Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Lionsgate Studios Corp. (LION) 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | LION | 7.0% revenue growth vs AAPL's 6.4% |
| Value | AAPL | Lower P/E (31.1x vs 42.9x) |
| Quality / Margins | AAPL | 27.0% net margin vs LION's -8.8% |
| Stability / Safety | LION | Beta 0.79 vs AAPL's 1.28 |
| Dividends | AAPL | 0.4% yield; 14-year raise streak; LION pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | AAPL | +9.7% vs LION's +5.6% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AAPL | 31.1% ROA vs LION's -4.7%, ROIC 64.5% vs 3.8% |
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
Lionsgate Studios is a major independent entertainment company that produces and distributes films and television content globally. It generates revenue primarily from film distribution (theatrical and home entertainment), television production and licensing, and its extensive content library — which includes valuable franchises like The Hunger Games and John Wick. The company's competitive advantage lies in its diversified content portfolio, valuable intellectual property franchises, and established distribution networks that allow it to operate independently of major Hollywood studios.
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). LION leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
AAPL is the larger business by revenue, generating $435.6B annually — 155.9x LION's $2.8B. AAPL is the more profitable business, keeping 27.0% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to LION's -8.8%. On growth, AAPL holds the edge at +15.7% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | LIONLionsgate Studios… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $2.8B | $435.6B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $1.1B | $152.9B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$247M | $117.8B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$79M | $123.3B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +23.7% | +47.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +2.6% | +32.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -8.8% | +27.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -2.8% | +28.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +1.5% | +15.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -8.2% | +18.3% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, LION's 3.4x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than AAPL's 27.5x.
| Metric | LIONLionsgate Studios… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $2.6B | $3.88T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $6.1B | $3.97T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -20.93x | 35.41x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 42.86x | 31.15x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 1.98x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 3.40x | 27.45x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.82x | 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 LION's 4/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | LIONLionsgate Studios… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | — | +133.5% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -4.7% | +31.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +3.8% | +64.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +7.4% | +69.6% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 1.67x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $3.5B | $89.7B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $206M | $33.5B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $3.7B | $123.3B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -0.11x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in AAPL five years ago would be worth $21,049 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $7,867 for LION. Over the past 12 months, AAPL leads with a +9.7% total return vs LION's +5.6%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AAPL at 21.9% vs LION's -7.7% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | LIONLionsgate Studios… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -3.2% | -2.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +5.6% | +9.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -21.3% | +81.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -21.3% | +110.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -6.6% | +1027.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -7.7% | +21.9% |
Risk & Volatility
LION is the less volatile stock with a 0.79 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.
| Metric | LIONLionsgate Studios… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.79x | 1.28x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $10.09 | $288.61 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $5.55 | $169.21 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +89.2% | +91.5% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 40.8 | 57.5 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 2.5M | 40.9M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates LION as "Buy" and AAPL as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 16.7% upside for LION (target: $11) 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 | LIONLionsgate Studios… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $10.50 | $303.11 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 7 | 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 | May 24 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lionsgate Studios C… (LION) | 100 | 80.68 | -19.3% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 100 | 139.16 | +39.2% |
Apple Inc. (AAPL) returned +110% over 5 years vs Lionsgate Studios C… (LION)'s -21%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lionsgate Studios C… (LION) | $129M | $3.2B | +2380.3% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lionsgate Studios C… (LION) | 30.1% | -4.0% | -113.4% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lionsgate Studios C… (LION) | 1.5 | -0.43 | -128.7% |
| 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
Lionsgate Studios Corp. generated $-120M FCF in 2024 (+73% vs 2021). Apple Inc. generated $99B FCF in 2025 (+6% vs 2021).
LION vs AAPL: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is LION 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 Lionsgate Studios Corp. (LION) a "Buy" — based on 7 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 — LION or AAPL?
On forward P/E, Apple Inc. is actually cheaper at 31.1x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — LION or AAPL?
Over the past 5 years, Apple Inc. (AAPL) delivered a total return of +110.5%, compared to -21.3% for Lionsgate Studios Corp. (LION). 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 LION's -6.6%. 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 — LION or AAPL?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Lionsgate Studios Corp. (LION) is the lower-risk stock at 0.79β versus Apple Inc.'s 1.28β — meaning AAPL is approximately 61% more volatile than LION relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — LION or AAPL?
Apple Inc. (AAPL) is the more profitable company, earning 26.9% net margin versus -4.0% for Lionsgate Studios Corp. — 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 3.9% for LION. 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 LION or AAPL more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Apple Inc. (AAPL) trades at 31.1x forward P/E versus 42.9x for Lionsgate Studios Corp. — 11.7x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for LION: 16.7% to $10.50.
07Which pays a better dividend — LION or AAPL?
In this comparison, AAPL (0.4% yield) pays a dividend. LION does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
08Is LION 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%, LION: -6.6%), 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.
09What are the main differences between LION and AAPL?
These companies operate in different sectors (LION (Communication Services) 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.