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Compare Stocks › AAPL vs ARE

Apple Inc. (AAPL) vs Alexandria Real Estate Equities (ARE): Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

As of 2026-08-03, AAPL is overvalued at $309, with a DCF intrinsic value of $165 and a margin of safety of -87%. ARE is undervalued at $51, with an intrinsic value of $9106274826 and a margin of safety of 100%. Of the two, ARE has the wider margin of safety.

AAPL
Apple Inc.
$308.91
VS
ARE
Alexandria Real Estate Equities
$51.45

Rewards

AAPL
  • ★Apple Inc. has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
  • ★Apple Inc. scores 96/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with roic consistency as the strongest competitive dimension.
  • ★Return on equity has consistently exceeded 20% over 4 years, indicating efficient use of shareholder capital.
ARE
  • ★Gross margin of 68.6% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.

Risks

AAPL
  • ⚠FCF yield of 2.4% is below 3%, meaning the market is pricing in substantial future growth to justify the current price.
  • ⚠PEG ratio of 2.46 indicates the stock is expensive relative to its expected growth — the market may be pricing in more growth than analysts project.
  • ⚠Insiders have sold $87.1M worth of stock in the past 3 months — significant insider liquidation.
ARE
  • ⚠PEG ratio of 3.24 indicates the stock is expensive relative to its expected growth — the market may be pricing in more growth than analysts project.
  • ⚠Net debt/EBITDA of 6.7x indicates heavy leverage — it would take over 4 years of EBITDA to pay off net debt.
  • ⚠Altman Z-Score of 0.10 places the company in the distress zone — financial patterns resemble those of companies that experienced bankruptcy.

Key Valuation Metrics

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AAPL
ARE
Valuation
$107.72B
Free Cash Flow
$1.41B
2.37%
FCF Yield
N/A
35.47
Trailing P/E
N/A
32.48
Forward P/E
-58.47
Quality & Moat
62.71%
ROIC
1.14%
148.75%
ROE
-4.14%
48.65%
Gross Margin
68.59%
2.46
PEG Ratio
3.24
Balance Sheet Safety
0.20
Net Debt / Equity
0.64
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
0.13
Net Debt / EBITDA
6.70
0.35%
Dividend Yield
5.60%
AAPL: 6Ties: 1ARE: 3
AAPLARE

Historical Fundamentals

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AAPL

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation. The dashed forward point is the forward P/E — today's price ÷ analyst consensus EPS.

ARE

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation. The dashed forward point is the forward P/E — today's price ÷ analyst consensus EPS.

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation. The dashed forward point is the forward P/E — today's price ÷ analyst consensus EPS.

$1 Retained Earnings Test

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AAPL
$7.57
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$257.06B
Δ Market Cap
+$1.94T
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
ARE
N/A
Net losses over 3 years — test not applicable
Company had negative cumulative retained earnings
Σ Retained
$-3.66B
Δ Market Cap
$-96.73
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis

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AAPL
87.3% Overvalued
Price is 87.3% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $308.91
Fair Value: $164.95
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
ARE
100.0% Margin of Safety
Price is 100.0% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $51.45
Fair Value: $9106274826.16
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued

Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

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AAPL

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $309?

+17.4%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +17.9%

The market implies +17.4% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.

Standard FCF implies a demanding +17.9%, reflecting heavy growth investment.

ARE

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $51?

-3.6%
Market-Implied FCF Growth Rate

Market below historical growth — potential opportunity.

Economic Moat Score

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AAPL
96/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. ROIC Consistency is the standout factor.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 5 years of fundamental data.
ARE
50/100
Narrow Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Narrow moat with margin stability as the key competitive advantage. Improving reinvestment efficiency would strengthen the moat.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.

Forensic Accounting

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AAPL
-2.29
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
ARE
-2.80
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

Ownership Breakdown

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AAPL
Insiders 1.6%Institutions 65.7%Retail & Other 32.6%
No. of Institutional Holders7,659
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
ARE
Insiders 1.4%Institutions 97.0%Retail & Other 1.7%
No. of Institutional Holders869
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

Insider Buying Activity

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AAPL
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
No open market insider purchases found.
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
ARE
1
Buys (3M)
6
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $2.71M
MARCUS JOEL S
Officer and Director
$347,558
@ $46.34 · 2026-05-06
MARCUS JOEL S
Officer and Director
$320,416
@ $42.72 · 2026-05-05
MARCUS JOEL S
Officer and Director
$410,200
@ $41.02 · 2026-05-04
THOMAS GREGORY CALVIN
Chief Technology Officer
$143,500
@ $41.00 · 2026-04-30
MARCUS JOEL S
Officer and Director
$1.35M
@ $53.92 · 2026-02-12
MCGRATH SHEILA K.
Director
$141,360
@ $45.60 · 2025-12-10
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises

Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.

Insider Selling Activity

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AAPL
4
Sells (3M)
14
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $199.00M
BORDERS BEN
Officer
$34,236
@ $295.14 · 2026-06-16
LEVINSON ARTHUR D
Director
$15.55M
@ $311.02 · 2026-05-27
BORDERS BEN
Officer
$369,460
@ $290.00 · 2026-05-08
LEVINSON ARTHUR D
Director
$71.19M
@ $284.76 · 2026-05-06
PAREKH KEVAN
Chief Financial Officer
$421,850
@ $275.00 · 2026-04-23
O'BRIEN DEIRDRE
Officer
$7.66M
@ $255.35 · 2026-04-02
COOK TIMOTHY D
Chief Executive Officer
$16.51M
@ $254.23 · 2026-04-02
KONDO CHRISTOPHER
Officer
$1.02M
@ $271.23 · 2025-11-07
PAREKH KEVAN
Chief Financial Officer
$1.04M
@ $247.39 · 2025-10-16
O'BRIEN DEIRDRE
Officer
$11.07M
@ $257.39 · 2025-10-02
ADAMS KATHERINE L
General Counsel
$12.10M
@ $256.79 · 2025-10-02
COOK TIMOTHY D
Chief Executive Officer
$33.38M
@ $256.81 · 2025-10-02
LEVINSON ARTHUR D
Director
$20.89M
@ $232.07 · 2025-08-28
O'BRIEN DEIRDRE
Officer
$7.77M
@ $223.20 · 2025-08-08
KONDO CHRISTOPHER
Officer
$933,955
@ $208.19 · 2025-05-12
PAREKH KEVAN
Chief Financial Officer
$941,420
@ $206.00 · 2025-04-23
WILLIAMS JEFFREY E
Chief Operating Officer
$7.95M
@ $224.01 · 2025-04-02
ADAMS KATHERINE L
General Counsel
$8.68M
@ $223.67 · 2025-04-02
COOK TIMOTHY D
Chief Executive Officer
$24.18M
@ $223.65 · 2025-04-02
LEVINSON ARTHUR D
Director
$343,147
@ $226.35 · 2025-02-03
LEVINSON ARTHUR D
Director
$45.46M
@ $227.32 · 2024-11-19
KONDO CHRISTOPHER
Officer
$945,233
@ $228.87 · 2024-11-18
MAESTRI LUCA
Chief Financial Officer
$13.43M
@ $226.52 · 2024-10-04
O'BRIEN DEIRDRE
Officer
$13.84M
@ $226.87 · 2024-10-02
WILLIAMS JEFFREY E
Chief Operating Officer
$13.55M
@ $226.86 · 2024-10-02
ADAMS KATHERINE L
General Counsel
$13.80M
@ $226.20 · 2024-10-02
COOK TIMOTHY D
Chief Executive Officer
$50.28M
@ $224.46 · 2024-10-02
KONDO CHRISTOPHER
Officer
$1.96M
@ $225.00 · 2024-08-15
KONDO CHRISTOPHER
Officer
$1.12M
@ $216.50 · 2024-08-09
ADAMS KATHERINE L
General Counsel
$20.64M
@ $206.44 · 2024-08-05
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
ARE
1
Sells (3M)
4
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $546,506
BINDA MARC E.
Chief Financial Officer
$108,000
@ $54.00 · 2026-06-09
KUHN HALLIE E.
Officer
$25,835
@ $48.20 · 2026-04-17
GOSSETT BRET E.
Officer
$251,792
@ $53.55 · 2026-02-27
ALSBROOK MADELEINE THORP
Officer
$160,879
@ $46.15 · 2025-12-16
ALSBROOK MADELEINE THORP
Officer
$446,202
@ $102.34 · 2024-12-16
MOGLIA PETER M
Chief Executive Officer
$1.02M
@ $102.26 · 2024-12-16
RYAN DANIEL J
Officer
$1.03M
@ $103.31 · 2024-12-11
GAVINET ANDRES
Officer
$2.09M
@ $104.29 · 2024-12-11
KASS HUNTER
President
$530,650
@ $106.13 · 2024-12-09
CAIN JAMES P
Director
$42,456
@ $124.87 · 2024-09-16
CIRUZZI VINCENT R. JR
Officer
$855,756
@ $123.29 · 2024-09-13
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives

Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.

🎭 Mr. Market's Mood

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AAPL
FearGreed
😐Neutral(56/100)

"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
ARE
FearGreed
😨Fear(39/100)

"Market is pessimistic — investigate whether fears are temporary or structural"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

⚖️ Buffett Signal

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AAPL
⚪Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (56)
ARE
⚪Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Fear (39)
View AAPL Full AnalysisView ARE Full Analysis

Frequently Asked Questions: AAPL vs ARE

Is Apple Inc. or Alexandria Real Estate Equities more undervalued in 2026?▼

Based on our discounted cash flow model, ARE trades at a 100.0% margin of safety (intrinsic value $9106274826 vs. price $51), compared to AAPL's -87.3% margin of safety (intrinsic $165 vs. $309).

Which stock has a wider economic moat, Apple Inc. or Alexandria Real Estate Equities?▼

AAPL scores 96/100 (Wide moat), while ARE scores 50/100 (Narrow moat). The moat score measures competitive advantage durability across ROIC consistency, margin stability, revenue predictability, and reinvestment efficiency.

Is Alexandria Real Estate Equities in financial distress?▼

ARE's Altman Z-Score of 0.1 places it in the Distress zone, signaling elevated bankruptcy risk. AAPL scores 10.7 (Safe zone). The Altman Z-Score is a five-factor model that predicts insolvency within two years; scores below 1.81 indicate significant distress.

Which stock has higher return on invested capital, Apple Inc. or Alexandria Real Estate Equities?▼

AAPL earns 62.7% ROIC versus ARE's 1.1%. A higher ROIC means the company generates more profit per dollar of capital employed, a hallmark of durable competitive advantage in Buffett-style analysis.

Which dividend is safer, Apple Inc.'s or Alexandria Real Estate Equities's?▼

AAPL's dividend earns a safety score of 94/100 (Very Safe), compared to ARE's 59/100 (Borderline). AAPL has raised its dividend for 3 consecutive years.