Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare SM Energy Company (SM) 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 | SM | 18.1% revenue growth vs AAPL's 6.4% |
| Value | SM | Lower P/E (6.3x vs 31.1x) |
| Quality / Margins | AAPL | 27.0% net margin vs SM's 20.5% |
| Stability / Safety | AAPL | Beta 1.28 vs SM's 1.70 |
| Dividends | SM | 3.5% yield, 4-year raise streak, vs AAPL's 0.4% |
| Momentum (1Y) | AAPL | +9.7% vs SM's -26.8% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AAPL | 31.1% ROA vs SM's 7.0%, ROIC 64.5% vs 0.2% |
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
SM Energy is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company focused on acquiring, developing, and operating hydrocarbon assets in Texas. It generates revenue primarily from selling crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids — with oil contributing the majority of production value — through its operations in the Midland Basin and South Texas. The company's competitive advantage lies in its concentrated, high-quality acreage positions in prolific Texas basins, which provide operational efficiency and predictable drilling inventory.
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). SM leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
AAPL is the larger business by revenue, generating $435.6B annually — 138.1x SM's $3.2B. AAPL is the more profitable business, keeping 27.0% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to SM's 20.5%. On growth, AAPL holds the edge at +15.7% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | SMSM Energy Company | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $3.2B | $435.6B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $1.2B | $152.9B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $648M | $117.8B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $169M | $123.3B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | — | +47.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +0.5% | +32.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +20.5% | +27.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +5.3% | +28.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -14.1% | +15.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -42.3% | +18.3% |
Valuation Metrics
At 4.1x trailing earnings, SM trades at a 88% valuation discount to AAPL's 35.4x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, SM's 3.7x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than AAPL's 27.5x.
| Metric | SMSM Energy Company | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $2.7B | $3.88T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $4.6B | $3.97T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 4.10x | 35.41x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 6.30x | 31.15x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 1.98x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 3.74x | 27.45x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.84x | 9.33x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.55x | 53.76x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 4.63x | 39.33x |
Profitability & Efficiency
AAPL delivers a 133.5% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $134 in annual profit, vs $13 for SM. SM carries lower financial leverage with a 0.48x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to AAPL's 1.67x.
| Metric | SMSM Energy Company | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +13.5% | +133.5% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +7.0% | +31.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +0.2% | +64.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +0.2% | +69.6% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 7 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.48x | 1.67x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $1.9B | $89.7B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $368M | $33.5B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $2.3B | $123.3B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in AAPL five years ago would be worth $21,049 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $17,987 for SM. Over the past 12 months, AAPL leads with a +9.7% total return vs SM's -26.8%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AAPL at 21.9% vs SM's -5.0% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | SMSM Energy Company | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +20.9% | -2.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -26.8% | +9.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -14.2% | +81.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +79.9% | +110.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +476.8% | +1027.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -5.0% | +21.9% |
Risk & Volatility
AAPL is the less volatile stock with a 1.28 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than SM's 1.70 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 SM's 69.8% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | SMSM Energy Company | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.70x | 1.28x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $33.14 | $288.61 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $17.45 | $169.21 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +69.8% | +91.5% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 51.0 | 57.5 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 5.0M | 40.9M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates SM as "Buy" and AAPL as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 24.8% upside for SM (target: $29) vs 14.7% for AAPL (target: $303). For income investors, SM offers the higher dividend yield at 3.46% vs AAPL's 0.39%.
| Metric | SMSM Energy Company | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $28.86 | $303.11 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 53 | 109 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +3.5% | +0.4% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 4 | 14 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.80 | $1.03 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +0.5% | +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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| SM Energy Company (SM) | 100 | 612.62 | +512.6% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 100 | 361.46 | +261.5% |
Apple Inc. (AAPL) returned +110% over 5 years vs SM Energy Company (SM)'s +80%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| SM Energy Company (SM) | $1.2B | $3.2B | +167.2% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | $215.6B | $416.2B | +93.0% |
SM Energy Company's revenue grew from $1.2B (2016) to $3.2B (2025) — a 11.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| SM Energy Company (SM) | -64.2% | 20.5% | +132.0% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 21.2% | 26.9% | +27.0% |
SM Energy Company's net margin went from -64% (2016) to 21% (2025). Apple Inc.'s net margin went from 21% (2016) to 27% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| SM Energy Company (SM) | 1.7 | 3.3 | +94.1% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 18.4 | 36.4 | +97.8% |
SM Energy Company has traded in a 2x–102x P/E range over 6 years; current trailing P/E is ~4x. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| SM Energy Company (SM) | -9.9 | 5.64 | +157.0% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 2.08 | 7.46 | +258.7% |
SM Energy Company's EPS grew from $-9.90 (2016) to $5.64 (2025). Apple Inc.'s EPS grew from $2.08 (2016) to $7.46 (2025) — a 15% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
SM Energy Company generated $573M FCF in 2025 (+19% vs 2021). Apple Inc. generated $99B FCF in 2025 (+6% vs 2021).
SM vs AAPL: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is SM or AAPL a better buy right now?
SM Energy Company (SM) offers the better valuation at 4.1x trailing P/E (6.3x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate SM Energy Company (SM) a "Buy" — based on 53 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 — SM or AAPL?
On trailing P/E, SM Energy Company (SM) is the cheapest at 4.1x versus Apple Inc. at 35.4x. On forward P/E, SM Energy Company is actually cheaper at 6.3x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — SM or AAPL?
Over the past 5 years, Apple Inc. (AAPL) delivered a total return of +110.5%, compared to +79.9% for SM Energy Company (SM). 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 SM's +476.8%. 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 — SM or AAPL?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Apple Inc. (AAPL) is the lower-risk stock at 1.28β versus SM Energy Company's 1.70β — meaning SM is approximately 33% more volatile than AAPL relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, SM Energy Company (SM) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 48% versus 167% for Apple Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — SM or AAPL?
Apple Inc. (AAPL) is the more profitable company, earning 26.9% net margin versus 20.5% for SM Energy Company — 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 0.5% for SM. 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 SM or AAPL more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, SM Energy Company (SM) trades at 6.3x forward P/E versus 31.1x for Apple Inc. — 24.9x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for SM: 24.8% to $28.86.
07Which pays a better dividend — SM or AAPL?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. SM Energy Company (SM) offers the highest yield at 3.5%, versus 0.4% for Apple Inc. (AAPL).
08Is SM 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). SM Energy Company (SM) carries a higher beta of 1.70 — 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%, SM: +476.8%), 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 SM and AAPL?
These companies operate in different sectors (SM (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: SM is a small-cap deep-value stock; AAPL is a mega-cap quality compounder stock. SM 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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