Aptiv PLC (APTV)
Aptiv is a global technology company that builds the 'nervous system' of modern cars, focusing on the electronics and software needed for smarter, safer vehicles.
Is Aptiv PLC a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Essential supplier to the global automotive industry. Worth weighing: Very thin profit margins leave little room for error.
Is this normal for this company?
Each figure against the range this same company has produced recently. Neither end of a range is the good end.
Share price divided by the earnings actually reported over the four most recent quarters. The range is the same calculation at each of this company's last few results, so roughly the past year.
Profit as a share of sales, from the company's own quarterly statements. The range covers the 5 quarters we hold, and the figure shown is its most recent one.
How these ranges are built
Every number here is the company's own reported figure, not a comparison with other companies. The ranges come from this company's own results and its share price. Where it reports in a different currency from the one its shares trade in, the price-to-earnings range is left out rather than mixing the two.
What does Aptiv PLC do?
Aptiv designs and manufactures the complex electrical wiring, sensors, and computing platforms that allow modern cars to connect to the internet and assist with driving. The bulk of revenue comes from selling these essential components to major car manufacturers worldwide. Watch how quickly car makers take up their advanced software and safety systems, since that pace will set the tone for future growth.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on value and quality, and weakest on momentum.
- !Pays no dividend - the whole return rides on the share price
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 2% over the year
- !Thin profits - turns only about 1% of sales into profit
- Value screens high
- Quality screens low
- Growth screens low
- Momentum screens low
- Income screens low
Does Aptiv PLC pay a dividend?
No - Aptiv PLC doesn't currently pay a dividend, so the whole return would rest on the share price. Plenty of growing companies reinvest their profits instead of paying them out - neither approach is better or worse, they're just different.
Most recent ex-dividend date: 4 Feb 2020. To receive a dividend you must already own the shares before the ex-dividend date; become a holder on or after it and the previous owner keeps that payment. Why the price usually falls that morning →
Does Aptiv PLC have more cash or more debt?
It holds about $761.00M in cash against about $5.68B of debt - so it has net debt of about $4.92B. Debt is not automatically a problem - it funds growth - but it has to be serviced and repaid, which matters more when profits wobble.
From the latest reported balance sheet. Cash and debt levels change, and some borrowing is normal - this is context, not a judgment.
What do Aptiv PLC's numbers mean?
How has it performed?
Growth of £1,000, the worst fall, and year by year
Over about 2 years to 2026-09-11. This is the share price only; any dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has Aptiv PLC actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, Aptiv PLC fell as much as −50% from a high to a later low. Falls like this are normal when you own a share.
Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
How has it done year by year?
Calendar-year total return - the share price with dividends reinvested - from adjusted closing prices. The current year is only part-complete. Past returns are not a guide to the future.
A closer look at the numbers
Ownership, earnings history, where the money goes, and the outlook range
Does the share price tell you if it's cheap or expensive?
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
How much money does Aptiv PLC make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Where does each £100 of Aptiv PLC's sales go?
A rough split of the latest full-year figures: of every £100 of sales, about £81 covers making the product or service, £18 goes on running costs, tax and interest, and about £1 is left as profit. Margins vary a lot by industry, and one-off items can distort a single year.
When does Aptiv PLC report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Aptiv PLC is next scheduled to report on about 2026-10-29 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
‘Beat’ and ‘missed’ are against what analysts expected, not whether the business is doing well.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-04 | $1.43 | $1.63 | Beat +14% |
| 2026-05-05 | $1.58 | $1.71 | Beat +8% |
| 2026-02-02 | $1.86 | $1.86 | In line |
| 2025-10-30 | $1.83 | $2.17 | Beat +19% |
| 2025-07-31 | $1.83 | $2.12 | Beat +16% |
| 2025-05-01 | $1.53 | $1.69 | Beat +10% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Aptiv PLC came in ahead of what analysts expected 5 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Where these figures come from
Each quarter a company reports its results against a consensus of analyst forecasts. The figures here are reported versus expected earnings per share from published results; the expectation is that analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates and can move.
What are the scenarios for Aptiv PLC?
An illustrative range for the year ahead — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros, cons and common questions?
The case each way, and the questions people ask
A successful shift toward software-defined vehicle architectures.
Competitors capturing market share in the software space.
What are the pros and cons of Aptiv PLC?
A balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Essential supplier to the global automotive industry
- Strong focus on high-growth areas like vehicle software
- Low price-to-sales ratio compared to many tech-focused firms
- Very thin profit margins leave little room for error
- No dividend payments for income-focused investors
- High sensitivity to the cyclical: A business whose sales and profits rise and fall with the wider economy - booming in good times, sinking in downturns. Miners, carmakers and banks are classic examples. nature of the car industry
- Heavy reliance on the health of major car manufacturers
- Potential for rapid technological obsolescence
- High volatility compared to the broader market
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A sustained increase in net profit margins above 5%
- A major shift in how car manufacturers source their software
Common questions about Aptiv PLC
Does Aptiv PLC pay a dividend?
No - Aptiv PLC does not currently pay a dividend, so the return would rest on the share price. Many growing companies reinvest profits instead of paying them out.
When does Aptiv PLC report earnings next?
Aptiv PLC is next scheduled to report results on about 2026-10-29. Report dates are estimates and can move; this is a diary note for when to look, not a forecast of the outcome.
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Howden Joinery Group PlcBuilt from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.