Compare StocksAAPL vs PAYC

Apple Inc. (AAPL) vs Paycom Software, Inc. (PAYC)

AAPL
Apple Inc.
$280.25
VS
PAYC
Paycom Software, Inc.
$131.96

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.
PAYC
  • Paycom Software, Inc. has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
  • Gross margin of 87.2% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
  • Paycom Software, Inc. scores 87/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with roic consistency as the strongest competitive dimension.

Risks

AAPL
  • FCF yield of 2.5% is below 3%, meaning the market is pricing in substantial future growth to justify the current price.
  • Insiders have sold $24.6M worth of stock in the past 3 months — significant insider liquidation.
PAYC
  • FCF yield of 5.6% suggests reasonable valuation assuming continued moderate growth.
  • PEG ratio of 7.78 indicates the stock is expensive relative to its expected growth — the market may be pricing in more growth than analysts project.

Key Valuation Metrics

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AAPL
PAYC
Valuation
$101.09B
Free Cash Flow
$403.50M
2.46%
FCF Yield
5.63%
33.93
Trailing P/E
16.33
29.30
Forward P/E
11.34
Quality & Moat
60.20%
ROIC
25.68%
105.18%
ROE
26.18%
47.86%
Gross Margin
87.18%
1.56
PEG Ratio
7.78
Balance Sheet Safety
0.80
Debt / Equity
0.05
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
0.10
Net Debt / EBITDA
-0.44
0.39%
Dividend Yield
1.14%
AAPL: 4Ties: 1PAYC: 7
AAPLPAYC

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.

PAYC

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

$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
PAYC
$-8.69
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Market Cap Declined
Σ Retained
$1.06B
Δ Market Cap
$-9.22B
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
58.6% Overvalued
Price is 58.6% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $280.25
Fair Value: $176.66
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
PAYC
41.5% Margin of Safety
Price is 41.5% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $131.96
Fair Value: $225.47
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 $280?

+16.0%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +17.4%

The market implies +16.0% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.

Standard FCF implies a demanding +17.4%, reflecting heavy growth investment.

PAYC

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $132?

+4.0%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +5.5%

The market implies +4.0% Owner Earnings growth, below historical trends — potential opportunity.

Standard FCF implies a more demanding +5.5%, reflecting heavy growth investment expected to generate future returns.

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.
PAYC
87/100
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 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.
PAYC
-2.54
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 65.3%Retail & Other 33.0%
No. of Institutional Holders7,540
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.
PAYC
Insiders 13.5%Institutions 107.6%
No. of Institutional Holders969
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
PAYC
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
No open market insider purchases found.
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
3
Sells (3M)
11
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $112.79M
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
COOK TIMOTHY D
Chief Executive Officer
$24.18M
@ $223.65 · 2025-04-02
ADAMS KATHERINE L
General Counsel
$8.68M
@ $223.67 · 2025-04-02
WILLIAMS JEFFREY E
Chief Operating Officer
$7.95M
@ $224.01 · 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
ADAMS KATHERINE L
General Counsel
$13.80M
@ $226.20 · 2024-10-02
WILLIAMS JEFFREY E
Chief Operating Officer
$13.55M
@ $226.86 · 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
LEVINSON ARTHUR D
Director
$14.37M
@ $191.58 · 2024-05-30
KONDO CHRISTOPHER
Officer
$951,785
@ $190.40 · 2024-05-15
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
PAYC
0
Sells (3M)
3
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $809,260
FOSTER ROBERT D
Chief Financial Officer
$211,458
@ $162.66 · 2025-12-10
PECK RANDALL
Chief Operating Officer
$363,541
@ $165.85 · 2025-12-05
PECK RANDALL
Chief Operating Officer
$234,261
@ $263.21 · 2025-06-04
WATTS JULIUS C JR.
Director
$109,108
@ $218.22 · 2025-02-24
PECK RANDALL
Chief Operating Officer
$763,866
@ $212.19 · 2025-02-21
PETERS FREDERICK C II
Director
$315,855
@ $210.57 · 2025-02-18
RICHISON CHAD R
Chief Executive Officer
$414,154
@ $212.39 · 2024-10-31
BOELTE CRAIG E
Chief Financial Officer
$1.85M
@ $155.98 · 2024-08-12
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
😏Greed(71/100)

"Market is optimistic — be cautious and ensure you have a margin of safety"

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.
PAYC
FearGreed
😨Fear(36/100)

"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: Greed (71)
PAYC
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 (36)
View AAPL Full AnalysisView PAYC Full Analysis
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