Yesterday, Nvidia (NVDA) once again surpassed Apple (AAPL) to become the world’s biggest company. The Jensen Huang-led company briefly held the crown in June, but Apple soon reclaimed the title as markets warmed up to the new artificial intelligence (AI) features that the Cupertino-based company announced for its iPhone 16.

However, the optimism soon faded, and Apple’s fiscal Q4 2024 earnings report showed that while these features - which are part of what the company calls “Apple Intelligence” - are helping revive iPhone sales, it's not providing the kind of bump that some expected. Meanwhile, both Apple and Nvidia remain AI plays in their own right. In this article, we’ll analyze which stock you should choose as 2024 draws to a close.

Why Is Nvidia Stock Rising?

The recent rally in Nvidia stock is driven more by macro and external factors than anything to do with the company specifically. The Nasdaq Composite ($NASX) rose to fresh record highs late last month as the tech-heavy index finally broke above its July highs. Nvidia shares, which had previously peaked in June, also joined the party and set new record highs.

What’s been aiding the rally in NVDA stock is the commentary by Big Tech companies on their AI capex during the recently concluded earning calls. The so-called hyper-scalers, like Meta Platforms (META), Alphabet (GOOG), Amazon (AMZN), and Microsoft (MSFT) are expected to increase their AI capex next year, much of which will land in Nvidia’s coffers.

While names like Meta and Microsoft fell after releasing their September quarter earnings, in part due to concerns over their rising AI capex, the continued spending spree is keeping Nvidia’s cash registers ringing - and quite literally so.

Analysts Prefer Nvidia Over Apple

Brokerages have a clear bias toward Nvidia, and prefer the chip-designing giant over Apple. Nvidia has received a consensus rating of “Strong Buy” from the 42 analysts actively covering the stock. Sell-side analysts have had to furiously raise their target prices over the last two years thanks to the breathtaking rally in NVDA stock. Nvidia’s mean target price currently stands at $151.36, which is just over 8% higher than Tuesday’s closing prices. Its Street-high target price remains $200, which implies a 43% premium.

Apple, on the other hand, has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy,” and if anything, analysts are turning a bit more circumspect about the Tim Cook-led company, at least for the short term. Apple’s mean target price of $242.29 is 8.3% higher than Tuesday’s closing prices, while the Street-high target price of $300 is 34.3% higher.

It's not hard to comprehend why analysts prefer Nvidia over Apple. Nvidia is the biggest beneficiary of the AI pivot, and companies, big or small, are lining up for its AI chips. While there remain concerns over tech companies’ AI capex beyond 2026, for now, there looks to be no stopping the growth that Nvidia has been witnessing.

Apple Was Late to the AI Party

Apple, on the other hand, was late to the AI party. The delayed, gradual rollout of Apple Intelligence features has not helped matters, and the “AI upgrade cycle” looks like more of an iPhone 17 story. However, for the AI story to progress, it has to move beyond the chatbots and become more of a hardware narrative. This is where devices like smartphones and robotics will come into play.

In terms of competition, while Nvidia has had a literal cakewalk with competitors still trying to play catchup, Apple is witnessing intense competition – especially in China, where consumers are increasingly pivoting to homegrown brands.

We have seen the same trend play out in the Chinese automotive markets, where many consumers are now opting for domestic brands over Western automakers. As for Nvidia, it is constrained by the U.S. export control restrictions to China, as it is barred from exporting its top-of-the-line AI chips to the Communist nation.

Apple or NVDA: Which Stock Is a Better Buy?

As I noted in a previous article, the momentum currently sits with Nvidia. The relentless selling of Apple shares by Warren Buffett is not doing much good for Apple, even as the Oracle of Omaha’s selling spree is hardly limited to Apple. The Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) chair has been furiously selling shares for two years now, which has lifted the conglomerate's cash pile to a record $325 billion at the end of September.

From a valuation perspective, Apple trades at a next 12-month (NTM) price-to-earnings (PE) multiple of 30.3x, which is higher than Nvidia’s 41x. However, Nvidia’s growth trajectory has been in a different universe altogether, while Apple is barely managing mid-single-digit top-line growth.

Notably, Nvidia looks a lot cheaper based on the price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) multiple, which is lower than Apple's and most other tech companies. 

Overall, I believe that both Nvidia and Apple look like AI plays worth having in your portfolio. While AAPL might not deliver the parabolic returns that NVDA has yielded over the last few years, I will continue to bet on it like the tortoise in the "The Tortoise and the Hare" story. As for Nvidia, it is not the hare sitting on its past laurels, and continues to innovate to maintain its competitive lead.

• TJX Companies Stock: Is Wall Street Bullish or Bearish?
• Why the Intel Stock Recovery Is a Slow Process
• Put Your Portfolio On 'Cruise' Control With This Cruise Stock
• Is Wall Street Bullish or Bearish on eBay Stock?