Stock Analysis on Net

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)

$24.99

Economic Value Added (EVA)

Microsoft Excel

EVA is registered trademark of Stern Stewart.

Economic value added or economic profit is the difference between revenues and costs,where costs include not only expenses, but also cost of capital.

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Economic Profit

Apple Inc., economic profit calculation

US$ in millions

Microsoft Excel
12 months ended: Sep 28, 2024 Sep 30, 2023 Sep 24, 2022 Sep 25, 2021 Sep 26, 2020 Sep 28, 2019
Net operating profit after taxes (NOPAT)1
Cost of capital2
Invested capital3
 
Economic profit4

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2024-09-28), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-09-24), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-09-25), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-09-26), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-09-28).

1 NOPAT. See details »

2 Cost of capital. See details »

3 Invested capital. See details »

4 2024 Calculation
Economic profit = NOPAT – Cost of capital × Invested capital
= × =


Net Operating Profit After Taxes (NOPAT)
The net operating profit after taxes demonstrates a general upward trend over the observed periods, increasing significantly from approximately 53,447 million US dollars in 2019 to a peak of 101,652 million US dollars in 2022. However, there is a slight decline noted in the following years, with NOPAT decreasing to 94,296 million in 2023 and further to 91,849 million in 2024.
Cost of Capital
The cost of capital exhibits a steady increase over the time frame, starting at 15.88% in 2019 and rising consistently each year to reach 16.85% by 2024. This rising cost of capital may indicate increased risk or changes in market conditions affecting the company’s cost to finance its operations.
Invested Capital
The invested capital shows a fluctuating pattern across the periods. An initial decline is visible from 50,655 million US dollars in 2019 to 36,252 million in 2020, followed by a recovery and growth until 2023 where it peaks at 60,243 million. In 2024, this value again decreases to 50,072 million. The variability in invested capital might reflect changes in asset management, investment strategies, or divestitures.
Economic Profit
Economic profit aligns closely with the trends in NOPAT but with larger magnitudes, indicating strong value creation above the cost of capital. It rises steadily from 45,402 million US dollars in 2019 to a high of 93,906 million in 2022. Similar to NOPAT, economic profit slightly declines afterward, reaching 83,411 million in 2024. This pattern confirms sustained profitability and efficient capital usage, despite the rising cost of capital.
Summary
Overall, the financial data indicates strong profitability growth with a peak around 2022, followed by moderate declines in subsequent years. The increasing cost of capital poses potential challenges, but economic profit remains robust, suggesting continued effective management of invested capital. The fluctuations in invested capital indicate active capital allocation strategies, maintaining a balance between growth and capital efficiency.

Net Operating Profit after Taxes (NOPAT)

Apple Inc., NOPAT calculation

US$ in millions

Microsoft Excel
12 months ended: Sep 28, 2024 Sep 30, 2023 Sep 24, 2022 Sep 25, 2021 Sep 26, 2020 Sep 28, 2019
Net income
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)1
Increase (decrease) in deferred revenue2
Increase (decrease) in equity equivalents3
Interest expense
Interest expense, operating lease liability4
Adjusted interest expense
Tax benefit of interest expense5
Adjusted interest expense, after taxes6
(Gain) loss on marketable securities
Interest and dividend income
Investment income, before taxes
Tax expense (benefit) of investment income7
Investment income, after taxes8
Net operating profit after taxes (NOPAT)

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2024-09-28), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-09-24), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-09-25), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-09-26), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-09-28).

1 Elimination of deferred tax expense. See details »

2 Addition of increase (decrease) in deferred revenue.

3 Addition of increase (decrease) in equity equivalents to net income.

4 2024 Calculation
Interest expense on capitalized operating leases = Operating lease liability × Discount rate
= × =

5 2024 Calculation
Tax benefit of interest expense = Adjusted interest expense × Statutory income tax rate
= × 21.00% =

6 Addition of after taxes interest expense to net income.

7 2024 Calculation
Tax expense (benefit) of investment income = Investment income, before tax × Statutory income tax rate
= × 21.00% =

8 Elimination of after taxes investment income.


Net Income
The net income exhibits a general upward trend from 2019 through 2022, increasing from 55,256 million USD in 2019 to a peak of 99,803 million USD in 2022. After this peak, net income shows a decline in the subsequent years, dropping to 96,995 million USD in 2023 and further to 93,736 million USD in 2024. Despite the decline in the last two years, the net income remains significantly higher than the initial 2019 figure, indicating overall growth but with recent signs of contraction.
Net Operating Profit After Taxes (NOPAT)
NOPAT demonstrates a similar pattern to net income. Starting at 53,447 million USD in 2019, it increased steadily to reach 101,652 million USD in 2022, marking the highest value in the series. Subsequently, NOPAT decreased to 94,296 million USD in 2023 and further to 91,849 million USD in 2024. This trend suggests a peak in operating efficiency and profitability in 2022 followed by a notable reduction over the following two years.
Comparative Analysis
Both net income and NOPAT reflect an overall increase over the first four years of the analyzed period, indicating improvements in profitability and operating performance. The divergence in the last two years, with both metrics declining, could imply emerging challenges or shifts in operational dynamics. While the peaks in 2022 demonstrate strong financial performance, the decreases in 2023 and 2024 merit further investigation to identify underlying causes. Notably, net income consistently remains slightly higher than NOPAT across all years, as expected due to the difference in calculation bases between the two metrics.

Cash Operating Taxes

Apple Inc., cash operating taxes calculation

US$ in millions

Microsoft Excel
12 months ended: Sep 28, 2024 Sep 30, 2023 Sep 24, 2022 Sep 25, 2021 Sep 26, 2020 Sep 28, 2019
Provision for income taxes
Less: Deferred income tax expense (benefit)
Add: Tax savings from interest expense
Less: Tax imposed on investment income
Cash operating taxes

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2024-09-28), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-09-24), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-09-25), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-09-26), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-09-28).


Provision for Income Taxes
The provision for income taxes demonstrates a generally upward trend over the six-year period analyzed. Starting at 10,481 million US dollars in 2019, it slightly decreased in 2020 to 9,680 million but then increased significantly in subsequent years, reaching 29,749 million by 2024. This indicates substantial growth in tax expense provision, with the most pronounced increases occurring between 2021 to 2022 and 2023 to 2024.
Cash Operating Taxes
Cash operating taxes also rose substantially over the same timeframe. The value grew from 10,617 million US dollars in 2019 to 32,898 million in 2024. Unlike the provision for income taxes, cash operating taxes show a more consistent year-over-year increase, with a noteworthy acceleration between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024. There was a marked jump from 19,931 million in 2023 to 32,898 million in 2024.
Comparative Analysis
Both provision for income taxes and cash operating taxes exhibit strong growth trends, with cash operating taxes consistently exceeding the provisions. The widening gap in the latter years may suggest changes in tax payment timing, adjustments, or operational tax strategies. The accelerated increase in 2023 and 2024 warrants further examination to understand the underlying causes, such as changes in profitability, tax rates, or regulatory impacts.

Invested Capital

Apple Inc., invested capital calculation (financing approach)

US$ in millions

Microsoft Excel
Sep 28, 2024 Sep 30, 2023 Sep 24, 2022 Sep 25, 2021 Sep 26, 2020 Sep 28, 2019
Current portion of finance leases
Commercial paper
Current portion of term debt
Non-current portion of term debt
Non-current portion of finance leases
Operating lease liability1
Total reported debt & leases
Shareholders’ equity
Net deferred tax (assets) liabilities2
Deferred revenue3
Equity equivalents4
Accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss, net of tax5
Adjusted shareholders’ equity
Marketable securities6
Invested capital

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2024-09-28), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-09-24), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-09-25), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-09-26), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-09-28).

1 Addition of capitalized operating leases.

2 Elimination of deferred taxes from assets and liabilities. See details »

3 Addition of deferred revenue.

4 Addition of equity equivalents to shareholders’ equity.

5 Removal of accumulated other comprehensive income.

6 Subtraction of marketable securities.


Total reported debt & leases
Over the period from September 2019 to September 2024, total reported debt and leases exhibited a fluctuating but overall slightly decreasing trend. The debt increased from approximately $116.6 billion in 2019 to a peak of about $136.5 billion in 2021. Following this peak, a downward trend is observed with debt reducing to roughly $119.1 billion by 2024, indicating a moderate deleveraging or improved debt management in the later years.
Shareholders’ equity
Shareholders' equity showed a declining pattern over the six-year span. Starting at around $90.5 billion in 2019, it declined sharply to approximately $65.3 billion in 2020 and continued a gradual decrease, reaching a low of about $50.7 billion in 2022. A partial recovery is seen in 2023 with equity rising to $62.1 billion, but it declined again to $56.9 billion by 2024. This trend indicates erosion in net assets attributable to shareholders, reflecting potential challenges in profitability, retained earnings, or possible share repurchases.
Invested capital
The invested capital figures demonstrate variability with an overall increase followed by a decline. Beginning at roughly $50.7 billion in 2019, it fell sharply to about $36.3 billion in 2020, likely reflecting reduced investment or asset base changes during that period. Subsequently, a recovery trend is apparent, with invested capital rising to nearly $60.2 billion by 2023. However, it decreased again to approximately $50.1 billion in 2024. These fluctuations suggest changes in operational efficiency, capital expenditures, or asset turnover impacting the capital invested in the business.

Cost of Capital

Apple Inc., cost of capital calculations

Capital (fair value)1 Weights Cost of capital
Equity2 ÷ = × =
Commercial paper, term debt, and finance leases3 ÷ = × × (1 – 21.00%) =
Operating lease liability4 ÷ = × × (1 – 21.00%) =
Total:

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2024-09-28).

1 US$ in millions

2 Equity. See details »

3 Commercial paper, term debt, and finance leases. See details »

4 Operating lease liability. See details »

Capital (fair value)1 Weights Cost of capital
Equity2 ÷ = × =
Commercial paper, term debt, and finance leases3 ÷ = × × (1 – 21.00%) =
Operating lease liability4 ÷ = × × (1 – 21.00%) =
Total:

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2023-09-30).

1 US$ in millions

2 Equity. See details »

3 Commercial paper, term debt, and finance leases. See details »

4 Operating lease liability. See details »

Capital (fair value)1 Weights Cost of capital
Equity2 ÷ = × =
Commercial paper, term debt, and finance leases3 ÷ = × × (1 – 21.00%) =
Operating lease liability4 ÷ = × × (1 – 21.00%) =
Total:

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2022-09-24).

1 US$ in millions

2 Equity. See details »

3 Commercial paper, term debt, and finance leases. See details »

4 Operating lease liability. See details »

Capital (fair value)1 Weights Cost of capital
Equity2 ÷ = × =
Commercial paper, term debt, and finance leases3 ÷ = × × (1 – 21.00%) =
Operating lease liability4 ÷ = × × (1 – 21.00%) =
Total:

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2021-09-25).

1 US$ in millions

2 Equity. See details »

3 Commercial paper, term debt, and finance leases. See details »

4 Operating lease liability. See details »

Capital (fair value)1 Weights Cost of capital
Equity2 ÷ = × =
Commercial paper, term debt, and finance leases3 ÷ = × × (1 – 21.00%) =
Operating lease liability4 ÷ = × × (1 – 21.00%) =
Total:

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2020-09-26).

1 US$ in millions

2 Equity. See details »

3 Commercial paper, term debt, and finance leases. See details »

4 Operating lease liability. See details »

Capital (fair value)1 Weights Cost of capital
Equity2 ÷ = × =
Commercial paper, term debt, and finance leases3 ÷ = × × (1 – 21.00%) =
Operating lease liability4 ÷ = × × (1 – 21.00%) =
Total:

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2019-09-28).

1 US$ in millions

2 Equity. See details »

3 Commercial paper, term debt, and finance leases. See details »

4 Operating lease liability. See details »


Economic Spread Ratio

Apple Inc., economic spread ratio calculation, comparison to benchmarks

Microsoft Excel
Sep 28, 2024 Sep 30, 2023 Sep 24, 2022 Sep 25, 2021 Sep 26, 2020 Sep 28, 2019
Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions)
Economic profit1
Invested capital2
Performance Ratio
Economic spread ratio3
Benchmarks
Economic Spread Ratio, Competitors4
Arista Networks Inc.
Cisco Systems Inc.
Dell Technologies Inc.
Super Micro Computer Inc.

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2024-09-28), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-09-24), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-09-25), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-09-26), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-09-28).

1 Economic profit. See details »

2 Invested capital. See details »

3 2024 Calculation
Economic spread ratio = 100 × Economic profit ÷ Invested capital
= 100 × ÷ =

4 Click competitor name to see calculations.


Economic Profit
The economic profit displayed an overall increasing trend from 2019 to 2022, rising from $45,402 million to $93,906 million. However, it subsequently decreased in 2023 to $84,193 million and remained relatively stable in 2024 at $83,411 million. The initial growth period suggests improving profitability or value creation, while the slight decline and stabilization in the later years may indicate market challenges or diminishing returns on investments.
Invested Capital
The invested capital showed a non-linear pattern over the period. It decreased sharply from $50,655 million in 2019 to $36,252 million in 2020, then increased steadily to a peak of $60,243 million in 2023 before declining again to $50,072 million in 2024. This fluctuation might reflect strategic changes in asset allocation, capital expenditures, or divestments impacting the company’s capital base.
Economic Spread Ratio
The economic spread ratio exhibited significant variation throughout the years, starting at 89.63% in 2019 and rising steeply to 201.25% in 2022. This indicates a marked improvement in the return generated over the cost of capital during this period. However, the ratio dropped to 139.76% in 2023 before increasing again to 166.58% in 2024, suggesting some volatility in economic efficiency, but maintaining a level well above the initial years.
Overall Insights
The data indicates a period of strong growth and enhanced economic profitability up to 2022, accompanied by fluctuating invested capital levels. The subsequent years show some deceleration in economic profit and capital investment, alongside volatility in economic efficiency as reflected by the economic spread ratio. These trends could imply adjustments in operational performance or investment strategies in response to evolving market conditions or internal priorities.

Economic Profit Margin

Apple Inc., economic profit margin calculation, comparison to benchmarks

Microsoft Excel
Sep 28, 2024 Sep 30, 2023 Sep 24, 2022 Sep 25, 2021 Sep 26, 2020 Sep 28, 2019
Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions)
Economic profit1
 
Net sales
Add: Increase (decrease) in deferred revenue
Adjusted net sales
Performance Ratio
Economic profit margin2
Benchmarks
Economic Profit Margin, Competitors3
Arista Networks Inc.
Cisco Systems Inc.
Dell Technologies Inc.
Super Micro Computer Inc.

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2024-09-28), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-09-24), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-09-25), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-09-26), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-09-28).

1 Economic profit. See details »

2 2024 Calculation
Economic profit margin = 100 × Economic profit ÷ Adjusted net sales
= 100 × ÷ =

3 Click competitor name to see calculations.


Economic Profit
The economic profit showed a consistent upward trend from 2019 through 2022, increasing from $45,402 million in 2019 to a peak of $93,906 million in 2022. However, a decline is observed in the subsequent years, dropping to $84,193 million in 2023 and slightly decreasing to $83,411 million in 2024. This indicates strong profit growth historically, followed by a recent phase of contraction.
Adjusted Net Sales
Adjusted net sales exhibited steady growth over the analyzed period, rising continuously from $259,474 million in 2019 to $394,828 million in 2022. After a slight dip to $382,985 million in 2023, sales recovered somewhat, reaching $391,735 million in 2024. Overall, the sales trajectory suggests expansion with minor fluctuations in the last two years.
Economic Profit Margin
The economic profit margin increased progressively from 17.5% in 2019 to a high of 23.78% in 2022, reflecting improving profitability relative to sales. Following this peak, the margin declined to 21.98% in 2023 and further to 21.29% in 2024. Despite the recent decline, margins remain above the 2019 base, signifying maintained profitability but a relative reduction in efficiency or cost-effectiveness in the latest years.
Summary of Trends
Overall, the data reveal a pattern of growth in both economic profit and sales through early years, peaking around 2022. Post-2022, the slight decreases in economic profit and margin suggest some challenges in sustaining peak profitability, though adjusted net sales largely remain stable. Continued monitoring of margin compression and profit trends is advisable to assess underlying factors influencing these changes.