Operating
Stock-Based Comp
Apple Stock-Based Comp increased by 12.9% to $3.59B in Q4 2025 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 9.4%, from $3.29B to $3.59B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Stock-Based Comp shows an upward trend with a 12.9% CAGR.
Analysis
StatementCash Flow Statement
SectionOperating
CategoryCapital Allocation
SignalContext dependent
VolatilityModerate
First reportedQ4 2013
Last reportedQ4 2025
How to read this metric
An increase may signal a strategy to preserve cash or align employee interests with shareholders, but it also results in share dilution.
Detailed definition
Stock-based compensation is a non-cash expense where employees and executives are rewarded with equity or stock options...
Peer comparison
High-growth technology firms often have higher stock-based compensation as a percentage of revenue compared to mature industrial firms.
Metric ID:
cf_stock_based_compensationHistorical Data
19 periods
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $1.96B | $1.95B | $2.27B | $2.25B | $2.24B | $2.28B | $2.91B | $2.69B | $2.62B | $2.63B | $3.00B | $2.96B | $2.87B | $2.86B | $3.29B | $3.23B | $3.17B | $3.18B | $3.59B |
| QoQ Change | — | -0.8% | +16.5% | -0.6% | -0.4% | +1.6% | +27.5% | -7.5% | -2.6% | +0.3% | +14.2% | -1.1% | -3.2% | -0.4% | +15.0% | -1.8% | -1.8% | +0.5% | +12.9% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +14.4% | +17.1% | +28.3% | +19.3% | +16.7% | +15.2% | +3.2% | +10.3% | +9.6% | +8.9% | +9.6% | +8.8% | +10.4% | +11.4% | +9.4% |
Range$1.95B – $3.59B
CAGR+14.4%
Avg YoY Growth+12.8%
Median YoY Growth+10.4%
Current Streak2 quarters growth
Stock-Based Comp at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Apple's stock-based comp?
- Apple (AAPL) reported stock-based comp of $3.59B in Q4 2025.
- How has Apple's stock-based comp changed year-over-year?
- Apple's stock-based comp increased by 9.4% year-over-year, from $3.29B to $3.59B.
- What is the long-term trend for Apple's stock-based comp?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Apple's stock-based comp has grown at a 12.9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $7.91B to $12.86B.
- What does stock-based comp mean?
- The value of company shares given to employees as part of their pay.