Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare argenx SE (ARGX) 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 | ARGX | 78.6% revenue growth vs AAPL's 6.4% |
| Value | ARGX | Lower P/E (25.6x vs 31.1x) |
| Quality / Margins | AAPL | 27.0% net margin vs ARGX's 23.3% |
| Stability / Safety | ARGX | Beta 0.44 vs AAPL's 1.28, lower leverage |
| Dividends | AAPL | 0.4% yield; 14-year raise streak; ARGX pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | ARGX | +22.8% vs AAPL's +9.7% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AAPL | 31.1% ROA vs ARGX's 12.9%, ROIC 64.5% vs -0.5% |
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
argenx is a biotechnology company that develops antibody-based therapies for autoimmune diseases. It generates nearly all its revenue from VYVGART — its FcRn blocker for conditions like myasthenia gravis — with additional income from partnerships and licensing. The company's key advantage is its proprietary antibody engineering platform that creates differentiated therapies with potentially better safety and efficacy profiles.
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
Segment breakdown not available.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
AAPL leads in 2 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). ARGX leads in 1 (Total Returns). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
AAPL is the larger business by revenue, generating $435.6B annually — 110.2x ARGX's $4.0B. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 27.0% (AAPL) to 23.3% (ARGX). On growth, AAPL holds the edge at +15.7% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | ARGXargenx SE | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $4.0B | $435.6B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $95M | $152.9B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $923M | $117.8B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $213M | $123.3B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +75.5% | +47.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -1.0% | +32.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +23.3% | +27.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +5.4% | +28.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +5.1% | +15.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +12.6% | +18.3% |
Valuation Metrics
At 35.4x trailing earnings, AAPL trades at a 41% valuation discount to ARGX's 60.0x P/E.
| Metric | ARGXargenx SE | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $47.5B | $3.88T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $46.0B | $3.97T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 60.01x | 35.41x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 25.57x | 31.15x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 1.98x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 27.45x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 21.67x | 9.33x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 9.09x | 53.76x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 39.33x |
Profitability & Efficiency
AAPL delivers a 133.5% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $134 in annual profit, vs $15 for ARGX. ARGX carries lower financial leverage with a 0.01x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to AAPL's 1.67x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), AAPL scores 7/9 vs ARGX's 3/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | ARGXargenx SE | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +15.1% | +133.5% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +12.9% | +31.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -0.5% | +64.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -0.4% | +69.6% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.01x | 1.67x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$1.5B | $89.7B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $1.5B | $33.5B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $39M | $123.3B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 166.64x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in ARGX five years ago would be worth $22,521 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $21,049 for AAPL. Over the past 12 months, ARGX leads with a +22.8% total return vs AAPL's +9.7%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors ARGX at 28.0% vs AAPL's 21.9% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | ARGXargenx SE | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -8.7% | -2.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +22.8% | +9.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +109.5% | +81.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +125.2% | +110.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +3234.4% | +1027.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +28.0% | +21.9% |
Risk & Volatility
ARGX is the less volatile stock with a 0.44 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. AAPL currently trades 91.5% from its 52-week high vs ARGX's 82.1% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | ARGXargenx SE | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.44x | 1.28x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $934.62 | $288.61 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $510.06 | $169.21 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +82.1% | +91.5% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 33.9 | 57.5 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 301K | 40.9M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates ARGX as "Buy" and AAPL as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 33.9% upside for ARGX (target: $1027) vs 14.7% for AAPL (target: $303). AAPL is the only dividend payer here at 0.39% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | ARGXargenx SE | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $1026.71 | $303.11 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 35 | 109 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +0.4% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 14 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $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 | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| argenx SE (ARGX) | 100 | 564.69 | +464.7% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 100 | 361.46 | +261.5% |
argenx SE (ARGX) returned +125% over 5 years vs Apple Inc. (AAPL)'s +110%. A $10,000 investment in ARGX 5 years ago would be worth $22,521 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| argenx SE (ARGX) | $15M | $2.2B | +14054.3% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| argenx SE (ARGX) | -145.3% | 38.0% | +126.2% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| argenx SE (ARGX) | -1.2 | 12.78 | +1165.0% |
| 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
argenx SE generated $-151M FCF in 2024 (+79% vs 2021). Apple Inc. generated $99B FCF in 2025 (+6% vs 2021).
ARGX vs AAPL: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is ARGX 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 argenx SE (ARGX) a "Buy" — based on 35 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 has the better valuation — ARGX or AAPL?
On trailing P/E, Apple Inc. (AAPL) is the cheapest at 35.4x versus argenx SE at 60.0x. On forward P/E, argenx SE is actually cheaper at 25.6x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.
03Which is the better long-term investment — ARGX or AAPL?
Over the past 5 years, argenx SE (ARGX) delivered a total return of +125.2%, compared to +110.5% for Apple Inc. (AAPL). A $10,000 investment in ARGX five years ago would be worth approximately $23K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ARGX returned +32.3% versus AAPL's +1027%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — ARGX or AAPL?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), argenx SE (ARGX) is the lower-risk stock at 0.44β versus Apple Inc.'s 1.28β — meaning AAPL is approximately 191% more volatile than ARGX relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, argenx SE (ARGX) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 1% versus 167% for Apple Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — ARGX or AAPL?
argenx SE (ARGX) is the more profitable company, earning 38.0% net margin versus 26.9% for Apple Inc. — meaning it keeps 38.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: AAPL leads at 32.0% versus -1.0% for ARGX. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — ARGX leads at 89.6%, 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.
06Is ARGX or AAPL more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, argenx SE (ARGX) trades at 25.6x forward P/E versus 31.1x for Apple Inc. — 5.6x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for ARGX: 33.9% to $1026.71.
07Which pays a better dividend — ARGX or AAPL?
In this comparison, AAPL (0.4% yield) pays a dividend. ARGX does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
08Is ARGX or AAPL better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, argenx SE (ARGX) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.44)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (ARGX: +32.3%, 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.
09What are the main differences between ARGX and AAPL?
These companies operate in different sectors (ARGX (Healthcare) and AAPL (Technology)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced. 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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