AAPL vs CAH Stock Comparison
AAPL currently leads CAH in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 62 vs 51. The clearest difference is quality, while CAH has the stronger value profile.
What is the main difference between AAPL and CAH?
AAPL leads the current stock comparison as Apple Inc., with the clearest separation coming from quality and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
Apple Inc. vs Cardinal Health, Inc.
AAPL leads
AAPL leads by 11 AIQ points, primarily on Quality and Risk Resilience. Wall Street currently favors CAH on target upside.
Competitive: 4 of 6 evidence groups support AAPL.
Apple Inc.
Cardinal Health, Inc.
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors AAPL over CAH, 62 versus 51 as of Oct 31, 2026. AAPL's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality and risk resilience, while CAH holds the stronger value profile. AAPL also shows the weaker technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average, though analyst target upside currently favors CAH. 4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor AAPL today, and the comparison is rated Competitive on stability.
Compare Apple Inc. and Cardinal Health, Inc. across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Price return from daily closes; distributions are not included.
Price return comparison
Growth of $10,000, price only
Split-adjusted closes only. Distributions are excluded, which understates the return of any fund or stock that pays them.
Compare AAPL and CAH against another ticker
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AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Quality80 vs 32AAPL +48
- Value38 vs 56CAH +18
- Risk Resilience69 vs 55AAPL +14
- Momentum65 vs 67Even
4 of 6 evidence groups favor AAPL. AAPL’s edge is concentrated in quality and risk resilience; CAH keeps a meaningful value edge.
The central trade-off
AAPL (Apple Inc.): the stronger current systematic profile, led by quality and risk resilience.
CAH (Cardinal Health, Inc.): the counter-case, on value, valuation, analyst expectations — but at materially higher volatility, 26.8% against 13.6%.
The AIQ Score and Wall Street therefore point in different directions on this pair.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
AAPLAAPL on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
CAHCAH on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
CAHCAH on the peer-relative Value factor, by 18 points.
Momentum
EvenThe two are level on Momentum.
Lower downside
AAPLAAPL on Risk Resilience, by 14 points.
Analyst upside
CAHCAH on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
The model and the Street disagree here: AIQ favors AAPL, analyst targets favor CAH. That disagreement is the most useful thing on this page.
| Measure | AAPL | CAH | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | -1.7% | +10.1% | CAH has more room |
| Target dispersion | +45.7% | +16.3% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Hold | Buy | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 19 | 9 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
The two are measuring different things. The AIQ Score reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; analyst targets price forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something already priced in — it is worth resolving before acting on either.
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Dividend growth
| Dividend metric | AAPL | CAH |
|---|---|---|
| 5Y dividend CAGR | 4.99% | 0.95% |
| 2020 regular DPS | $0.808 | $1.939 |
| 2025 regular DPS | $1.030 | $2.033 |
| Years increased | 5 | 4 |
| No cut in window | Yes | No (1) |
| Cohort rank | #254 | not ranked |
AAPL grew its split-adjusted regular dividend faster over 2020–2025 — 4.99% a year against CAH's 0.95%. AAPL never reduced its regular dividend in the window; CAH did in 1 year.
Yield and payout ratio shown elsewhere on this page are current values, not part of the study window.
Split-adjusted regular dividends per share, 2020–2025, excluding special dividends. Research as of Sep 19, 2026.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor AAPL. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | AAPL | 62 vs 51 |
| Fundamentals | AAPLon balance | revenue growth -1.6% vs 4.8%; EPS growth 1% vs 1.2%; TTM ROE 137.2% vs -59.7%; gross margin 48.7% vs 3.8%; operating margin 33.2% vs 1% — AAPL takes 3 of 4 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | CAH | Value 38 vs 56 |
| Technicals | AAPL | Price vs 50-day 3.9% vs 5.7%; vs 200-day 16.3% vs 10.4% |
| Risk Resilience | AAPL | Risk Resilience 69 vs 55 |
| Analyst expectations | CAH | Target upside -1.7% vs 10.1% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of AAPL and CAH and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The two are close enough that your objective, not the score, should decide.
- The AIQ gap is moderate at 11 points.
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on AAPL.
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1CAH closes the Quality gap — currently 48 points behind, the largest single contributor to AAPL's edge.
- 2CAH generates a confirmed bullish trend signal it does not currently carry, such as Golden Cross Active or MACD Bullish Crossover.
- 3AAPL starts generating bearish momentum or trend signals.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
AAPL leads on balance| Metric | AAPL | CAH |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | -1.6% | 4.8% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | 1% | 1.2% |
| Gross margin | 48.7% | 3.8% |
| Operating margin | 33.2% | 1% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 137.2% | -59.7% |
| Debt to equity | 0.78 | -3.45 |
Performance
Split across windows| Metric | AAPL | CAH |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | 0% | -4.9% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | 3.2% | 10% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | 3.1% | 7.8% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | 27.3% | 20.7% |
| Year to date | 26.5% | 19.1% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | 30.8% | 51.2% |
Technicals
AAPL has the stronger structure| Metric | AAPL | CAH |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 54.7 | 57.1 |
| ADX (14) | 19.9 | 22.1 |
| Price vs 50-day | 3.9% | 5.7% |
| Price vs 200-day | 16.3% | 10.4% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 13.6% | 26.8% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, AAPL or CAH?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, AAPL is the stronger of the two as of Oct 31, 2026, scoring 62 against CAH's 51. The edge comes from quality and risk resilience. CAH is not without a case — it holds the better value profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is AAPL or CAH the better buy right now?
AAPL carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 31, 2026, and the comparison is rated Competitive — 4 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Competitive rating means the two are close enough that your objective, not the score, should decide.
Why does the AIQ Score favor AAPL over CAH?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. AAPL leads Quality by 48 points; CAH leads Value by 18 points; AAPL leads Risk Resilience by 14 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, AAPL or CAH?
Analyst price targets imply -1.7% upside for AAPL and +10.1% for CAH, so the Street currently favors CAH. That points the opposite way to the AIQ Score, which favors AAPL. The two are measuring different things: the model reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; the Street is pricing forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something the analysts have already priced — it is the single most useful row on this page to investigate. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, AAPL or CAH?
CAH is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. CAH on the peer-relative Value factor, by 18 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, AAPL or CAH?
CAH on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, AAPL or CAH?
The two are level on Momentum. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, AAPL or CAH?
AAPL is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. AAPL on Risk Resilience, by 14 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is AAPL more profitable than CAH?
AAPL leads on the comparable margin measures — gross margin 48.7% vs 3.8%; operating margin 33.2% vs 1%; ttm roe 137.2% vs -59.7%.
What would change the AAPL vs CAH verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: CAH closes the Quality gap — currently 48 points behind, the largest single contributor to AAPL's edge; CAH generates a confirmed bullish trend signal it does not currently carry, such as Golden Cross Active or MACD Bullish Crossover; AAPL starts generating bearish momentum or trend signals; a regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
Compare AAPL and CAH with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.