Apple vs Walmart: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Apple reported $416.2B of revenue in FY2025 and $112B of net income. Walmart reported $713.2B of revenue in FY2026 and $21.9B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
Apple
Apple's fiscal 2025 results describe a hardware business with software margins. Net sales rose 6 percent to $416.2 billion, net income reached $112.0 billion, and total gross margin was 46.9 percent, split between 36.8 percent on Products and 75.4 percent on Services. Services revenue of $109.2 billion, up 14 percent, is the reason the blended margin keeps rising. Cash generation is the other defining feature: operations produced $111.5 billion in fiscal 2025, and Apple returned $89.3 billion through share repurchases and $15.4 billion in dividends, after announcing a new repurchase authorization of up to $100 billion and raising the quarterly dividend to $0.26 per share in May 2025. Research and development came to $34.6 billion, 8 percent of net sales, and cash plus marketable securities stood at $132.4 billion at year end.
Walmart
Walmart's FY2026 total revenues rose 4.7% to $713.2 billion and net income attributable to Walmart rose to $21.9 billion from $19.4 billion in FY2025. In Q2 FY27 (quarter ended July 31, 2026), total revenues rose 5.9% to $187.9 billion and adjusted EPS was $0.81 versus $0.68 a year earlier. Adjusted operating income growth of about 17% in constant currency included a benefit from roughly $2.9 billion in IEEPA tariff refunds, much of which Walmart said it reinvested in prices. Walmart raised its full-year sales and operating income growth guidance with the Q2 report.
Revenue and profit by year
Apple
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $416.2B | $112B | 26.9% | +6.4% | Source |
| FY2024 | $391B | $93.7B | 24.0% | +2.0% | Source |
| FY2023 | $383.3B | $97B | 25.3% | -2.8% | Source |
| FY2022 | $394.3B | $99.8B | 25.3% | +7.8% | Source |
| FY2021 | $365.8B | $94.7B | 25.9% | +33.3% | Source |
| FY2020 | $274.5B | $57.4B | 20.9% | +5.5% | Source |
| FY2019 | $260.2B | $55.3B | 21.2% | -2.0% | Source |
| FY2018 | $265.6B | $59.5B | 22.4% | +15.9% | Source |
| FY2017 | $229.2B | $48.4B | 21.1% | +6.3% | Source |
| FY2016 | $215.6B | $45.7B | 21.2% | — | Source |
Walmart
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | $713.2B | $21.9B | 3.1% | +4.7% | Source |
| FY2025 | $681B | $19.4B | 2.9% | +5.1% | Source |
| FY2024 | $648.1B | $15.5B | 2.4% | +6.0% | Source |
| FY2023 | $611.3B | $11.7B | 1.9% | +6.7% | Source |
| FY2022 | $572.8B | $13.7B | 2.4% | +2.4% | Source |
| FY2021 | $559.2B | $13.5B | 2.4% | +6.7% | Source |
| FY2020 | $524B | $14.9B | 2.8% | +1.9% | Source |
| FY2019 | $514.4B | $6.7B | 1.3% | +2.8% | Source |
| FY2018 | $500.3B | $9.9B | 2.0% | +3.0% | Source |
| FY2017 | $485.9B | $13.6B | 2.8% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
Apple
- iPhone~50%
iPhone net sales were $209.6B in FY2025, up 4%, and the phone is the entry point into Services, accessories, AppleCare, iCloud and App Store spending.
- Services~26%
Services covers the App Store, advertising, cloud, AppleCare, payments, media subscriptions and licensing. FY2025 net sales were $109.2B, up 14%, at a 75.4% gross margin against 36.8% for Products.
- Mac and iPad~15%
Mac net sales were $33.7B and iPad $28.0B in FY2025, driven by Apple silicon refreshes, education, creative work and enterprise adoption.
- Wearables, Home and Accessories~9%
Apple Watch, AirPods, Vision Pro, home devices and accessories were $35.7B in FY2025, down 4%, and they deepen iPhone attachment.
Walmart
- Walmart U.S.
Largest segment, roughly two-thirds of revenue
U.S. supercenters, discount stores, Neighborhood Markets, Walmart.com, marketplace, and Walmart Connect.
- Walmart International
Second-largest segment
Operations including Walmex in Mexico and Central America, Flipkart in India, Walmart Canada, and Walmart China.
- Sam's Club U.S.
Smallest segment
Membership warehouse club sales, fuel, and membership fees.
- Advertising, Membership, and Marketplace Services
Higher-margin income across segments
Global advertising grew 38% and membership fee revenue 17% in Q2 FY27.
Business model and strategy
Apple
How it makes money
Apple sells hardware at premium prices and keeps the software, distribution and payment layers on top of it. The iPhone is the entry point, at $209.6 billion of fiscal 2025 net sales, and it pulls customers into iOS, iCloud storage plans, App Store purchases, AppleCare and accessories.
Growth strategy
Growth now comes from monetizing an installed base of more than 2.5 billion devices rather than from unit growth alone. Services rose 14 percent to $109.2 billion in fiscal 2025 on the App Store, advertising, iCloud, AppleCare, payments and subscription media, and Apple packages them through the Apple One bundle.
Competitive advantage
Apple's advantage comes from owning the parts other phone makers buy. It designs its own silicon, the A20 Pro in iPhone 18 Pro and the M5 in Mac and iPad Pro, plus the operating systems, the app store, the payment layer and the retail channel, so hardware, software and services are tuned to each other.
Walmart
How it makes money
Most of Walmart's revenue comes from selling groceries, consumables, general merchandise, health and wellness products, and fuel through stores, clubs, and ecommerce. Walmart U.S. is the largest segment at roughly two-thirds of revenue, followed by Walmart International (including Walmex, Flipkart, Walmart Canada, and Walmart China) and Sam's Club U.S.
Growth strategy
Walmart is pushing store-fulfilled delivery, marketplace assortment, advertising, and membership while keeping its price position. In Q2 FY27 it reported 23% global ecommerce growth, 38% global advertising growth, 17% higher membership fee revenue, and U.S. marketplace sales up 52%.
Competitive advantage
Walmart's edge is purchasing scale, a dense U.S. store network that doubles as a fulfillment network, frequent grocery trips, and first-party purchase data that supports its advertising business.
Questions about Apple vs Walmart
Which company has higher revenue — Apple Inc. or Walmart Inc.?
Apple Inc. reported $416.2B (FY2025), while Walmart Inc. reported $713.2B (FY2026). By last reported revenue, Walmart Inc. is the larger business, with Apple Inc. reporting a smaller revenue base. Note: these are from different fiscal years and are not a direct like-for-like comparison.
What is the market cap of Apple Inc. vs Walmart Inc.?
Apple Inc.'s market capitalisation stands at $4.98T, while Walmart Inc.'s is $790.0B. Apple Inc. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Walmart Inc..
Which is more financially efficient — Apple Inc. or Walmart Inc.?
Apple Inc. generates $2.51M / employee in revenue per employee, while Walmart Inc. generates $340k / employee. Apple Inc. shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do Apple Inc. and Walmart Inc. make money?
Apple Inc. and Walmart Inc. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Apple Inc.: Apple sells hardware at premium prices and keeps the software, distribution and payment layers on top of it. Walmart Inc.: Most of Walmart's revenue comes from selling groceries, consumables, general merchandise, health and wellness products, and fuel through stores, clubs, and ecommerce.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Apple Inc. or Walmart Inc.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Apple Inc. trades at 12.0x P/S and Walmart Inc. at 1.1x P/S. Apple Inc. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Walmart Inc.. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Apple Inc. bigger than Walmart Inc.?
By last reported revenue, Walmart Inc. ($713.2B (FY2026)) is the larger company compared to Apple Inc. ($416.2B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Apple vs Walmart overview