Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Evolution Petroleum Corporation (EPM) 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 EPM's -0.0% |
| Value | AAPL | Lower P/E (31.1x vs 131.9x) |
| Quality / Margins | AAPL | 27.0% net margin vs EPM's 3.6% |
| Stability / Safety | EPM | Beta 0.69 vs AAPL's 1.28, lower leverage |
| Dividends | EPM | 11.0% yield, 4-year raise streak, vs AAPL's 0.4% |
| Momentum (1Y) | AAPL | +9.7% vs EPM's -1.8% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AAPL | 31.1% ROA vs EPM's 1.8%, ROIC 64.5% vs 2.8% |
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
Evolution Petroleum is an independent oil and natural gas company focused on developing and producing from mature oil fields in the United States. It generates revenue primarily from oil and gas production — with its main asset being a CO₂ enhanced oil recovery project in Louisiana's Delhi field — supplemented by interests in other fields in Wyoming and Texas. The company's key advantage is its specialized expertise in enhanced oil recovery techniques that extend the productive life of mature fields, creating value from assets that larger operators might overlook.
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). EPM leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
AAPL is the larger business by revenue, generating $435.6B annually — 5086.8x EPM's $86M. AAPL is the more profitable business, keeping 27.0% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to EPM's 3.6%. On growth, AAPL holds the edge at +15.7% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | EPMEvolution Petrole… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $86M | $435.6B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $26M | $152.9B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $3M | $117.8B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $13M | $123.3B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +22.8% | +47.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +4.1% | +32.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +3.6% | +27.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +15.3% | +28.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +2.0% | +15.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +152.2% | +18.3% |
Valuation Metrics
At 35.4x trailing earnings, AAPL trades at a 74% valuation discount to EPM's 134.6x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, EPM's 7.3x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than AAPL's 27.5x.
| Metric | EPMEvolution Petrole… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $156M | $3.88T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $192M | $3.97T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 134.64x | 35.41x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 131.86x | 31.15x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 1.98x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 7.32x | 27.45x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.82x | 9.33x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 2.07x | 53.76x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 13.71x | 39.33x |
Profitability & Efficiency
AAPL delivers a 133.5% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $134 in annual profit, vs $5 for EPM. EPM carries lower financial leverage with a 0.52x 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 EPM's 5/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | EPMEvolution Petrole… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +4.6% | +133.5% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +1.8% | +31.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +2.8% | +64.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +2.9% | +69.6% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.52x | 1.67x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $35M | $89.7B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $3M | $33.5B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $38M | $123.3B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 2.40x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in AAPL five years ago would be worth $21,049 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $18,640 for EPM. Over the past 12 months, AAPL leads with a +9.7% total return vs EPM's -1.8%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AAPL at 21.9% vs EPM's -3.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | EPMEvolution Petrole… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +22.8% | -2.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -1.8% | +9.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -9.2% | +81.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +86.4% | +110.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +86.6% | +1027.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -3.2% | +21.9% |
Risk & Volatility
EPM is the less volatile stock with a 0.69 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 EPM's 78.4% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | EPMEvolution Petrole… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.69x | 1.28x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $5.70 | $288.61 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $3.19 | $169.21 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +78.4% | +91.5% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 59.5 | 57.5 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 375K | 40.9M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates EPM as "Buy" and AAPL as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 15.2% upside for EPM (target: $5) vs 14.7% for AAPL (target: $303). For income investors, EPM offers the higher dividend yield at 10.97% vs AAPL's 0.39%.
| Metric | EPMEvolution Petrole… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $5.15 | $303.11 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 8 | 109 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +11.0% | +0.4% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 4 | 14 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.49 | $1.03 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +0.3% | +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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evolution Petroleum… (EPM) | 100 | 78.08 | -21.9% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 100 | 361.46 | +261.5% |
Apple Inc. (AAPL) returned +110% over 5 years vs Evolution Petroleum… (EPM)'s +86%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evolution Petroleum… (EPM) | $26M | $86M | +225.8% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | $215.6B | $416.2B | +93.0% |
Evolution Petroleum Corporation's revenue grew from $26M (2016) to $86M (2025) — a 14.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evolution Petroleum… (EPM) | 93.6% | 1.7% | -98.2% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 21.2% | 26.9% | +27.0% |
Evolution Petroleum Corporation's net margin went from 94% (2016) to 2% (2025). Apple Inc.'s net margin went from 21% (2016) to 27% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evolution Petroleum… (EPM) | 32.6 | 106.6 | +227.0% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 18.4 | 36.4 | +97.8% |
Evolution Petroleum Corporation has traded in a 6x–107x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~135x. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evolution Petroleum… (EPM) | 0.73 | 0.03 | -95.5% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 2.08 | 7.46 | +258.7% |
Evolution Petroleum Corporation's EPS grew from $0.73 (2016) to $0.03 (2025) — a -29% CAGR. Apple Inc.'s EPS grew from $2.08 (2016) to $7.46 (2025) — a 15% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Evolution Petroleum Corporation generated $11M FCF in 2025 (+181% vs 2021). Apple Inc. generated $99B FCF in 2025 (+6% vs 2021).
EPM vs AAPL: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is EPM 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 Evolution Petroleum Corporation (EPM) a "Buy" — based on 8 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 — EPM or AAPL?
On trailing P/E, Apple Inc. (AAPL) is the cheapest at 35.4x versus Evolution Petroleum Corporation at 134.6x. On forward P/E, Apple Inc. is actually cheaper at 31.1x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — EPM or AAPL?
Over the past 5 years, Apple Inc. (AAPL) delivered a total return of +110.5%, compared to +86.4% for Evolution Petroleum Corporation (EPM). 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 EPM's +86.6%. 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 — EPM or AAPL?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Evolution Petroleum Corporation (EPM) is the lower-risk stock at 0.69β versus Apple Inc.'s 1.28β — meaning AAPL is approximately 86% more volatile than EPM relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Evolution Petroleum Corporation (EPM) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 52% versus 167% for Apple Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — EPM or AAPL?
Apple Inc. (AAPL) is the more profitable company, earning 26.9% net margin versus 1.7% for Evolution Petroleum Corporation — 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 4.9% for EPM. 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.
06Is EPM or AAPL more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Apple Inc. (AAPL) trades at 31.1x forward P/E versus 131.9x for Evolution Petroleum Corporation — 100.7x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for EPM: 15.2% to $5.15.
07Which pays a better dividend — EPM or AAPL?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. Evolution Petroleum Corporation (EPM) offers the highest yield at 11.0%, versus 0.4% for Apple Inc. (AAPL).
08Is EPM or AAPL better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Evolution Petroleum Corporation (EPM) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.69), 11.0% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (EPM: +86.6%, 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 EPM and AAPL?
These companies operate in different sectors (EPM (Energy) and AAPL (Technology)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced. In terms of investment character: EPM is a small-cap income-oriented stock; AAPL is a mega-cap quality compounder stock. EPM 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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