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APO Stock vs the S&P 500: Returns, Risk and Crash History

Apollo Global Management, Inc., financial services (market value $66.0 billion), an S&P 500 member: how it compared with the S&P 500, how it behaved in every crash since 2008, its risk‑adjusted returns and what analysts said. Data as of Sep 30, 2026.

Published Updated 4 min readHow we research

What changed since Oct 12

Exent re-checks this page every day. Ratings appear 30 days after they are published; the top‑ranked analysts’ calls are not counted here, they are in Gems.

+2 new ratings88% Buy ratings (was 82%)17 analysts covering (was 18)11 4★+ analysts covering (was 12)

Key takeaways

  • APO returned +106.7% over the 5 years to Sep 30, 2026 versus +90.0% for the S&P 500: it beat the index.
  • Its 5-year Sharpe ratio was 0.47 against 0.67 for the S&P 500.
  • Its deepest crisis drawdown was −48.9% in the covid crash (feb–mar 2020) (S&P 500: −34.1%).
  • Five‑year volatility was 37.3% and beta 1.58.
  • 17 analysts rated it in the past year; 88% of their latest calls were Buy.
  • APO beat earnings estimates in 7 of its last 12 reports; the stock moved 5.5% on average, up or down, around each report.

What do the best‑ranked analysts on APO say now? See it in Exent Gems →

Did APO beat the S&P 500?

Over the 5 years to Sep 30, 2026, Apollo Global Management, Inc. (APO) returned +106.7% including dividends, versus +90.0% for the S&P 500 (SPY). It beat the index by 16.7 percentage points, or +15.6% a year against +13.7%.

PeriodAPOS&P 500APO per yearS&P 500 per yearResult
1 year−11.8%+15.7%−11.8%+15.7%Lagged
3 years+34.8%+85.0%+10.5%+22.8%Lagged
5 years+106.7%+90.0%+15.6%+13.7%Beat
10 years+846.7%+312.9%+25.2%+15.2%Beat
  • 1 year
    APO
    −11.8%
    S&P 500
    +15.7%
    APO per year
    −11.8%
    S&P 500 per year
    +15.7%
    Result
    Lagged
  • 3 years
    APO
    +34.8%
    S&P 500
    +85.0%
    APO per year
    +10.5%
    S&P 500 per year
    +22.8%
    Result
    Lagged
  • 5 years
    APO
    +106.7%
    S&P 500
    +90.0%
    APO per year
    +15.6%
    S&P 500 per year
    +13.7%
    Result
    Beat
  • 10 years
    APO
    +846.7%
    S&P 500
    +312.9%
    APO per year
    +25.2%
    S&P 500 per year
    +15.2%
    Result
    Beat

Total return with dividends reinvested, from month-end prices to Sep 30, 2026. Beating the index on raw return is only half the story: the next section adjusts for the risk taken. See also how to beat the S&P 500.

APO is in the S&P 500 (members as of Oct 20, 2026); the list shows every member’s return against the index.

What Wall Street analysts say about APO

In the 12 months to 30 days ago, 17 analysts published 186 ratings on APO. Their latest calls were 88% Buy, 13% Hold and 0% Sell. 11 of them rank 4★ or higher in Exent’s analyst scoring, which is based on each analyst’s past price‑target hit rate and returns.

The consensus 12‑month price target was $154.29 (range $116.00–$181.00), +38.1% from the last price. Remember that the average analyst’s target is hit only about half the time: how accurate are price targets?

Top‑ranked analyst coveringFirmStarsPrice‑target hit rate
??????4.9★65.7%
Brian BedellDeutsche Bank 4.9★56.7%
Stephen BiggarArgus Research4.8★56.1%
Etienne RicardBMO Capital4.8★66.1%
Steven ChubakWolfe Research4.8★52.8%

Ratings are shown with a 30‑day delay. Who the top‑ranked analysts on APO are, their live calls and the median target of only the top‑rated analysts are in Exent Gems.

The average analyst’s target is reached about 53.6% of the time; Exent Gems is built on the top 50 of Exent’s ranking,where some reached 90% or more over the last two years. Unlock the top 50 analysts.

APO returns by year vs the S&P 500

APO beat the S&P 500 in 6 of the 9 full calendar years shown.

YearAPOS&P 500Difference
2026 (to Sep 30, 2026)−19.2%+12.7%−31.9%
2025−11.1%+17.7%−28.8%
2024+79.9%+24.9%+55.0%
2023+49.5%+26.2%+23.3%
2022−9.6%−18.2%+8.6%
2021+53.2%+28.7%+24.5%
2020+8.0%+18.3%−10.3%
2019+106.4%+31.2%+75.2%
2018−22.0%−4.6%−17.4%
2017+85.4%+21.7%+63.7%

APO risk-adjusted returns: Sharpe, Sortino and volatility

Over 5 years, APO had a Sharpe ratio of 0.47 against 0.67 for the S&P 500, so it earned less return per unit of risk than the index. Its annualized volatility was 38.5% and its beta 1.58: it tended to move about 1.6× as much as the market.

MetricAPOS&P 500
Annual return+15.6%+13.7%
Volatility (annualized)38.5%15.7%
Sharpe ratio0.470.67
Sortino ratio0.771.08
Max drawdown (month-end)−39.2%−23.9%
Beta to the S&P 5001.581.00

Sharpe divides return above cash by total volatility; Sortino counts only downside volatility. Both use monthly returns and the 1–3 month T‑bill ETF (BIL) as the risk‑free rate.

How APO behaved in past crashes

APO’s deepest fall in the crises below was −48.9% in the covid crash (feb–mar 2020), against −34.1% for the S&P 500. The last column turns that into money: what a $100,000 position would have lost from peak to trough.

CrisisAPOS&P 500Loss on $100,000
2018 trade-war selloff−36.8%−20.2%−$36,810
COVID crash (Feb–Mar 2020)−48.9%−34.1%−$48,890
2022 inflation bear market−36.8%−25.4%−$36,790
2025 tariff selloff−32.2%−19.0%−$32,190
WindowAPO max drawdown
Last 1 year−34.1%
Last 3 years−42.8%
Last 5 years−42.8%
Last 10 years−54.4%

Peak‑to‑trough declines from daily prices inside each crisis window. A crash replay does not predict the next crisis; it shows how much room a holding needs. Run the same replay on a whole portfolio with the crash test.

What moves with APO, and what doesn’t

Correlation runs from −1 (moves opposite) to +1 (moves in lockstep). Over the last 60 months of monthly returns, APO’s correlation with the S&P 500 was 0.64, with the Nasdaq‑100 0.52, with long Treasuries (TLT) 0.26 and with gold (GLD) −0.07.

Adding a 5% APO position to an S&P 500 portfolio would have moved its 5‑year volatility from 15.7% to 16.2%.

Least correlated large capsCorrelationMost correlated large capsCorrelation
JNJ−0.09BX0.77
NEM−0.08BLK0.71
LMT−0.07GS0.70
KO−0.02BNY0.69
PG−0.02WFC0.69

Holdings that are highly correlated behave like one position in a selloff. See how to find hidden overlap.

Latest APO upgrades, downgrades and price‑target changes

DateRating and targetAnalyst
Oct 12Target cut
Buy
Target $154, was $159
William Katz
TD Cowen
Sep 2Target raised
Buy
Target $154, was $150
Ken Worthington
J.P. Morgan

Named analysts’ rating and price‑target changes on APO in the 5 weeks to Sep 22, 2026, shown 30 days after publication (the free analysts’ calls 3 days after). The top‑ranked analysts’ calls are in Exent Gems. See all of the latest analyst upgrades and downgrades.

Do analysts get APO right?

Of the 399 analyst price targets on APO set from 2019 until a year ago, 73.7% were reached within 12 months (data to Oct 20, 2026), 5.1 points above the 68.6% hit rate of the median stock in Exent’s study of 794 stocks. Targets that were reached took a median of 68 days. The median target sat 16.4% above the share price on the day it was set.

Where analysts said APO would be by now: a year ago, 6 analysts had a price target on APO, and the median of their latest targets was $160.50. On Oct 20, 2026 APO closed at $111.25, 30.7% below it.

73.7%of targets reached within 12 monthsMedian stock: 68.6%
68 daysmedian time to reach a target
−30.7%price now vs the median target set a year ago
AfterCallsMove on the call3 months vs S&P 500
Upgrades of APO13+1.7%+5.2%
Upgrades, all stocks11,514+2.5%+3.4%
Downgrades of APO8+0.1%−6.7%
Downgrades, all stocks10,700−3.0%−1.6%

The move on the call runs from the close before the rating change to the close after it; the last column is the stock’s return minus the S&P 500’s over the next three months. Averages of rating changes on APO through Sep 15, 2026; analysts are not named here. Do analyst upgrades move stocks?

How APO moves after earnings

APO beat the consensus earnings‑per‑share estimate in 7 of its last 12 quarterly reports, through the one on Aug 4, 2026, and the revenue estimate in 9 of 12. From the close before each report to the close after it, the stock moved 5.5% on average, up or down, against 6.8% for the average report across the 1,002 US stocks Exent tracks. It rose after 7 of the 12 reports. In 3 of the 7 beats the stock still fell. The next report is expected on Nov 3, 2026.

7/12earnings beats
±5.5%average move per report
Nov 3, 2026next report (expected)
ReportEPS vs estimateRevenue vs estimateStock move
Aug 4, 2026$2.11 vs $2.16+97.4%+0.2%
May 6, 2026$1.94 vs $1.89−2.5%−1.9%
Feb 9, 2026$2.47 vs $2.04+106.7%−0.5%
Nov 4, 2025$2.14 vs $1.90+99.6%+7.9%
Aug 5, 2025$1.92 vs $1.84+49.1%+2.7%
May 2, 2025$1.82 vs $1.84+25.9%−2.8%
Feb 4, 2025$2.22 vs $1.92+449.1%−0.8%
Nov 5, 2024$1.81 vs $1.73+759.5%+17.4%

Reported earnings per share against the consensus estimate, revenue surprise in percent, and the stock’s price change over the two sessions around the report. How stocks move after earnings

Where APO’s revenue comes from

In fiscal 2020 (the year to Dec 31, 2020), APO’s largest reported region was Private Equity, with 100.0% of its $631.2 million revenue.

By business, the largest segment was Retirement Services Segment, with 84.4% of $32.0 billion revenue (+23.3% on the year before).

SegmentRevenueShareGrowth
Retirement Services Segment$27.0 billion84.4%+23.3%
Asset Management Segment$5.0 billion15.6%+19.7%

From APO’s annual filings; segment growth compares fiscal 2025 with the year before. Regions are as each company reports them, so one company’s “Asia Pacific” is not another’s. China counts the regions a company reports as China, Greater China or Hong Kong; a separately reported Taiwan is not counted. Which S&P 500 companies depend most on China?

Members of Congress who traded APO

As of Oct 20, 2026, 8 members of Congress had disclosed 31 trades in APO (14 buys and 17 sales) in STOCK Act disclosures filed with the House and Senate. The latest public trade is dated Aug 10, 2026.

Trade dateMemberTypeAmount
Aug 10, 2026Ro KhannaBuy$1,001–$15,000
Jul 7, 2026Ro KhannaSale$1,001–$15,000
May 1, 2026Ro KhannaBuy$1,001–$15,000
Apr 14, 2026Gilbert CisnerosBuy$1,001–$15,000
Mar 27, 2026Alan ArmstrongBuy$1,001–$15,000
Mar 13, 2026Gilbert CisnerosSale$1,001–$15,000
Nov 21, 2025Dwight EvansSale$1,001–$15,000
Nov 18, 2025Gilbert CisnerosBuy$1,001–$15,000
Oct 7, 2025Ro KhannaSale$1,001–$15,000
Sep 29, 2025Ro KhannaSale$1,001–$15,000

Amounts are the ranges members report, not exact values. The STOCK Act gives members up to 45 days to disclose a trade, so trades appear weeks after they are made. See every member’s disclosed trades

Are APO insiders buying or selling?

In the 12 months to Oct 20, 2026, APO insiders made no open‑market purchases and 7 sales worth $9.8 million, according to SEC Form 4 filings. The last open‑market purchase on record was on May 12, 2025.

After the 118 insider purchases of $10,000 or more since 2012, APO beat the S&P 500 by an average of 12.5 percentage points over the next 12 months; 76% of them were followed by a beat. Across all 17,865 insider purchases in Exent’s study, the average was +17.2% and the median +1.0% against the index.

Q4 ’24
Q1 ’25
Q2 ’25
Q3 ’25
Q4 ’25
Q1 ’26
Q2 ’26
Q3 ’26
DateInsiderRoleValue
May 12, 2025Richards PaulineDirector$78,071
Apr 4, 2025LB 2018 GST TrustOther: See Remarks$67.7 million
Sep 6, 2024O'Neill MitraDirector$100,053
Aug 6, 2024Richards PaulineDirector$246,657
Nov 3, 2023Krongard A BDirector$86,719

The table lists the latest open‑market purchases on record, leaving out the last 30 days. The chart counts Form 4 purchases and sales by calendar quarter. Purchases are open‑market buys; sales include planned sales under 10b5‑1 trading plans. Do insider buys beat the market?

How much of APO is sold short?

As of the Sep 30, 2026 settlement date, 5.14% of APO’s float was sold short: 23.9 million shares, or 7.4 days of average trading volume to cover. A year earlier (Oct 15, 2025) it was 6.82%. The median across the 997 US stocks Exent tracks was 4.77%, so APO is more heavily shorted than most.

  • Apr 30, 20266.83%
  • May 29, 20266.51%
  • Jun 30, 20266.73%
  • Jul 31, 20265.04%
  • Aug 31, 20265.05%
  • Sep 30, 20265.14%

From FINRA short‑interest reports, filed twice a month; the bars show the short share of the float at each month‑end. Days to cover divides the shares short by the average daily volume. The most shorted stocks

How many institutions own APO?

At the end of Q2 2026 (Jun 30, 2026), 1,248 institutions reported holding APO in 13F filings, up 31 from the quarter before and up from 1,230 a year earlier. Their reported holdings add up to 66.0% of APO’s shares. In the quarter 644 institutions added to their positions and 389 cut them.

1,24813F holders
147new positions
113positions closed
66.0%of shares held by 13F filers

Investment managers with over $100 million in US equities file 13F reports within 45 days of each quarter end, so this is the latest complete quarter. Holdings can add up to more than 100% when shares are lent and counted twice. Which stocks institutions are buying and selling

Is APO diluting shareholders?

APO’s diluted share count rose 167.2% over the five fiscal years to fiscal 2025 and rose 0.6% in fiscal 2025 alone. Each share now owns a smaller slice of the company. The median change across the 1,005 US stocks Exent tracks was −0.1%.

Stock‑based compensation was $699.0 million in fiscal 2025, 2.2% of revenue. APO spent $773.0 million buying back shares, a buyback yield of 1.13% of its market value; stock pay equaled 90.4% of the buybacks.

+0.6%share count, 1 year
+167.2%share count, 5 years
2.2%stock pay as % of revenue
1.13%buyback yield

Weighted‑average diluted shares from APO’s annual income statements; stock‑based compensation and buybacks from its cash‑flow statement. Stock dilution and stock‑based compensation, explained

APO financial health scores

In Exent’s Oct 20, 2026 snapshot, APO’s Piotroski F‑score was 6 out of 9; 62% of scored stocks reach 6 or more. The Altman Z‑score is not meaningful for financial services companies, so it is left out.

The Altman Z‑score combines five balance‑sheet and earnings ratios into one bankruptcy‑risk score: below 1.81 is the distress zone, 1.81–2.99 grey, above 2.99 safe. It is not meaningful for banks, insurers and REITs. The Piotroski F‑score counts nine yes/no tests of profitability, leverage and efficiency; 8–9 is strong, 0–2 weak. Both come from the latest annual statements. Which stocks have the highest bankruptcy risk?

What APO talks about on earnings calls

On its latest earnings call (Aug 4, 2026), APO’s executives and analysts mentioned AI 6 times, against 12 on the call before (May 6, 2026); the average across 455 S&P 500 calls that quarter was 12.9. After AI, the most mentioned topic was data centers (3). Tariffs and recession did not come up.

MentionsAug ’26May ’26Feb ’26Nov ’25
AI61220
AI agents0000
Data centers3412
Tariffs0000
China0000
Recession0000
  • AI
    Aug ’26
    6
    May ’26
    12
    Feb ’26
    2
    Nov ’25
    0
  • AI agents
    Aug ’26
    0
    May ’26
    0
    Feb ’26
    0
    Nov ’25
    0
  • Data centers
    Aug ’26
    3
    May ’26
    4
    Feb ’26
    1
    Nov ’25
    2
  • Tariffs
    Aug ’26
    0
    May ’26
    0
    Feb ’26
    0
    Nov ’25
    0
  • China
    Aug ’26
    0
    May ’26
    0
    Feb ’26
    0
    Nov ’25
    0
  • Recession
    Aug ’26
    0
    May ’26
    0
    Feb ’26
    0
    Nov ’25
    0

Word counts in the full transcript of each call, prepared remarks and Q&A, newest first. “AI” also counts generative AI and large language models; “AI agents” counts agentic AI. Which companies talk most about AI?

Which ETFs hold APO?

As of Oct 20, 2026, 53 of the 304 ETFs Exent tracks held APO. Its largest weight is in XLF (State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF), at 0.68% of the fund.

ETFFundWeight of APO
XLFState Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF0.68%
CGDVCapital Group Dividend Value ETF0.63%
FFLCFidelity Covington Trust - Fidelity Fundamental Large Cap Core ETF0.61%
VFHVanguard Financials Index Fund0.58%
WTVWisdomTree U.S. Value Fund0.50%
IXGiShares Global Financials ETF0.34%
VOTVanguard Mid-Cap Growth Index Fund0.28%
VOVanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares0.24%

Owning several of these funds stacks the same position. How much do VOO, QQQ and VTI overlap?

How much is APO’s CEO paid?

Marc Rowan, APO’s Chief Executive Officer, received total pay of $913,367 for fiscal 2025, up 19.6% from $763,381 for fiscal 2024, according to the company’s proxy statement filed with the SEC on Apr 24, 2026. The median CEO pay across the 378 S&P 500 companies Exent tracks was $17.2 million, so APO’s CEO earned less than most.

Pay componentAmountShare of total
Salary$100,00010.9%
Other$813,36789.1%
Other top executivesRoleTotal pay, 2025
James BelardiExecutive Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of AHL$71.2 million
John ZitoCo-President of AAM$50.1 million
Whitney ChatterjeeChief Legal Officer$14.3 million
Martin KellyChief Financial Officer$13.8 million

Figures from the summary compensation table of the proxy statement; awards count at their grant‑date value, so one large multi‑year grant can make a single year stand out. CEO pay across the S&P 500

The right benchmark for APO

Exent matches every holding to the index with the most similar risk. For APO that is SPY (the S&P 500). Comparing a holding with an index that carries very different risk makes good results look bad and risky ones look clever. Read why the S&P 500 is the wrong benchmark for most portfolios.

Other financial services stocks

TickerName5‑year returnVolatility (5y)
BRK-BBerkshire Hathaway Inc.+82.4%17.1%
JPMJPMorgan Chase & Co.+128.0%24.4%
VVisa Inc.+67.2%22.7%
MAMastercard Incorporated+63.1%23.9%
BACBank of America Corporation+43.4%26.5%
MSMorgan Stanley+125.4%28.6%
GSThe Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.+166.4%28.6%
WFCWells Fargo & Company+93.7%30.1%

Data and methodology

Returns are total returns from month‑end adjusted closing prices (dividends reinvested) through Sep 30, 2026. Crisis drawdowns and trailing maximum drawdowns use daily prices. Analyst coverage counts ratings published in the last 12 months, shown with a 30‑day delay. Full method: Exent methodology.

Company data as of Oct 20, 2026. The move around an earnings report runs from the close before it to the close after it; a price target counts as hit when the stock closed at or beyond it within 12 months (Exent analyst data). Revenue by region and segment, share counts and executive pay come from company filings; insider trades from SEC Form 4, short interest from FINRA, institutional ownership from 13F filings, Congress trades from STOCK Act disclosures filed with the House and Senate, federal contracts from USAspending.gov. Filings from the last 30 days are shown as counts only.

Past performance does not guarantee future results. Historical figures are calculated by Exent from market data and are for education only; they are not investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

Check APO with Exent Gems

Wall Street’s average APO price target is 38.1% above the latest share price. See what the best‑ranked analysts on APO say now in Exent Gems.

  1. Exent ranks Wall Street analysts by their past price‑target hit rate and returns, and keeps the best‑ranked few.
  2. Gems shows who the top‑ranked analysts covering APO are, their live calls and the median target of only the top‑rated analysts.
  3. Gems flags the stocks where several top‑ranked analysts agree: a starting point for your own research, not a promise.

Exent is our product. Educational content, not investment advice.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. APO returned +846.7% (+25.2% a year) over the 10 years to Sep 30, 2026, versus +312.9% (+15.2% a year) for the S&P 500, including dividends.

Yes. As of Oct 20, 2026, APO (Apollo Global Management, Inc.) is one of the 503 stocks in the S&P 500.

APO fell −48.9% from peak to trough during the covid crash (feb–mar 2020), versus −34.1% for the S&P 500.

APO fell −36.8% from peak to trough during the 2022 inflation bear market, versus −25.4% for the S&P 500.

Over the 5 years to Sep 30, 2026, APO’s Sharpe ratio was 0.47 and its Sortino ratio 0.77, versus 0.67 and 1.08 for the S&P 500.

APO’s 5‑year annualized volatility was 37.3%, higher than the S&P 500’s 17.0%, with a beta of 1.58.

Among large US stocks, the lowest correlations with APO over the last 60 months were JNJ (−0.09), NEM (−0.08), LMT (−0.07). Its correlation with long Treasuries (TLT) was 0.26 and with gold (GLD) −0.07.

APO beat the consensus earnings-per-share estimate in 7 of its last 12 quarterly reports through Aug 4, 2026, and the revenue estimate in 9 of 12. The stock moved 5.5% on average, up or down, from the close before each report to the close after it. Its next report is expected on Nov 3, 2026.

Marc Rowan, APO’s Chief Executive Officer, received $913,367 in total pay for fiscal 2025, including a $100,000 salary and $0 in stock and option awards valued at grant, according to the proxy statement filed with the SEC on Apr 24, 2026. The median S&P 500 CEO received $17.2 million.

Yes. As of Oct 20, 2026, 8 members of Congress had disclosed 31 trades in APO (14 buys and 17 sales) in STOCK Act disclosures filed with the House and Senate.

As of the Sep 30, 2026 settlement date, 5.14% of APO’s float was sold short (23.9 million shares, 7.4 days to cover), according to FINRA short-interest reports. A year earlier it was 6.82%.

Yes. APO’s diluted share count rose 167.2% over the five fiscal years to fiscal 2025 and rose 0.6% in the latest year. Stock-based compensation was 2.2% of revenue, and buybacks totaled $773.0 million.

What do the best‑ranked analysts say on APO now?

Exent ranks Wall Street analysts by their track record. Gems shows who the top‑ranked analysts on APO are, their latest calls and the stocks where several of them agree.

See this week’s GemsLimited offer$1.95 for full access· full access

Educational content, not investment advice. Examples are illustrative; past performance does not guarantee future results.

DISCLAIMER: Exent AI is an informational research platform and does not provide investment advice, financial advice, or act as an investment adviser, broker-dealer, or fiduciary. All content, analytics, and model outputs are provided for educational and informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any financial instrument. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Exent AI does not execute trades, hold customer funds, or provide brokerage services. Past performance and hypothetical results are not indicative of future results. Third-party data and AI-generated outputs may be incomplete or inaccurate.