ABT vs. CSCO: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on July 8, 2025

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

Company Overview

ABT’s market capitalization stands at 233.90 billion USD, while CSCO’s is 274.71 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.

With betas of 0.74 for ABT and 0.88 for CSCO, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.

Symbol	ABT	CSCO
Company Name	Abbott Laboratories	Cisco Systems, Inc.
Country	US	US
Sector	Healthcare	Technology
Industry	Medical - Devices	Communication Equipment
CEO	Robert B. Ford	Charles H. Robbins
Price	134.44 USD	69.37 USD
Market Cap	233.90 billion USD	274.71 billion USD
Beta	0.74	0.88
Exchange	NYSE	NASDAQ
IPO Date	March 17, 1980	February 16, 1990
ADR	No	No

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of ABT and CSCO 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.

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

Profitability

Return on Equity

ABT

30.76%

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 49.04%
Q3: 9.53%
Median: -7.46%
Q1: -32.83%
Min: -82.64%

In the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry, ABT’s Return on Equity of 30.76% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.

CSCO

21.50%

Communication Equipment Industry

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

In the upper quartile for the Communication Equipment industry, CSCO’s Return on Equity of 21.50% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.

ABT vs. CSCO: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Medical - Devices and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Return on Invested Capital

ABT

19.13%

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 21.88%
Q3: 6.63%
Median: -1.11%
Q1: -21.08%
Min: -51.95%

In the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry, ABT’s Return on Invested Capital of 19.13% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.

CSCO

11.48%

Communication Equipment Industry

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

In the upper quartile for the Communication Equipment industry, CSCO’s Return on Invested Capital of 11.48% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.

ABT vs. CSCO: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Medical - Devices and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin

ABT

31.89%

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 44.80%
Q3: 9.77%
Median: -5.53%
Q1: -29.37%
Min: -87.68%

A Net Profit Margin of 31.89% places ABT in the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

CSCO

17.60%

Communication Equipment Industry

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

A Net Profit Margin of 17.60% places CSCO in the upper quartile for the Communication Equipment industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

ABT vs. CSCO: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Medical - Devices and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin

ABT

16.97%

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 30.13%
Q3: 13.12%
Median: 3.47%
Q1: -24.42%
Min: -80.56%

An Operating Profit Margin of 16.97% places ABT in the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

CSCO

20.30%

Communication Equipment Industry

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

An Operating Profit Margin of 20.30% places CSCO in the upper quartile for the Communication Equipment industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

ABT vs. CSCO: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Medical - Devices and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	ABT	CSCO
Return on Equity (TTM)	30.76%	21.50%
Return on Assets (TTM)	16.58%	8.17%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)	19.13%	11.48%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	31.89%	17.60%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	16.97%	20.30%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	55.89%	65.24%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio

ABT

1.78

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 12.68
Q3: 6.30
Median: 4.05
Q1: 1.85
Min: 0.01

ABT’s Current Ratio of 1.78 falls into the lower quartile for the Medical - Devices industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

CSCO

0.95

Communication Equipment Industry

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

CSCO’s Current Ratio of 0.95 falls into the lower quartile for the Communication Equipment industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

ABT vs. CSCO: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Medical - Devices and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

ABT

0.27

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 2.34
Q3: 1.09
Median: 0.37
Q1: 0.08
Min: 0.00

ABT’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.27 is typical for the Medical - Devices industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

CSCO

0.64

Communication Equipment Industry

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

CSCO’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.64 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.

ABT vs. CSCO: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Medical - Devices and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio

ABT

15.39

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 18.18
Q3: 7.53
Median: 0.85
Q1: -9.80
Min: -33.94

ABT’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 15.39 is in the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.

CSCO

6.87

Communication Equipment Industry

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

CSCO’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 6.87 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Communication Equipment industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

ABT vs. CSCO: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Medical - Devices and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	ABT	CSCO
Current Ratio (TTM)	1.78	0.95
Quick Ratio (TTM)	1.27	0.87
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)	0.27	0.64
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)	0.16	0.24
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)	0.60	1.39
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	15.39	6.87

Growth

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

Revenue Growth

ABT vs. CSCO: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Revenue Growth.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

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

Free Cash Flow Growth

ABT vs. CSCO: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Free Cash Flow Growth.

Dividend

Dividend Yield

ABT

1.70%

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 3.57%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

With a Dividend Yield of 1.70%, ABT offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Medical - Devices industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.

CSCO

2.34%

Communication Equipment Industry

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

With a Dividend Yield of 2.34%, CSCO offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Communication Equipment industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.

ABT vs. CSCO: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Medical - Devices and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio

ABT

28.92%

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 102.12%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ABT’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 28.92% is in the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.

CSCO

65.54%

Communication Equipment Industry

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

CSCO’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 65.54% is in the upper quartile for the Communication Equipment industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.

ABT vs. CSCO: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Medical - Devices and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	ABT	CSCO
Dividend Yield (TTM)	1.70%	2.34%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	28.92%	65.54%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio

ABT

17.40

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 90.56
Q3: 56.92
Median: 43.19
Q1: 21.79
Min: 5.55

In the lower quartile for the Medical - Devices industry, ABT’s P/E Ratio of 17.40 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.

CSCO

28.20

Communication Equipment Industry

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

CSCO’s P/E Ratio of 28.20 is within the middle range for the Communication Equipment industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

ABT vs. CSCO: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Medical - Devices and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Forward P/E to Growth Ratio

ABT

1.73

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 6.56
Q3: 3.52
Median: 2.22
Q1: 0.55
Min: 0.03

ABT’s Forward PEG Ratio of 1.73 is within the middle range of its peers in the Medical - Devices industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.

CSCO

3.99

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.

ABT vs. CSCO: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Medical - Devices and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio

ABT

5.52

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 15.74
Q3: 8.12
Median: 3.40
Q1: 2.37
Min: 0.42

ABT’s P/S Ratio of 5.52 aligns with the market consensus for the Medical - Devices industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

CSCO

4.94

Communication Equipment Industry

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

CSCO’s P/S Ratio of 4.94 is in the upper echelon for the Communication Equipment industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.

ABT vs. CSCO: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Medical - Devices and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio

ABT

4.81

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 16.65
Q3: 8.03
Median: 3.73
Q1: 1.92
Min: 0.65

ABT’s P/B Ratio of 4.81 is within the conventional range for the Medical - Devices 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.

CSCO

6.01

Communication Equipment Industry

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

CSCO’s P/B Ratio of 6.01 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.

ABT vs. CSCO: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Medical - Devices and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	ABT	CSCO
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)	17.40	28.20
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)	1.73	3.99
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)	5.52	4.94
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)	4.81	6.01
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)	35.14	21.46
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)	21.49	19.54
EV-to-Sales (TTM)	5.68	5.32