Apple vs. Microsoft: One Mega-Cap Looks Like the Better Long-Term Bet

Quick Read

• Microsoft’s P/E of 27 and $678 billion contracted backlog make it a stronger long-term value than Apple’s pricier 35 P/E.

• Apple returned $33 billion to shareholders last quarter while Microsoft bet $116 billion on AI infrastructure, sending free cash flow down 23%.

• Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Apple didn’t make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) just closed out fiscal periods that show two very different mega-caps.

Apple posted its strongest June quarter ever on iPhone 17 demand, while Microsoft wrapped fiscal 2026 with Azure crossing $100 billion in annual revenue. Both companies grew revenue in the high teens, but the engines driving them are pulling in opposite directions.

iPhone Supply Squeeze Meets Azure’s $678 Billion Backlog

Apple’s June quarter delivered revenue…