Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I (BWSN) vs Apple Inc. (AAPL) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | AAPL | 6.4% revenue growth vs BWSN's -1.4% |
| Quality / Margins | AAPL | 27.0% net margin vs BWSN's -20.1% |
| Stability / Safety | BWSN | Beta 0.25 vs AAPL's 1.28 |
| Dividends | BWSN | 0.8% yield, 1-year raise streak, vs AAPL's 0.4% |
| Momentum (1Y) | BWSN | +16.6% vs AAPL's +9.7% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AAPL | 31.1% ROA vs BWSN's -16.5%, ROIC 64.5% vs 8.8% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises is a provider of fossil and renewable power generation equipment and environmental solutions. It makes money through three main segments: B&W Renewable (waste-to-energy systems), B&W Environmental (emissions control equipment), and B&W Thermal (steam generation and aftermarket services). The company's competitive advantage lies in its century-plus engineering expertise and established relationships with power utilities and industrial clients.
Apple is a technology giant that designs and sells premium consumer electronics — most famously the iPhone — along with related software and services. It generates revenue primarily from hardware sales (roughly 80% of total) and a fast-growing services segment (around 20%) that includes the App Store, subscriptions, and licensing. Its key competitive advantage is a powerful ecosystem that locks users into its hardware, software, and services through seamless integration and high switching costs.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
AAPL leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). BWSN leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Risk & Volatility). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
AAPL is the larger business by revenue, generating $435.6B annually — 805.9x BWSN's $541M. AAPL is the more profitable business, keeping 27.0% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to BWSN's -20.1%. On growth, AAPL holds the edge at +15.7% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $541M | $435.6B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $12M | $152.9B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$108M | $117.8B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$102M | $123.3B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +26.8% | +47.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +0.2% | +32.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -20.1% | +27.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -18.9% | +28.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -29.0% | +15.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +4.0% | +18.3% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, AAPL's 27.5x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than BWSN's 69.6x.
| Metric | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $2.4B | $3.88T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $2.9B | $3.97T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -30.71x | 35.41x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 31.15x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 1.98x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 69.63x | 27.45x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 3.34x | 9.33x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 53.76x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 39.33x |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), AAPL scores 7/9 vs BWSN's 3/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | — | +133.5% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -16.5% | +31.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +8.8% | +64.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +6.6% | +69.6% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 1.67x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $515M | $89.7B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $23M | $33.5B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $538M | $123.3B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -0.79x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in AAPL five years ago would be worth $21,049 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $13,644 for BWSN. Over the past 12 months, BWSN leads with a +16.6% total return vs AAPL's +9.7%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AAPL at 21.9% vs BWSN's 7.5% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | — | -2.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +16.6% | +9.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +24.3% | +81.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +36.4% | +110.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +37.3% | +1027.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +7.5% | +21.9% |
Risk & Volatility
BWSN is the less volatile stock with a 0.25 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than AAPL's 1.28 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. BWSN currently trades 99.1% from its 52-week high vs AAPL's 91.5% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.25x | 1.28x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $25.40 | $288.61 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $7.09 | $169.21 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +99.1% | +91.5% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 67.9 | 57.5 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 2K | 40.9M |
Analyst Outlook
For income investors, BWSN offers the higher dividend yield at 0.80% vs AAPL's 0.39%.
| Metric | BWSNBabcock & Wilcox … | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $303.11 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 109 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +0.8% | +0.4% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 14 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.20 | $1.03 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +0.0% | +2.3% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Feb 21 | Dec 25 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWSN) | 100 | 99.29 | -0.7% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 100 | 221.54 | +121.5% |
Apple Inc. (AAPL) returned +110% over 5 years vs Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWSN)'s +36%. A $10,000 investment in AAPL 5 years ago would be worth $21,049 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWSN) | $1.6B | $717M | -54.6% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | $215.6B | $416.2B | +93.0% |
Apple Inc.'s revenue grew from $215.6B (2016) to $416.2B (2025) — a 7.6% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWSN) | -7.3% | -8.4% | -14.0% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 21.2% | 26.9% | +27.0% |
Apple Inc.'s net margin went from 21% (2016) to 27% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 18.4 | 36.4 | +97.8% |
Apple Inc. has traded in a 13x–41x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~35x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox En… (BWSN) | -11.5 | -0.82 | +92.9% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 2.08 | 7.46 | +258.7% |
Apple Inc.'s EPS grew from $2.08 (2016) to $7.46 (2025) — a 15% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I generated $-130M FCF in 2024 (-10% vs 2021). Apple Inc. generated $99B FCF in 2025 (+6% vs 2021).
BWSN vs AAPL: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is BWSN or AAPL a better buy right now?
Apple Inc. (AAPL) offers the better valuation at 35.4x trailing P/E (31.1x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Apple Inc. (AAPL) a "Buy" — based on 109 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — BWSN or AAPL?
Over the past 5 years, Apple Inc. (AAPL) delivered a total return of +110.5%, compared to +36.4% for Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I (BWSN). A $10,000 investment in AAPL five years ago would be worth approximately $21K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: AAPL returned +1027% versus BWSN's +37.3%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — BWSN or AAPL?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I (BWSN) is the lower-risk stock at 0.25β versus Apple Inc.'s 1.28β — meaning AAPL is approximately 422% more volatile than BWSN relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — BWSN or AAPL?
Apple Inc. (AAPL) is the more profitable company, earning 26.9% net margin versus -8.4% for Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I — meaning it keeps 26.9% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: AAPL leads at 32.0% versus 3.5% for BWSN. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — AAPL leads at 46.9%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Which pays a better dividend — BWSN or AAPL?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I (BWSN) offers the highest yield at 0.8%, versus 0.4% for Apple Inc. (AAPL).
06Is BWSN or AAPL better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, I (BWSN) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.25), 0.8% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (BWSN: +37.3%, AAPL: +1027%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
07What are the main differences between BWSN and AAPL?
Both stocks operate in the Technology sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. BWSN pays a dividend while AAPL does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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