Introduction

Apple Inc. and Microsoft Inc. are amongst the largest corporations in the United States and globally. Specifically, Apple Inc. is a multinational specializing in software, consumer electronics, and online services. Microsoft, a major competitor to Apple Inc., partakes in the production of consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers.

Financial Ratio Analysis

Ratio

Formula

Apple Inc.

Microsoft Corporation

Earnings per share of Common Stock

Net Income / Outstanding Number of Common Shares

5.67

8.12

Current Ratio

Current Assets/Current Liabilities

1.07

2.08

Gross Profit Rate

Gross Profit/ Revenue

41.78%

68.93%

Profit Margin

Net Earnings/Revenue

25.88%

36.45%

Inventory Turnover

Cost of Goods Sold/ Inventory

32.36

19.81

Days in Inventory

(Inventory / Cost of Goods Sold) 365 days

11.28

18.42

Accounts Receivable Turnover

Sales/Accounts Receivable

13.92

4.42

Average Collection Period

(Accounts Receivable/Revenue) 365

26.22

82.61

Asset Turnover

Total Assets/ Revenue

0.96

1.99

Return on Assets (ROA)

Net Profit/Total Assets

26.97%

18.36%

Debt to Assets Ratio

Total Debt / Total Assets

0.82

0.57

Times Interest Earned Ratio

EBITDA/Interest Expense

41.19

29.80

Dividend Yield

Dividend per share / Current share price

0.15%

0.83%

Return on Common Stockholders Equity (ROE)

Net Income / Outstanding Number of Common Shares

150.07%

43.15%

Free Cash Flow

Current Assets (Current Assets Current Liabilities) + Depreciation

136765

100343

Price-Earnings Ratio

Share price/ Earnings per share

25.77

33.10

Earnings per share of Common Stock

Earnings per share is a ratio indicative of a firms profitability by demonstrating the income generated for every share of common stock. The EPS for Apple was $5.67, whereas Microsofts EPS was $8.12. This indicates that Microsoft was the more profitable firm of the two. This implies that Microsoft generated a higher return for each share of its common stock.

Current Ratio

The current ratio of Apple Inc. was determined to be 1.07, whereas that of Microsoft Corporation was 2.08. This implies that Microsoft is in a better financial position to pay its short-term obligations due within one year than Apple. Specifically, the computation shows that for Apple, the company had $1.07 of current assets for every $1 of current liabilities, whereas Microsoft had $2.08 of current assets for every $1 of current liabilities. This means that Microsoft has two times the amount of current assets than liabilities and, therefore, can comfortably deal with its short-term debts compared to Apple.

Gross Profit Ratio

The gross profit margin signifies the proportion of revenue that surpasses the cost of goods sold (Tracy, 2012). It is perceptible that Microsoft had a higher gross profit margin at 68.93 percent compared to 41.78 percent for Apple Inc. This indicates that Microsoft was more profitable than Apple in the 2021 fiscal year.

Profit Margin

Mostly referred to as the net profit margin, this financial ratio indicates a companys profitability. Specifically, it expresses the proportion of net income concerning the revenues generated by the company (Tracy, 2012). Apple Inc. had a profit margin of 25.88 percent, whereas Microsoft had a margin of 36.45 percent. This implies that the company made a net return of 25.88 cents for every dollar of revenue generated by Apple. However, generated a higher margin with a net return of 36.45 cents for every dollar of revenue. This indicates that Microsoft was more profitable.

Inventory Turnover

Inventory turnover is a financial ratio that indicates the rate at which inventory is either retailed, utilized, or replaced (Raiyani et al., 2011). The inventory turnover for Apple Inc. in 2021 was 32.36 days, whereas that for Microsoft was 19.81. Considering that Apple had a higher inventory turnover ratio than Microsoft, it implies that the company had strong sales and that its product offerings sold better than the latter.

Days in Inventory

Days in inventory refers to the average period a firm preserves its inventory before selling it (Tracy, 2012). Based on calculations of their respective 2021 annual...…price. This is indicative that Microsoft had a greater profitability level.

Return on Common Stockholders Equity (ROE)

The ROE is a metric that depicts profitability. Based on the computations, Microsoft had an ROE of 43.15 percent. This implies that the company generated a return of 43.15 cents for every dollar of shareholders equity. On the other hand, Apple demonstrated a greater financial performance with an ROE of 150.07 percent. This is construed as having a return of 1.5 dollars for every dollar of shareholder equity invested. This demonstrates that Apple Inc. was more effective in capitalizing on its shareholder equity to generate returns.

Free Cash Flow

This ratio conveys to investors how well the company is doing and, more significantly, whether it will have the capability to provide a return on its investment (Raiyani et al., 2011). Based on the computations, Apple Inc. had a higher free cash flow of $136,765 compared to Microsoft Corporation, which had $100,343. This implies that, albeit both companies are doing well, Apple indicated better.

Price-Earnings Ratio

According to Yahoo Finance, Microsofts adjusted closing share price on 06/30/21 was $268.71. On the other hand, the adjusted closing share price for Apple Inc. as of 9/24/21 was $ 146.10. Bearing this in mind, and considering the respective companies EPS, Apples price-earnings ratio was 25.77, whereas that for Microsoft Inc. was 33.10. This implies that Microsoft Inc. has a greater worth in comparing the two companies. The lower the price-earnings ratio, the better for the company and the prospective investors. This implies that Apple Inc. is in a better position.

Conclusion

In examining the financial ratios of both companies and their respective performances based on the 2021 financial year, I would recommend that Microsoft had…