.41

Software - Application Industry

Max
39.23
Q3
8.55
Median
1.48
Q1
-14.59
Min
-39.97

APP’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 7.41 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Software - Application industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

SONY

14.74

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max
14.74
Q3
8.73
Median
3.32
Q1
-40.43
Min
-114.16

SONY’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 14.74 is in the upper quartile for the Consumer Electronics industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.

APP vs. SONY: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Software - Application and Consumer Electronics industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

SymbolAPPSONY
Current Ratio (TTM)1.680.70
Quick Ratio (TTM)1.680.57
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)6.450.51
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)0.650.12
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)1.200.50
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)7.4114.74

Growth

The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for APP and SONY. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.

Revenue Growth

APP vs. SONY: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Revenue Growth.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

APP vs. SONY: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth.

Free Cash Flow Growth

APP vs. SONY: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Free Cash Flow Growth.

Dividend

Dividend Yield

APP

0.00%

Software - Application Industry

Max
3.66%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

APP 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.

SONY

0.54%

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max
1.88%
Q3
0.53%
Median
0.50%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

With a Dividend Yield of 0.54%, SONY offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Consumer Electronics industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.

APP vs. SONY: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Software - Application and Consumer Electronics industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio

APP

0.00%

Software - Application Industry

Max
81.09%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

APP 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.

SONY

10.10%

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max
98.30%
Q3
15.74%
Median
10.10%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

SONY’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 10.10% is within the typical range for the Consumer Electronics industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

APP vs. SONY: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Software - Application and Consumer Electronics industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

SymbolAPPSONY
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.00%0.54%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)0.00%10.10%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio

APP

60.47

Software - Application Industry

Max
194.31
Q3
98.56
Median
51.87
Q1
22.76
Min
1.02

APP’s P/E Ratio of 60.47 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.

SONY

19.47

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max
51.71
Q3
41.35
Median
30.99
Q1
25.46
Min
19.94

SONY’s P/E Ratio of 19.47 is below the typical range for the Consumer Electronics industry. This may indicate that the stock is potentially undervalued, or it could reflect market concerns about the company’s future prospects.

APP vs. SONY: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Software - Application and Consumer Electronics industry benchmarks.

Forward P/E to Growth Ratio

APP

2.46

Software - Application Industry

Max
15.44
Q3
6.57
Median
2.78
Q1
0.55
Min
0.00

APP’s Forward PEG Ratio of 2.46 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.

SONY

2.38

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.

APP vs. SONY: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Software - Application and Consumer Electronics industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio

APP

22.51

Software - Application Industry

Max
23.49
Q3
11.14
Median
5.62
Q1
2.84
Min
0.33

APP’s P/S Ratio of 22.51 is in the upper echelon for the Software - Application industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.

SONY

1.71

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max
7.50
Q3
4.17
Median
1.76
Q1
0.88
Min
0.16

SONY’s P/S Ratio of 1.71 aligns with the market consensus for the Consumer Electronics industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

APP vs. SONY: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Software - Application and Consumer Electronics industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio

APP

201.77

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.

SONY

2.72

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max
3.36
Q3
3.36
Median
2.83
Q1
2.78
Min
2.78

SONY’s P/B Ratio of 2.72 is below the established floor for the Consumer Electronics industry. This may signal that the market is deeply pessimistic or has overlooked the company, potentially offering its asset base at a significant discount.

APP vs. SONY: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Software - Application and Consumer Electronics industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

SymbolAPPSONY
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)60.4719.47
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)2.462.38
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)22.511.71
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)201.772.72
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)45.647.91
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)45.169.67
EV-to-Sales (TTM)23.131.81