Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare StubHub Holdings, Inc. (STUB) 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 | STUB | 29.5% revenue growth vs AAPL's 6.4% |
| Value | STUB | Lower P/E (8.4x vs 31.1x) |
| Quality / Margins | AAPL | 27.0% net margin vs STUB's -72.0% |
| Stability / Safety | AAPL | Beta 1.28 vs STUB's 2.25, lower leverage |
| Dividends | AAPL | 0.4% yield; 14-year raise streak; STUB pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | AAPL | +9.7% vs STUB's -56.5% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AAPL | 31.1% ROA vs STUB's -23.5%, ROIC 64.5% vs 3.6% |
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
StubHub operates a global online marketplace for secondary ticket sales to live events — primarily sports, concerts, and theater. It generates revenue primarily through transaction fees charged to both buyers and sellers on each ticket sale. Its key advantage is its massive scale and brand recognition as one of the world's largest secondary ticket platforms, creating network effects that attract both buyers and sellers.
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
Segment breakdown not available.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
AAPL leads in 5 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). STUB leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
AAPL is the larger business by revenue, generating $435.6B annually — 238.1x STUB's $1.8B. AAPL is the more profitable business, keeping 27.0% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to STUB's -72.0%. On growth, AAPL holds the edge at +15.7% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | STUBStubHub Holdings,… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $1.8B | $435.6B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$1.2B | $152.9B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$1.3B | $117.8B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $164M | $123.3B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +79.3% | +47.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -65.2% | +32.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -72.0% | +27.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +9.0% | +28.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +7.9% | +15.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -42.1% | +18.3% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, STUB's 27.1x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than AAPL's 27.5x.
| Metric | STUBStubHub Holdings,… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $3.1B | $3.88T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $4.4B | $3.97T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -63.80x | 35.41x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 8.39x | 31.15x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 1.98x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 27.07x | 27.45x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.73x | 9.33x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 2.26x | 53.76x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 12.03x | 39.33x |
Profitability & Efficiency
AAPL delivers a 133.5% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $134 in annual profit, vs $-54 for STUB. AAPL carries lower financial leverage with a 1.67x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to STUB's 1.69x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), AAPL scores 7/9 vs STUB's 6/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | STUBStubHub Holdings,… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -53.7% | +133.5% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -23.5% | +31.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +3.6% | +64.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +3.4% | +69.6% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.69x | 1.67x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $1.3B | $89.7B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $1.0B | $33.5B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $2.3B | $123.3B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -7.50x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in AAPL five years ago would be worth $21,049 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $4,350 for STUB. Over the past 12 months, AAPL leads with a +9.7% total return vs STUB's -56.5%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AAPL at 21.9% vs STUB's -24.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | STUBStubHub Holdings,… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -33.0% | -2.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -56.5% | +9.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -56.5% | +81.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -56.5% | +110.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -56.5% | +1027.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -24.2% | +21.9% |
Risk & Volatility
AAPL is the less volatile stock with a 1.28 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than STUB's 2.25 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 STUB's 34.3% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | STUBStubHub Holdings,… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 2.25x | 1.28x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $27.89 | $288.61 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $8.30 | $169.21 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +34.3% | +91.5% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 39.8 | 57.5 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 2.7M | 40.9M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates STUB as "Buy" and AAPL as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 146.2% upside for STUB (target: $24) 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 | STUBStubHub Holdings,… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $23.56 | $303.11 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 8 | 109 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +0.4% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | 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 1Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| StubHub Holdings, I… (STUB) | $212M | $1.8B | +736.7% |
| 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 2Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| StubHub Holdings, I… (STUB) | -29.2% | -0.2% | +99.5% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 21.2% | 26.9% | +27.0% |
Apple Inc.'s net margin went from 21% (2016) to 27% (2025).
Chart 3P/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 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| StubHub Holdings, I… (STUB) | -0.17 | -0.15 | +11.8% |
| 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 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
StubHub Holdings, Inc. generated $255M FCF in 2024 (+283% vs 2021). Apple Inc. generated $99B FCF in 2025 (+6% vs 2021).
STUB vs AAPL: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is STUB 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 StubHub Holdings, Inc. (STUB) a "Buy" — based on 8 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 — STUB or AAPL?
On forward P/E, StubHub Holdings, Inc. is actually cheaper at 8.4x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.
03Which is the better long-term investment — STUB or AAPL?
Over the past 5 years, Apple Inc. (AAPL) delivered a total return of +110.5%, compared to -56.5% for StubHub Holdings, Inc. (STUB). 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 STUB's -56.5%. 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 — STUB or AAPL?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Apple Inc. (AAPL) is the lower-risk stock at 1.28β versus StubHub Holdings, Inc.'s 2.25β — meaning STUB is approximately 76% more volatile than AAPL relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Apple Inc. (AAPL) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 167% versus 169% for StubHub Holdings, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — STUB or AAPL?
Apple Inc. (AAPL) is the more profitable company, earning 26.9% net margin versus -0.2% for StubHub Holdings, Inc. — 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 7.8% for STUB. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — STUB leads at 81.1%, 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 STUB or AAPL more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, StubHub Holdings, Inc. (STUB) trades at 8.4x forward P/E versus 31.1x for Apple Inc. — 22.8x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for STUB: 146.2% to $23.56.
07Which pays a better dividend — STUB or AAPL?
In this comparison, AAPL (0.4% yield) pays a dividend. STUB does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
08Is STUB 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). StubHub Holdings, Inc. (STUB) carries a higher beta of 2.25 — 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%, STUB: -56.5%), 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 STUB 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. 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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