Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Cogent Biosciences, Inc. (COGT) vs Apple Inc. (AAPL) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
Selected Stocks
Add up to 10 tickers. Use presets or search to get started.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Stability / Safety | AAPL | Beta 1.28 vs COGT's 1.43 |
| Dividends | AAPL | 0.4% yield; 14-year raise streak; COGT pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | COGT | +415.9% vs AAPL's +9.7% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AAPL | 31.1% ROA vs COGT's -35.1%, ROIC 64.5% vs -66.4% |
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
Cogent Biosciences is a biotechnology company developing precision therapies for genetically defined diseases, particularly focusing on cancers driven by specific mutations. The company generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and licensing agreements — it currently has no commercial products and relies on funding from partnerships and equity offerings to advance its clinical pipeline. Its key competitive advantage lies in its targeted approach to inhibiting specific oncogenic mutations like KIT D816V, which could offer differentiated efficacy and safety profiles compared to broader kinase inhibitors.
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). COGT leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Total Returns).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
AAPL and COGT operate at a comparable scale, with $435.6B and $0 in trailing revenue.
| Metric | COGTCogent Bioscience… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $0 | $435.6B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$333M | $152.9B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$329M | $117.8B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$266M | $123.3B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | — | +47.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | — | +32.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | — | +27.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | — | +28.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | +15.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -13.1% | +18.3% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | COGTCogent Bioscience… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $6.3B | $3.88T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $6.2B | $3.97T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -15.24x | 35.41x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 31.15x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 1.98x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 27.45x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | — | 9.33x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 4.13x | 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 $-52 for COGT. COGT carries lower financial leverage with a 0.40x 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 COGT's 4/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | COGTCogent Bioscience… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -51.7% | +133.5% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -35.1% | +31.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -66.4% | +64.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -58.2% | +69.6% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.40x | 1.67x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$59M | $89.7B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $312M | $33.5B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $253M | $123.3B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -108.87x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in COGT five years ago would be worth $47,205 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $21,049 for AAPL. Over the past 12 months, COGT leads with a +415.9% total return vs AAPL's +9.7%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors COGT at 43.2% vs AAPL's 21.9% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | COGTCogent Bioscience… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +11.8% | -2.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +415.9% | +9.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +193.7% | +81.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +372.1% | +110.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -12.6% | +1027.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +43.2% | +21.9% |
Risk & Volatility
AAPL is the less volatile stock with a 1.28 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than COGT's 1.43 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | COGTCogent Bioscience… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.43x | 1.28x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $43.73 | $288.61 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $3.72 | $169.21 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +88.8% | +91.5% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 58.0 | 57.5 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.7M | 40.9M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates COGT as "Buy" and AAPL as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 23.9% upside for COGT (target: $48) 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 | COGTCogent Bioscience… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $48.13 | $303.11 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 12 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cogent Biosciences,… (COGT) | 100 | 1,790.57 | +1690.6% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 100 | 373.3 | +273.3% |
Cogent Biosciences,… (COGT) returned +372% over 5 years vs Apple Inc. (AAPL)'s +110%. A $10,000 investment in COGT 5 years ago would be worth $47,205 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cogent Biosciences,… (COGT) | $6M | $0.00 | -100.0% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | $215.6B | $416.2B | +93.0% |
Cogent Biosciences, Inc.'s revenue grew from $6M (2016) to $0M (2025) — a -100.0% CAGR. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cogent Biosciences,… (COGT) | -2.9% | -9.5% | -233.3% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cogent Biosciences,… (COGT) | -2.45 | -2.55 | -4.1% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 2.08 | 7.46 | +258.7% |
Cogent Biosciences, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-2.45 (2016) to $-2.55 (2025). Apple Inc.'s EPS grew from $2.08 (2016) to $7.46 (2025) — a 15% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Cogent Biosciences, Inc. generated $-266M FCF in 2025 (-340% vs 2021). Apple Inc. generated $99B FCF in 2025 (+6% vs 2021).
COGT vs AAPL: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is COGT 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 Cogent Biosciences, Inc. (COGT) a "Buy" — based on 12 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 — COGT or AAPL?
Over the past 5 years, Cogent Biosciences, Inc. (COGT) delivered a total return of +372.1%, compared to +110.5% for Apple Inc. (AAPL). A $10,000 investment in COGT five years ago would be worth approximately $47K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: AAPL returned +1027% versus COGT's -12.6%. 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 — COGT or AAPL?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Apple Inc. (AAPL) is the lower-risk stock at 1.28β versus Cogent Biosciences, Inc.'s 1.43β — meaning COGT is approximately 12% more volatile than AAPL relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Cogent Biosciences, Inc. (COGT) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 40% versus 167% for Apple Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — COGT or AAPL?
Apple Inc. (AAPL) is the more profitable company, earning 26.9% net margin versus 0.0% for Cogent Biosciences, Inc. — 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 0.0% for COGT. 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.
05Is COGT or AAPL more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for COGT: 23.9% to $48.13.
06Which pays a better dividend — COGT or AAPL?
In this comparison, AAPL (0.4% yield) pays a dividend. COGT does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
07Is COGT or AAPL better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Apple Inc. (AAPL) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1.28), +1027% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (AAPL: +1027%, COGT: -12.6%), 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.
08What are the main differences between COGT and AAPL?
These companies operate in different sectors (COGT (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.
Find Stocks Like These
Explore pre-built screens for each stock's profile, or build a custom screen to find stocks that beat both.