Cite This Comparison
"Apple vs Google (AAPL vs GOOG): Returns, Risk & Volatility (2025)." Gale Finance, December 31, 2025. https://www.gale.finance/compare/aapl-vs-goog-2025 Free to use with attribution. Please link back to this page or gale.finance.
Analysis period: 2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31
Relative Performance of AAPL vs GOOG (Normalized to 100)
Normalized to 100 at start date for comparison
Key Takeaways
- Total Return: AAPL delivered a +12.0% total return, while GOOG returned +65.3% over the same period. GOOG outperformed on total returns.
- Risk-Adjusted Return (Sharpe Ratio): GOOG had a higher Sharpe (1.62 vs 0.38), indicating better risk-adjusted performance.
- Volatility (Annualized): AAPL was more volatile, with 32.5% annualized volatility, versus 32.0% for GOOG.
- Maximum Drawdown: GOOG's maximum drawdown was -29.3%, while AAPL experienced a deeper drawdown of -30.2%.
Apple vs Google Correlation
Apple and Google were moderately correlated in 2025. With a correlation of 0.40, these assets showed moderate co-movement, offering some diversification when held together.
For portfolio construction, this moderate correlation offers some diversification benefit, though the assets still tend to move together during major market moves.
| Metric | Metric | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Current (30-day) | 0.49 | |
| Average (full period) | 0.40 | |
| Minimum | -0.15 | |
| Maximum | 0.86 |
Correlation measures how closely two assets move together. Values near +1 indicate strong co-movement, near 0 indicates independence, and negative values indicate inverse movement.
Investment Comparison
If you invested $10,000 in each asset on January 1, 2025:
Difference: $5,327.886 (GOOG ahead)
Apple and Google: Risk Analysis
Apple experienced its maximum drawdown of -30.2% from 2025-02-24 to 2025-04-08. It has not yet recovered to its previous peak.
Google experienced its maximum drawdown of -29.3% from 2025-02-04 to 2025-04-08. It has not yet recovered to its previous peak.
Smaller drawdowns and faster recoveries indicate lower downside risk and greater resilience during market stress.
Sharpe Ratio of AAPL and GOOG
Sharpe ratio measures return per unit of risk (volatility). A higher Sharpe indicates better risk-adjusted performance. GOOG had a higher Sharpe (1.62 vs 0.38), indicating better risk-adjusted performance.
A Sharpe above 1.0 is generally considered good, above 2.0 is excellent. Negative Sharpe means the asset underperformed the risk-free rate. Calculated on each asset's full 365-day lookback of available prices and annualized using the asset calendar (365 for crypto, 252 trading days for equities/ETFs/metals).
Sortino Ratio of AAPL and GOOG
Sortino ratio measures return per unit of downside risk. Unlike Sharpe, it only penalizes negative volatility. GOOG had better downside-adjusted returns.
A higher Sortino is better. It's particularly useful for assets with asymmetric volatility (big gains, smaller losses). Downside volatility: AAPL 23.7% vs GOOG 20.8%. Calculated on each asset's full 365-day lookback of available prices and annualized using the asset calendar (365 for crypto, 252 trading days for equities/ETFs/metals).
Full Comparison of Apple vs. Google (2025)
| Metric | AAPL | GOOG |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return | +12.0% | +65.3% |
| Annualized Volatility | 32.5% | 32.0% |
| Sharpe Ratio | 0.38 | 1.62 |
| Sortino Ratio | 0.52 | 2.49 |
| Max Drawdown | -30.2% | -29.3% |
| Avg Correlation to S&P 500 | N/A | N/A |
Apple vs Google: Frequently Asked Questions
Which had higher volatility: AAPL or GOOG?
AAPL showed higher volatility at 32.5% annualized, compared to 32.0% for GOOG During 2025. Higher volatility meant larger price swings in both directions.
Did AAPL provide diversification when held with GOOG?
AAPL and GOOG were moderately correlated in 2025, with an average correlation of 0.40. This offered some diversification benefit, though they still tended to move together during major market moves.
Which had better risk-adjusted returns: AAPL or GOOG?
GOOG showed better risk-adjusted performance with a Sharpe ratio of 1.62 versus AAPL's 0.38 During 2025.
Could AAPL and GOOG have been combined in a portfolio?
Yes, though allocation sizing mattered. Their moderate correlation offered some diversification benefits. AAPL's higher volatility (32.5%) meant even small allocations can materially impact overall portfolio risk.