Apple and Nvidia Vie for the Position as the World's Biggest Company: Which Is the Better Buy Now?

Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has held the position as the world's biggest company since about a year ago, when it became the first to reach $4 trillion in market value. It soared past former leaders Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Microsoft. But in recent days, Apple, which hasn't climbed as much as its peers during the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, has been making a comeback.

And on July 17, Apple even slipped ahead of Nvidia to become -- at least for part of the trading session -- the world's biggest company. By the end of the day, though, Nvidia returned to the lead with a value of $4.9 trillion. That's compared to $4.89 trillion for Apple.

As these tech giants vie for the position as the world's biggest company, which is the better buy now? Let's find out.

Image source: Getty Images.

The case for Nvidia

Nvidia stock has soared more than 300% over the past three years amid excitement about its position in the AI market. The company is the No. 1 designer of graphic processing units (GPUs), the chips used to power AI development and use. This strength, along with Nvidia's full portfolio of related products and services, has generated double- and triple-digit earnings growth in recent years.

For example, in the recent quarter, Nvidia's revenue surged 85% to more than $81 billion, and this was at a high level of profitability on sales, as we can see through the company's gross margin -- that figure has exceeded 70% quarter after quarter.

Nvidia focuses on innovation, pledging to update its GPUs on an annual basis, and this has helped it stay ahead. The company has also steadily expanded its reach in order to make it the key place to go for anything AI. In the latest quarter, Nvidia announced the upcoming release of its first stand-alone central processing unit (CPU), a move that opens the door to a $200 billion market.

Investors have piled into Nvidia's stock in recent years, understanding that an investment in this company should put them on track to benefit from the AI revolution.

The case for Apple

Apple shares have advanced -- but not as much as those of Nvidia. Over the past three years, Apple has climbed about 70%. The company has been slower to invest in and apply AI than many of its peers -- for example, it only began rolling out AI features across its devices in the fall of 2024, and the rollout continues. So, investors aiming to get in on potential AI leaders turned away from Apple and chose companies that were investing more aggressively in the space.

This trend, however, hasn't hurt Apple's earnings growth. In fact, the company has proven itself to be a player investors can count on for progress in this area. Apple has a fantastic moat, or competitive advantage, and this is its brand -- customers love the iPhone and won't easily switch to another. In the first quarter, the iPhone 17 was the world's top-selling smartphone, according to Counterpoint Research.

Apple also is benefiting from its sales of services, with services revenue reaching records quarter after quarter. After building up more than 2.5 billion active devices over the years, Apple now can count on these devices for recurrent revenue. When customers sign up for digital entertainment or storage, for example, this represents a regular stream of income for the company.

Today, investors may be turning to Apple as they recognize these strengths and as they seek an alternative to companies heavily exposed to AI.

The better buy?

Nvidia and Apple have proven their earnings strength and leadership over time. So either makes a solid long-term investment. But if you could only choose one to buy right now, which one should you go for?

Nvidia clearly beats Apple when it comes to valuation, as we can see in the chart below.

NVDA PE Ratio (Forward) data by YCharts

At these levels, the chip giant looks dirt cheap, particularly considering the AI empire it's built and its long-term prospects in the field. It's important to note that even if AI stocks slump temporarily, the AI story remains strong, with the technology already put to use in many areas.

So now is a fantastic moment to get in on Nvidia at these levels. That said, cautious investors who aim to avoid any AI turbulence still may prefer picking up Apple shares, as even at today's level, the stock has room to run.

Adria Cimino has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.