How Does Apple Stock Stack Up Against Its Peers?
Here is how Apple (AAPL) stock stacks up against its peers in size, valuation, growth and margin.
- AAPL’s operating margin of 31.9% is high, higher than most peers though lower than MSFT (45.6%).
- AAPL’s revenue growth of 6.0% in the last 12 months is moderate, outpacing HPQ but lagging MSFT, GOOGL, AMZN, DELL.
- AAPL’s stock gained 15.8% over the past year and trades at a PE of 40.4, though peers like MSFT, GOOGL, AMZN, DELL delivered stronger returns.
As a quick background, Apple provides design, manufacturing, and marketing of smartphones, computers, tablets, wearables, accessories, and related services like gaming, music, payments, and financial solutions for diverse markets.
A single stock can be risky, but there is a huge value to a broader, diversified approach we take with the Trefis High Quality Portfolio. That is one way to look at stocks. The Trefis High Quality Portfolio evaluates much more, and is designed to reduce stock-specific risk while giving upside exposure.
| AAPL | MSFT | GOOGL | AMZN | DELL | HPQ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap ($ Bil) | 4,008.9 | 4,027.6 | 3,242.3 | 2,438.5 | 111.8 | 26.6 |
| Revenue ($ Bil) | 408.6 | 281.7 | 371.4 | 670.0 | 101.5 | 54.7 |
| PE Ratio | 40.4 | 39.6 | 28.1 | 34.5 | 22.7 | 10.1 |
| LTM Revenue Growth | 6.0% | 14.9% | 13.1% | 10.9% | 10.5% | 2.6% |
| LTM Operating Margin | 31.9% | 45.6% | 32.7% | 11.4% | 6.8% | 6.7% |
| LTM FCF Margin | 23.5% | 25.4% | 18.0% | 2.0% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| 12M Market Return | 15.8% | 28.0% | 61.1% | 21.7% | 39.1% | -21.9% |
Why does this matter? AAPL just went up 5.7% in a month – peer comparison puts stock performance, valuation, and financials in context – highlighting whether it is truly outperforming, lagging behind, and above all – can this continue? Read Buy or Sell AAPL Stock to see if Apple holds up as a quality investment. Furthermore, there is always a risk of fall after a strong rally – see how the stock has dipped and recovered in the past through AAPL Dip Buyer Analysis lens.
Revenue Growth Comparison
| LTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAPL | 6.0% | – | 2.0% | -2.8% | 7.8% |
| MSFT | 14.9% | 14.9% | 15.7% | 6.9% | |
| GOOGL | 13.1% | – | 13.9% | 8.7% | 9.8% |
| AMZN | 10.9% | – | 11.0% | 11.8% | 9.4% |
| DELL | 10.5% | 8.1% | -13.6% | 1.1% | |
| HPQ | 2.6% | – | -0.3% | -14.6% | -0.9% |
Operating Margin Comparison
| LTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAPL | 31.9% | – | 31.5% | 29.8% | 30.3% |
| MSFT | 45.6% | 45.6% | 44.6% | 41.8% | |
| GOOGL | 32.7% | – | 32.1% | 27.4% | 26.5% |
| AMZN | 11.4% | – | 10.8% | 6.4% | 2.4% |
| DELL | 6.8% | 6.5% | 6.1% | 5.6% | |
| HPQ | 6.7% | – | 7.8% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
PE Ratio Comparison
| LTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAPL | 40.4 | – | 41.0 | 31.3 | 21.1 |
| MSFT | 39.6 | 30.8 | 31.7 | 24.7 | |
| GOOGL | 28.1 | – | 23.3 | 23.9 | 19.2 |
| AMZN | 34.5 | – | 38.8 | 51.5 | -314.4 |
| DELL | 22.7 | 17.7 | 16.3 | 12.1 | |
| HPQ | 10.1 | – | 11.5 | 9.1 | 8.9 |
While peer comparison is critical, the Trefis High Quality (HQ) Portfolio, with a collection of 30 stocks, has a track record of comfortably outperforming its benchmark that includes all 3 — the S&P 500, S&P mid-cap, and Russell 2000 indices. Why is that? As a group, HQ Portfolio stocks provided better returns with less risk versus the benchmark index; less of a roller-coaster ride, as evident in HQ Portfolio performance metrics.