Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) 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 | LLY | 32.0% revenue growth vs AAPL's 6.4% |
| Value | AAPL | PEG 1.74 vs 5.02 |
| Quality / Margins | LLY | 31.0% net margin vs AAPL's 27.0% |
| Stability / Safety | LLY | Beta 0.65 vs AAPL's 1.28 |
| Dividends | LLY | 0.5% yield, 10-year raise streak, vs AAPL's 0.4% |
| Momentum (1Y) | LLY | +15.0% vs AAPL's +9.7% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AAPL | 31.1% ROA vs LLY's 16.0%, ROIC 64.5% vs 33.7% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Valuation efficiency (growth/$)
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Eli Lilly is a global pharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and markets innovative medicines for serious diseases like diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune disorders. It generates revenue primarily from drug sales — with diabetes treatments like Trulicity and Mounjaro contributing over 50% of revenue — and from oncology and immunology products. The company's competitive advantage lies in its deep research and development capabilities, particularly in diabetes and obesity treatments where it has established a strong patent-protected portfolio.
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
LLY leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Total Returns). AAPL leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
AAPL is the larger business by revenue, generating $435.6B annually — 7.3x LLY's $59.4B. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 31.0% (LLY) to 27.0% (AAPL). On growth, LLY holds the edge at +53.9% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | LLYEli Lilly and Com… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $59.4B | $435.6B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $28.6B | $152.9B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $18.4B | $117.8B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $9.0B | $123.3B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +83.0% | +47.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +45.0% | +32.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +31.0% | +27.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +15.2% | +28.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +53.9% | +15.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +4.8% | +18.3% |
Valuation Metrics
At 35.4x trailing earnings, AAPL trades at a 61% valuation discount to LLY's 89.9x P/E. Adjusting for growth (PEG ratio), AAPL offers better value at 1.98x vs LLY's 14.62x — a lower PEG means you pay less per unit of expected earnings growth.
| Metric | LLYEli Lilly and Com… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $941.7B | $3.88T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $972.1B | $3.97T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 89.85x | 35.41x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 30.86x | 31.15x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 14.62x | 1.98x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 50.45x | 27.45x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 20.91x | 9.33x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 66.65x | 53.76x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 2273.08x | 39.33x |
Profitability & Efficiency
AAPL delivers a 133.5% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $134 in annual profit, vs $77 for LLY. AAPL carries lower financial leverage with a 1.67x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to LLY's 2.36x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), AAPL scores 7/9 vs LLY's 6/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | LLYEli Lilly and Com… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +77.2% | +133.5% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +16.0% | +31.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +33.7% | +64.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +40.2% | +69.6% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 2.36x | 1.67x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $30.4B | $89.7B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $3.3B | $33.5B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $33.6B | $123.3B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 26.09x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in LLY five years ago would be worth $52,120 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $21,049 for AAPL. Over the past 12 months, LLY leads with a +15.0% total return vs AAPL's +9.7%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors LLY at 50.9% vs AAPL's 21.9% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | LLYEli Lilly and Com… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -2.4% | -2.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +15.0% | +9.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +243.3% | +81.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +421.2% | +110.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +1411.6% | +1027.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +50.9% | +21.9% |
Risk & Volatility
LLY is the less volatile stock with a 0.65 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 | LLYEli Lilly and Com… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.65x | 1.28x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $1133.95 | $288.61 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $623.78 | $169.21 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +92.8% | +91.5% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 46.9 | 57.5 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 2.6M | 40.9M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates LLY as "Buy" and AAPL as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 15.4% upside for LLY (target: $1214) vs 14.7% for AAPL (target: $303). For income investors, LLY offers the higher dividend yield at 0.49% vs AAPL's 0.39%.
| Metric | LLYEli Lilly and Com… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $1214.28 | $303.11 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 44 | 109 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +0.5% | +0.4% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 10 | 14 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $5.18 | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eli Lilly and Compa… (LLY) | 100 | 786.01 | +686.0% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 100 | 361.46 | +261.5% |
Eli Lilly and Compa… (LLY) returned +421% over 5 years vs Apple Inc. (AAPL)'s +110%. A $10,000 investment in LLY 5 years ago would be worth $52,120 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eli Lilly and Compa… (LLY) | $21.2B | $45.0B | +112.2% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eli Lilly and Compa… (LLY) | 12.9% | 23.5% | +82.3% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eli Lilly and Compa… (LLY) | 37 | 65.9 | +78.1% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 18.4 | 36.4 | +97.8% |
Eli Lilly and Company has traded in a 15x–101x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~90x. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eli Lilly and Compa… (LLY) | 2.49 | 11.71 | +370.3% |
| 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
Eli Lilly and Company generated $414M FCF in 2024 (-92% vs 2021). Apple Inc. generated $99B FCF in 2025 (+6% vs 2021).
LLY vs AAPL: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is LLY 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 Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) a "Buy" — based on 44 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 — LLY or AAPL?
On trailing P/E, Apple Inc. (AAPL) is the cheapest at 35.4x versus Eli Lilly and Company at 89.9x. On forward P/E, Eli Lilly and Company is actually cheaper at 30.9x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Apple Inc. wins at 1.74x versus Eli Lilly and Company's 5.02x — a reasonable growth-adjusted valuation.
03Which is the better long-term investment — LLY or AAPL?
Over the past 5 years, Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) delivered a total return of +421.2%, compared to +110.5% for Apple Inc. (AAPL). A $10,000 investment in LLY five years ago would be worth approximately $52K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: LLY returned +1412% 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 — LLY or AAPL?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) is the lower-risk stock at 0.65β versus Apple Inc.'s 1.28β — meaning AAPL is approximately 97% more volatile than LLY relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Apple Inc. (AAPL) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 167% versus 2% for Eli Lilly and Company — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — LLY or AAPL?
Apple Inc. (AAPL) is the more profitable company, earning 26.9% net margin versus 23.5% for Eli Lilly and Company — meaning it keeps 26.9% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: LLY leads at 38.9% versus 32.0% for AAPL. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — LLY leads at 81.3%, 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 LLY or AAPL more undervalued right now?
The PEG ratio (forward P/E divided by expected earnings growth rate) is the most precise measure of undervaluation relative to growth potential. By this metric, Apple Inc. (AAPL) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 1.74x versus Eli Lilly and Company's 5.02x. Both stocks trade at elevated growth-adjusted valuations, so expected growth needs to materialise. On forward earnings alone, Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) trades at 30.9x forward P/E versus 31.1x for Apple Inc. — 0.3x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for LLY: 15.4% to $1214.28.
07Which pays a better dividend — LLY or AAPL?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) offers the highest yield at 0.5%, versus 0.4% for Apple Inc. (AAPL).
08Is LLY or AAPL better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.65), +1412% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (LLY: +1412%, 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 LLY and AAPL?
These companies operate in different sectors (LLY (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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