AAPL vs. CIEN: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on July 7, 2025

Here’s a clear look at AAPL and CIEN, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Overview

AAPL’s market capitalization of 3,189.54 billion USD is substantially larger than CIEN’s 11.50 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.

With betas of 1.21 for AAPL and 1.12 for CIEN, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.

Symbol	AAPL	CIEN
Company Name	Apple Inc.	Ciena Corporation
Country	US	US
Sector	Technology	Technology
Industry	Consumer Electronics	Communication Equipment
CEO	Timothy D. Cook	Gary B. Smith
Price	213.55 USD	81.38 USD
Market Cap	3,189.54 billion USD	11.50 billion USD
Beta	1.21	1.12
Exchange	NASDAQ	NYSE
IPO Date	December 12, 1980	February 7, 1997
ADR	No	No

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of AAPL and CIEN by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.

Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

AAPL vs. CIEN: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Profitability

Return on Equity

AAPL

151.31%

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 14.30%
Q3: 14.30%
Median: 5.13%
Q1: -15.88%
Min: -27.23%

AAPL’s Return on Equity of 151.31% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Consumer Electronics industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.

CIEN

3.72%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 30.07%
Q3: 8.07%
Median: 1.84%
Q1: -11.93%
Min: -31.65%

CIEN’s Return on Equity of 3.72% is on par with the norm for the Communication Equipment industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

AAPL vs. CIEN: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Consumer Electronics and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Return on Invested Capital

AAPL

47.30%

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 4.18%
Q3: 4.18%
Median: 4.09%
Q1: -0.34%
Min: -0.34%

AAPL’s Return on Invested Capital of 47.30% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Consumer Electronics industry. This demonstrates an outstanding ability to deploy capital efficiently and create significant value.

CIEN

2.97%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 11.59%
Q3: 6.61%
Median: 2.97%
Q1: -2.58%
Min: -13.18%

CIEN’s Return on Invested Capital of 2.97% is in line with the norm for the Communication Equipment industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.

AAPL vs. CIEN: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Consumer Electronics and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin

AAPL

24.30%

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 24.30%
Q3: 8.81%
Median: 8.10%
Q1: -4.74%
Min: -7.22%

A Net Profit Margin of 24.30% places AAPL in the upper quartile for the Consumer Electronics industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

CIEN

2.46%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 23.65%
Q3: 9.21%
Median: 2.46%
Q1: -8.56%
Min: -29.87%

CIEN’s Net Profit Margin of 2.46% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Communication Equipment industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

AAPL vs. CIEN: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Consumer Electronics and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin

AAPL

31.81%

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 31.81%
Q3: 16.77%
Median: 10.95%
Q1: -0.21%
Min: -4.78%

An Operating Profit Margin of 31.81% places AAPL in the upper quartile for the Consumer Electronics industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

CIEN

4.68%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 30.72%
Q3: 11.64%
Median: 5.79%
Q1: -2.28%
Min: -18.20%

CIEN’s Operating Profit Margin of 4.68% is around the midpoint for the Communication Equipment industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

AAPL vs. CIEN: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Consumer Electronics and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	AAPL	CIEN
Return on Equity (TTM)	151.31%	3.72%
Return on Assets (TTM)	29.37%	1.85%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)	47.30%	2.97%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	24.30%	2.46%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	31.81%	4.68%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	46.63%	41.94%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio

AAPL

0.82

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 0.82
Q3: 0.82
Median: 0.70
Q1: 0.64
Min: 0.63

AAPL’s Current Ratio of 0.82 aligns with the median group of the Consumer Electronics industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

CIEN

3.40

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 3.40
Q3: 2.59
Median: 1.62
Q1: 1.32
Min: 0.86

CIEN’s Current Ratio of 3.40 is in the upper quartile for the Communication Equipment industry. This signifies a strong liquidity position, suggesting the company is well-equipped to cover its immediate liabilities compared to its peers.

AAPL vs. CIEN: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Consumer Electronics and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

AAPL

1.47

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 2.23
Q3: 1.47
Median: 0.80
Q1: 0.51
Min: 0.16

AAPL’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.47 is typical for the Consumer Electronics industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

CIEN

0.57

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 1.82
Q3: 1.00
Median: 0.53
Q1: 0.20
Min: 0.02

CIEN’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.57 is typical for the Communication Equipment industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

AAPL vs. CIEN: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Consumer Electronics and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio

AAPL

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 14.74
Q3: 8.73
Median: 3.32
Q1: -40.43
Min: -114.16

Interest Coverage Ratio data for AAPL is currently unavailable.

CIEN

2.07

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 16.12
Q3: 9.22
Median: 2.52
Q1: -0.75
Min: -12.07

CIEN’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 2.07 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Communication Equipment industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

AAPL vs. CIEN: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Consumer Electronics and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	AAPL	CIEN
Current Ratio (TTM)	0.82	3.40
Quick Ratio (TTM)	0.78	2.57
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)	1.47	0.57
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)	0.30	0.28
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)	0.50	1.67
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	--	2.07

Growth

The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AAPL and CIEN. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.

Revenue Growth

AAPL vs. CIEN: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Revenue Growth.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

AAPL vs. CIEN: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth.

Free Cash Flow Growth

AAPL vs. CIEN: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Free Cash Flow Growth.

Dividend

Dividend Yield

AAPL

0.47%

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 1.88%
Q3: 0.53%
Median: 0.50%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AAPL’s Dividend Yield of 0.47% is consistent with its peers in the Consumer Electronics industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

CIEN

0.00%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 4.72%
Q3: 0.38%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

CIEN currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.

AAPL vs. CIEN: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Consumer Electronics and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio

AAPL

15.74%

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 98.30%
Q3: 15.74%
Median: 10.10%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AAPL’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 15.74% is within the typical range for the Consumer Electronics industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

CIEN

0.00%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 91.96%
Q3: 26.44%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

CIEN has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.

AAPL vs. CIEN: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Consumer Electronics and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	AAPL	CIEN
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.47%	0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	15.74%	0.00%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio

AAPL

32.91

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 51.71
Q3: 41.35
Median: 30.99
Q1: 25.46
Min: 19.94

AAPL’s P/E Ratio of 32.91 is within the middle range for the Consumer Electronics industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

CIEN

110.66

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 44.37
Q3: 41.98
Median: 30.61
Q1: 23.44
Min: 2.14

At 110.66, CIEN’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Communication Equipment industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.

AAPL vs. CIEN: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Consumer Electronics and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Forward P/E to Growth Ratio

AAPL

3.79

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 7.16
Q3: 5.62
Median: 3.99
Q1: 2.77
Min: 2.43

The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Consumer Electronics industry.

CIEN

2.86

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 15.97
Q3: 6.99
Median: 2.78
Q1: 0.66
Min: 0.05

The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Communication Equipment industry.

AAPL vs. CIEN: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Consumer Electronics and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio

AAPL

7.97

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 7.50
Q3: 4.17
Median: 1.76
Q1: 0.88
Min: 0.16

With a P/S Ratio of 7.97, AAPL trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Consumer Electronics industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.

CIEN

2.70

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 6.38
Q3: 3.88
Median: 2.17
Q1: 1.15
Min: 0.37

CIEN’s P/S Ratio of 2.70 aligns with the market consensus for the Communication Equipment industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

AAPL vs. CIEN: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Consumer Electronics and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio

AAPL

47.94

Consumer Electronics Industry

Max: 3.36
Q3: 3.36
Median: 2.83
Q1: 2.78
Min: 2.78

At 47.94, AAPL’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Consumer Electronics industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.

CIEN

4.18

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 14.42
Q3: 7.01
Median: 3.09
Q1: 1.38
Min: 0.41

CIEN’s P/B Ratio of 4.18 is within the conventional range for the Communication Equipment industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

AAPL vs. CIEN: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Consumer Electronics and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	AAPL	CIEN
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)	32.91	110.66
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)	3.79	2.86
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)	7.97	2.70
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)	47.94	4.18
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)	32.39	39.41
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)	23.47	31.73
EV-to-Sales (TTM)	8.14	2.85