Apple Inc. vs INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP, two Computer Hardware stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Apple and IBM are two different ideas of a technology company. IBM, the older one, throws off the larger free-cash yield, 5% to Apple's 3%, and pays a 2.5% dividend where Apple pays almost nothing. Its 13% net margin trails Apple's 27, and it carries real debt at a 2-to-1 ratio. IBM is also the cheaper stock, near 30 times earnings to Apple's 35. One you hold for the platform, the other for the yield.
Comparison updated 2026-06-15.
| Metric | AAPL | IBM |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $315.32 | $287.54 |
| Market cap | $4.64T | $273.8B |
| Sector | Computer Hardware | Computer Hardware |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +32.1% | — |
| P/E | 38.2 | 25.4 |
| P/B | 43.60 | 8.28 |
| P/S | 10.29 | 3.97 |
| EV/EBITDA | 31.1 | 593.4 |
| Revenue growth | +12.4% | +9.6% |
| Gross margin | 49.3% | 56.2% |
| Operating margin | 32.3% | — |
| Net margin | 27.1% | 12.5% |
| Return on equity | 115.1% | 26.1% |
| Return on assets | 33.0% | 5.5% |
| Return on invested capital | 61.6% | — |
| FCF yield | 2.8% | 4.7% |
| Dividend yield | 0.3% | 2.3% |
| Debt / equity | 0.85 | 2.01 |
| Current ratio | 1.07 | 0.80 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 7.61 | 3.10 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 5 / 9 | 5 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.