AAPL vs EXAS Stock Comparison

AAPL currently leads EXAS in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 63 vs 46. The clearest difference is quality.

Market data as of Oct 21, 2026 market close· AIQ score gap 17 points
AAPL
Technology
vs
EXAS
Healthcare
AAPL
Apple Inc.
Leads
Price
$344
Day move
+1.32%
AIQ Score
63/100
Best edge
Quality
Sector
Technology
EXAS
Exact Sciences Corporation
Price
$105
Day move
-
AIQ Score
46/100
Best edge
Balanced
Sector
Healthcare

What is the main difference between AAPL and EXAS?

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 Exact Sciences Corporation

Data as of Oct 21, 2026· market close· Cross-sector · Technology vs Healthcare· Coverage 64/66 fields· High confidence
AIQ VerdictCompetitiveAIQ Comparison Conviction 6/10

AAPL leads

AAPL leads by 17 AIQ points, primarily on Quality. Wall Street currently favors EXAS on target upside.

Competitive: 1 of 6 evidence groups support AAPL, and its current signal state is conflicted.

Evidence agreement: 1 of 6Comparison trend: Stable
AAPL

Apple Inc.

Leads
AIQ Score
63/100
AIQ Edge Score
8/10
EXAS

Exact Sciences Corporation

AIQ Score
46/100
AIQ Edge Score
3/10

The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors AAPL over EXAS, 63 versus 46 as of Oct 21, 2026. AAPL's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality. AAPL also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average, though analyst target upside currently favors EXAS. 1 of 6 covered evidence groups favor AAPL today, and the comparison is rated Competitive on stability: only 1 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. AAPL lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 17 points over 30 sessions.

Compare Apple Inc. and Exact Sciences Corporation across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.

Currently unavailable

Performance over time

Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes.

AAPL
+134.2%
EXAS
+11.0%

Total return comparison

Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested

AAPL $23,415 · EXAS $11,096

Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.

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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.

AAPL advantage
0
EXAS advantage
  • Quality80 vs 44
    AAPL +36
  • Value38 vs 37
    Even
  • Risk Resilience68 vs 67
    Even

1 of 6 evidence groups favor AAPL. AAPL’s edge is concentrated in quality.

What changed since the last close

Latest scored session 2026-10-20, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-19.

AAPL-2 AIQ

Largest factor move: Momentum -9

New signals

  • MACD Bearish Crossover — bearish, momentum, short horizon
EXAS0 AIQ

No factor moved materially.

No signal started or stopped since the prior session.

AAPL's lead narrowed by 2 AIQ points in the latest session.

Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — AAPL and EXAS both carry a full feed there.

The central trade-off

AAPL (Apple Inc.): the stronger current systematic profile, led by quality.

EXAS (Exact Sciences Corporation): the counter-case, on technicals, analyst expectations.

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

AAPL

AAPL on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.

Growth

Even

Growth figures are not covered for both names.

Value

Even

The two are level on Value.

Momentum

Even

The two are level on Momentum.

Lower downside

EXAS

EXAS carries the lower 1-month annualized volatility.

Analyst upside

EXAS

EXAS 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 EXAS. That disagreement is the most useful thing on this page.

MeasureAAPLEXASNote
Implied upside to target-3.3%+0.1%EXAS has more room
Target dispersion+46.6%0%Lower is tighter analyst agreement
ConsensusBuyHoldContext, not a primary driver
Analysts covering191Higher 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.

AIQ Agreement Matrix

1 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 groupFavorsReading
AIQ ScoreAAPL63 vs 46
FundamentalsEvenrevenue growth -1.6% vs 3.2%; TTM ROE 137.2% vs -8.5%; gross margin 48.7% vs 69.7%; operating margin 33.2% vs -6.2%
ValuationEvenValue 38 vs 37
TechnicalsEXASPrice vs 50-day 5.2% vs 1.8%; vs 200-day 15.8% vs 41.3%
Risk ResilienceEvenRisk Resilience 68 vs 67
Analyst expectationsEXASTarget upside -3.3% vs 0.1%

✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of AAPL and EXAS and are excluded from the count.

AIQ Decision Stability

Competitive

The two are close enough that your objective, not the score, should decide.

  • The AIQ gap is wide at 17 points. (supports the conclusion holding)
  • Only 1 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
  • The lead has been steady session to session. (supports the conclusion holding)
  • The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)

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.

How the comparison changed

120 daily snapshots · Jun 21 – Oct 20

AAPL lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 17 points over 30 sessions.

Jun 21AAPL leads above the line · EXAS leads belowOct 20
Today
AAPL +17
63 vs 46
7 sessions ago
AAPL +15
61 vs 46
30 sessions ago
AAPL +17
63 vs 46
90 sessions ago
AAPL +5
51 vs 46

The lead has not changed hands in this window.

AIQ Signal Divergence

Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.

AAPLConflicted

4 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted

Only AAPL

  • Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (11.51%)
  • EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish — bullish, trend, medium horizon
  • 52-Week High Proximity — bullish, risk, long horizon (1.5%)
  • Uptrend Structure Active — bullish, trend, long horizon
  • MACD Bearish Crossover — bearish, momentum, short horizon
EXAS

No active signals

No signal that the other name lacks.

AAPL leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.

Price vs model alignment

Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.

AAPLDivergence

Price is up while the AIQ Score moved down 2 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price +1.32%, AIQ -2 points).

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.

  1. 1EXAS closes the Quality gap — currently 36 points behind, the largest single contributor to AAPL's edge.
  2. 2EXAS generates a confirmed bullish trend signal it does not currently carry, such as Golden Cross Active or MACD Bullish Crossover.
  3. 3AAPL's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 4 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once.
  4. 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

Split
MetricAAPLEXAS
Revenue growth (YoY)-1.6%3.2%
EPS growth (YoY)1%-3.5%
Gross margin48.7%69.7%
Operating margin33.2%-6.2%
Return on equity (TTM)137.2%-8.5%
Debt to equity0.781.05

Performance

EXAS leads 4 of 6 windows
MetricAAPLEXAS
1 week (5 sessions)-0.5%1.3%
1 month (20 sessions)-0.1%1.4%
3 months (63 sessions)4.2%3.2%
6 months (126 sessions)27.6%100.3%
Year to date24.9%3.3%
1 year (252 sessions)37.2%133.5%

Technicals

EXAS has the stronger structure
MetricAAPLEXAS
RSI (14)60.574.1
ADX (14)17.942.9
Price vs 50-day5.2%1.8%
Price vs 200-day15.8%41.3%
Volatility (1M, annualized)16.4%4.2%

Risk

Split
MetricAAPLEXAS
Beta0.62-0.22
Sharpe ratio1.183.17
Sortino ratio1.612.67
Max drawdown-13.8%-5%
Current drawdown-1.1%0%
Annualized volatility24.4%43.5%
Value at risk (95%)-2%-1%

Straight answers

Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.

Which is better, AAPL or EXAS?

On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, AAPL is the stronger of the two as of Oct 21, 2026, scoring 63 against EXAS's 46. The edge comes from quality. 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 EXAS the better buy right now?

AAPL carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 21, 2026, and the comparison is rated Competitive — 1 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 EXAS?

The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. AAPL leads Quality by 36 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.

Which has more analyst upside, AAPL or EXAS?

Analyst price targets imply -3.3% upside for AAPL and +0.1% for EXAS, so the Street currently favors EXAS. 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 EXAS?

Neither name separates on the peer-relative Value factor. The two are level on Value. 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 EXAS?

Growth figures are not covered for both names. 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 EXAS?

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 EXAS?

EXAS is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. EXAS carries the lower 1-month annualized volatility. 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 EXAS?

The profitability evidence is mixed: gross margin 48.7% vs 69.7%; operating margin 33.2% vs -6.2%; ttm roe 137.2% vs -8.5%. AAPL leads on two measures and EXAS on one measure, and there is no single profitability composite that resolves the split — which of the two reads as "more profitable" depends on whether you weight pricing power or operating leverage.

Is AAPL's lead over EXAS getting stronger or weaker?

AAPL lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 17 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-21 and 2026-10-20. The lead has not changed hands in that window.

What would change the AAPL vs EXAS verdict?

The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: EXAS closes the Quality gap — currently 36 points behind, the largest single contributor to AAPL's edge; EXAS generates a confirmed bullish trend signal it does not currently carry, such as Golden Cross Active or MACD Bullish Crossover; AAPL's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 4 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once; 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.

What do the current signals say about AAPL and EXAS?

AAPL: 4 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted. EXAS: No active signals. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on AAPL is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).

Compare AAPL and EXAS 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.