Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Silicon Motion Technology Corporation (SIMO) 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 | SIMO | 10.2% revenue growth vs AAPL's 6.4% |
| Value | SIMO | Lower P/E (22.4x vs 31.1x), PEG 0.50 vs 1.74 |
| Quality / Margins | AAPL | 27.0% net margin vs SIMO's 13.8% |
| Stability / Safety | AAPL | Beta 1.28 vs SIMO's 1.52 |
| Dividends | SIMO | 6.2% yield, 2-year raise streak, vs AAPL's 0.4% |
| Momentum (1Y) | SIMO | +133.9% vs AAPL's +9.7% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AAPL | 31.1% ROA vs SIMO's 10.0%, ROIC 64.5% vs 12.4% |
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
Silicon Motion Technology designs and sells NAND flash controllers and specialized SSDs for data storage applications. It generates revenue primarily from controller sales for client SSDs (~50% of revenue), enterprise/data center SSDs (~25%), and mobile embedded storage solutions (~25%). The company's key advantage is its deep expertise in flash controller architecture—particularly for high-performance applications—and long-standing relationships with major NAND flash manufacturers.
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
SIMO leads in 2 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Total Returns). AAPL leads in 2 (Profitability & Efficiency, Risk & Volatility). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
AAPL is the larger business by revenue, generating $435.6B annually — 491.9x SIMO's $886M. AAPL is the more profitable business, keeping 27.0% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to SIMO's 13.8%. On growth, SIMO holds the edge at +45.7% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | SIMOSilicon Motion Te… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $886M | $435.6B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $123M | $152.9B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $123M | $117.8B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $6M | $123.3B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +48.3% | +47.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +10.5% | +32.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +13.8% | +27.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +0.7% | +28.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +45.7% | +15.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +7.4% | +18.3% |
Valuation Metrics
At 8.9x trailing earnings, SIMO trades at a 75% valuation discount to AAPL's 35.4x P/E. Adjusting for growth (PEG ratio), SIMO offers better value at 0.20x vs AAPL's 1.98x — a lower PEG means you pay less per unit of expected earnings growth.
| Metric | SIMOSilicon Motion Te… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $4.4B | $3.88T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $4.2B | $3.97T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 8.85x | 35.41x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 22.36x | 31.15x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 0.20x | 1.98x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 34.01x | 27.45x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 4.96x | 9.33x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.31x | 53.76x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 699.54x | 39.33x |
Profitability & Efficiency
AAPL delivers a 133.5% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $134 in annual profit, vs $15 for SIMO. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), AAPL scores 7/9 vs SIMO's 5/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | SIMOSilicon Motion Te… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +14.8% | +133.5% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +10.0% | +31.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +12.4% | +64.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +10.8% | +69.6% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 1.67x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$202M | $89.7B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $202M | $33.5B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $0 | $123.3B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in SIMO five years ago would be worth $22,930 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $21,049 for AAPL. Over the past 12 months, SIMO leads with a +133.9% total return vs AAPL's +9.7%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors SIMO at 25.9% vs AAPL's 21.9% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | SIMOSilicon Motion Te… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +38.4% | -2.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +133.9% | +9.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +99.7% | +81.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +129.3% | +110.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +322.8% | +1027.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +25.9% | +21.9% |
Risk & Volatility
AAPL is the less volatile stock with a 1.28 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than SIMO's 1.52 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 SIMO's 88.0% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | SIMOSilicon Motion Te… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.52x | 1.28x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $146.85 | $288.61 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $37.21 | $169.21 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +88.0% | +91.5% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 53.9 | 57.5 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 610K | 40.9M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates SIMO as "Buy" and AAPL as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 14.7% upside for AAPL (target: $303) vs 10.3% for SIMO (target: $143). For income investors, SIMO offers the higher dividend yield at 6.19% vs AAPL's 0.39%.
| Metric | SIMOSilicon Motion Te… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $142.50 | $303.11 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 31 | 109 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +6.2% | +0.4% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 2 | 14 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $8.00 | $1.03 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +0.6% | +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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silicon Motion Tech… (SIMO) | 100 | 318.48 | +218.5% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 100 | 361.46 | +261.5% |
Silicon Motion Tech… (SIMO) returned +129% over 5 years vs Apple Inc. (AAPL)'s +110%. A $10,000 investment in SIMO 5 years ago would be worth $22,930 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silicon Motion Tech… (SIMO) | $556M | $886M | +59.2% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | $215.6B | $416.2B | +93.0% |
Silicon Motion Technology Corporation's revenue grew from $556M (2016) to $886M (2025) — a 5.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silicon Motion Tech… (SIMO) | 19.9% | 13.8% | -30.6% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 21.2% | 26.9% | +27.0% |
Silicon Motion Technology Corporation's net margin went from 20% (2016) to 14% (2025). Apple Inc.'s net margin went from 21% (2016) to 27% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silicon Motion Tech… (SIMO) | 25.3 | 6.3 | -75.1% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 18.4 | 36.4 | +97.8% |
Silicon Motion Technology Corporation has traded in a 5x–39x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~9x. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silicon Motion Tech… (SIMO) | 3.12 | 14.6 | +367.9% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 2.08 | 7.46 | +258.7% |
Silicon Motion Technology Corporation's EPS grew from $3.12 (2016) to $14.60 (2025) — a 19% CAGR. Apple Inc.'s EPS grew from $2.08 (2016) to $7.46 (2025) — a 15% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Silicon Motion Technology Corporation generated $6M FCF in 2025 (-96% vs 2021). Apple Inc. generated $99B FCF in 2025 (+6% vs 2021).
SIMO vs AAPL: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is SIMO or AAPL a better buy right now?
Silicon Motion Technology Corporation (SIMO) offers the better valuation at 8.9x trailing P/E (22.4x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Silicon Motion Technology Corporation (SIMO) a "Buy" — based on 31 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 — SIMO or AAPL?
On trailing P/E, Silicon Motion Technology Corporation (SIMO) is the cheapest at 8.9x versus Apple Inc. at 35.4x. On forward P/E, Silicon Motion Technology Corporation is actually cheaper at 22.4x. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Silicon Motion Technology Corporation wins at 0.50x versus Apple Inc.'s 1.74x — a PEG below 1.0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.
03Which is the better long-term investment — SIMO or AAPL?
Over the past 5 years, Silicon Motion Technology Corporation (SIMO) delivered a total return of +129.3%, compared to +110.5% for Apple Inc. (AAPL). A $10,000 investment in SIMO five years ago would be worth approximately $23K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: AAPL returned +1027% versus SIMO's +322.8%. 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 — SIMO or AAPL?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Apple Inc. (AAPL) is the lower-risk stock at 1.28β versus Silicon Motion Technology Corporation's 1.52β — meaning SIMO is approximately 19% more volatile than AAPL relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — SIMO or AAPL?
Apple Inc. (AAPL) is the more profitable company, earning 26.9% net margin versus 13.8% for Silicon Motion Technology 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 10.5% for SIMO. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — SIMO leads at 48.3%, 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 SIMO 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, Silicon Motion Technology Corporation (SIMO) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0.50x versus Apple Inc.'s 1.74x. A PEG below 1.0 is traditionally considered the threshold for growth-adjusted undervaluation. On forward earnings alone, Silicon Motion Technology Corporation (SIMO) trades at 22.4x forward P/E versus 31.1x for Apple Inc. — 8.8x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for AAPL: 14.7% to $303.11.
07Which pays a better dividend — SIMO or AAPL?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. Silicon Motion Technology Corporation (SIMO) offers the highest yield at 6.2%, versus 0.4% for Apple Inc. (AAPL).
08Is SIMO 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). Silicon Motion Technology Corporation (SIMO) carries a higher beta of 1.52 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (AAPL: +1027%, SIMO: +322.8%), 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 SIMO and AAPL?
Both stocks operate in the Technology sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. In terms of investment character: SIMO is a small-cap deep-value stock; AAPL is a mega-cap quality compounder stock. SIMO 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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