AAPL vs MSFT — which stock performed better?

Apple Inc. (AAPL) versus Microsoft Corporation (MSFT), Technology, on 2026-06-24.

Result

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) performed better on 2026-06-24. AAPL moved 0.480%, MSFT moved 0.710%.

Why these two companies

The two largest companies on the planet by market cap — Apple at $4.36T versus Microsoft at $2.78T — face off in the ultimate Technology sector clash. Both are deep into AI: Apple with on-device intelligence and the Siri overhaul, Microsoft with Copilot embedded across its entire product suite and its Azure OpenAI partnership. On a day when the Nasdaq fell -2.21%, which giant held up better?

The research

## Apple (AAPL) vs Microsoft (MSFT)

**Apple Inc.** is the world's most valuable company at ~$4.36T market cap. Its business is built on the iPhone ecosystem — hardware, services (App Store, iCloud, Apple Pay), and increasingly AI. Apple Intelligence, its on-device AI suite, is being rolled out across iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia. Revenue for the trailing twelve months sits at $451B with a profit margin of 27.15%. The stock closed at $294.30 on June 23, down -0.91% on the day.

**Microsoft Corporation** is the world's second-largest company at ~$2.78T. Its Azure cloud platform is the engine of its growth, and its deep partnership with OpenAI has made Copilot a central feature across Office 365, Windows, GitHub, and Dynamics. Microsoft closed at $373.94 on June 23, up +1.80% — one of the few large-cap tech names to close green on a day when the Nasdaq fell -2.21%.

### The Core Debate Apple trades at a trailing P/E of ~36x and a forward P/E of ~31x — a premium valuation for a company whose iPhone growth has moderated. Microsoft trades at a trailing P/E of ~22x, notably cheaper on earnings despite its stronger recent growth trajectory driven by Azure and AI services. Microsoft's profit margin of 39.34% significantly exceeds Apple's 27.15%, reflecting the higher-margin nature of software and cloud versus hardware. Apple's EPS of $8.26 versus Microsoft's $16.79 further illustrates the earnings power difference. Both companies report earnings in late July.