Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (MSGS) 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 MSGS's 1.2% |
| Value | MSGS | Better valuation composite |
| Quality / Margins | AAPL | 27.0% net margin vs MSGS's -1.5% |
| Stability / Safety | MSGS | Beta 0.66 vs AAPL's 1.28 |
| Dividends | AAPL | 0.4% yield; 14-year raise streak; MSGS pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | MSGS | +62.8% vs AAPL's +9.7% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AAPL | 31.1% ROA vs MSGS's -1.1%, ROIC 64.5% vs 1.5% |
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
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. is a professional sports holding company that owns major league franchises including the New York Knicks (NBA) and New York Rangers (NHL). It generates revenue primarily from media rights deals, ticket sales and premium seating, and arena sponsorships — with media rights being the largest contributor. The company's moat lies in its ownership of iconic, geographically-protected professional sports franchises in the lucrative New York market, which creates scarcity value and strong brand loyalty.
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 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). MSGS leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Risk & Volatility).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
AAPL is the larger business by revenue, generating $435.6B annually — 406.7x MSGS's $1.1B. AAPL is the more profitable business, keeping 27.0% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to MSGS's -1.5%.
| Metric | MSGSMadison Square Ga… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $1.1B | $435.6B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $8M | $152.9B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$17M | $117.8B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $3M | $123.3B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +25.9% | +47.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +0.4% | +32.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -1.5% | +27.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +0.3% | +28.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +12.8% | +15.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +6.5% | +18.3% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, AAPL's 27.5x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than MSGS's 140.6x.
| Metric | MSGSMadison Square Ga… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $1.5B | $3.88T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $2.5B | $3.97T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -356.62x | 35.41x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 31.15x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 1.98x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 140.57x | 27.45x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.45x | 9.33x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 53.76x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 17.08x | 39.33x |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), AAPL scores 7/9 vs MSGS's 5/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | MSGSMadison Square Ga… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | — | +133.5% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -1.1% | +31.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +1.5% | +64.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +1.5% | +69.6% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 1.67x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $1.0B | $89.7B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $153M | $33.5B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $1.2B | $123.3B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 0.73x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in AAPL five years ago would be worth $21,049 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $16,534 for MSGS. Over the past 12 months, MSGS leads with a +62.8% total return vs AAPL's +9.7%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AAPL at 21.9% vs MSGS's 20.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | MSGSMadison Square Ga… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +28.1% | -2.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +62.8% | +9.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +73.5% | +81.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +65.3% | +110.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +340.5% | +1027.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +20.2% | +21.9% |
Risk & Volatility
MSGS is the less volatile stock with a 0.66 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. MSGS currently trades 96.0% from its 52-week high vs AAPL's 91.5% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | MSGSMadison Square Ga… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.66x | 1.28x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $345.46 | $288.61 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $173.26 | $169.21 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +96.0% | +91.5% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 65.7 | 57.5 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 195K | 40.9M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates MSGS as "Buy" and AAPL as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 14.7% upside for AAPL (target: $303) vs -0.6% for MSGS (target: $330). AAPL is the only dividend payer here at 0.39% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | MSGSMadison Square Ga… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $329.75 | $303.11 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 28 | 109 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +0.0% | +0.4% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | 14 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.03 | $1.03 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +0.8% | +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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGS) | 100 | 221.87 | +121.9% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 100 | 373.3 | +273.3% |
Apple Inc. (AAPL) returned +110% over 5 years vs Madison Square Gard… (MSGS)'s +65%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGS) | $1.1B | $1.0B | -6.8% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | $215.6B | $416.2B | +93.0% |
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp.'s revenue grew from $1.1B (2016) to $1.0B (2025) — a -0.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGS) | -6.9% | -2.2% | +68.8% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 21.2% | 26.9% | +27.0% |
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp.'s net margin went from -7% (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGS) | 22.4 | 92.5 | +312.9% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 18.4 | 36.4 | +97.8% |
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. has traded in a 22x–96x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~-357x. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGS) | -3.12 | -0.93 | +70.2% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 2.08 | 7.46 | +258.7% |
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp.'s EPS grew from $-3.12 (2016) to $-0.93 (2025). Apple Inc.'s EPS grew from $2.08 (2016) to $7.46 (2025) — a 15% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. generated $88M FCF in 2025 (+346% vs 2021). Apple Inc. generated $99B FCF in 2025 (+6% vs 2021).
MSGS vs AAPL: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is MSGS 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 Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (MSGS) a "Buy" — based on 28 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 — MSGS or AAPL?
Over the past 5 years, Apple Inc. (AAPL) delivered a total return of +110.5%, compared to +65.3% for Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (MSGS). 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 MSGS's +340.5%. 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 — MSGS or AAPL?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (MSGS) is the lower-risk stock at 0.66β versus Apple Inc.'s 1.28β — meaning AAPL is approximately 93% more volatile than MSGS relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — MSGS or AAPL?
Apple Inc. (AAPL) is the more profitable company, earning 26.9% net margin versus -2.2% for Madison Square Garden Sports 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 1.4% for MSGS. 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 MSGS or AAPL more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for AAPL: 14.7% to $303.11.
06Which pays a better dividend — MSGS or AAPL?
In this comparison, AAPL (0.4% yield) pays a dividend. MSGS does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
07Is MSGS or AAPL better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (MSGS) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.66), +340.5% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (MSGS: +340.5%, 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.
08What are the main differences between MSGS and AAPL?
These companies operate in different sectors (MSGS (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.
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