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

Updated on July 7, 2025

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

Company Overview

ALAB’s market capitalization stands at 14.97 billion USD, while CIEN’s is 11.50 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.

With betas of 1.40 for ALAB and 1.12 for CIEN, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.

Symbol	ALAB	CIEN
Company Name	Astera Labs, Inc. Common Stock	Ciena Corporation
Country	US	US
Sector	Technology	Technology
Industry	Semiconductors	Communication Equipment
CEO	Jitendra Mohan	Gary B. Smith
Price	90.8 USD	81.38 USD
Market Cap	14.97 billion USD	11.50 billion USD
Beta	1.40	1.12
Exchange	NASDAQ	NYSE
IPO Date	March 20, 2024	February 7, 1997
ADR	No	No

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of ALAB 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.

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

Profitability

Return on Equity

ALAB

4.43%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 41.84%
Q3: 15.81%
Median: 6.31%
Q1: -5.54%
Min: -30.12%

ALAB’s Return on Equity of 4.43% is on par with the norm for the Semiconductors industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

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.

ALAB vs. CIEN: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Return on Invested Capital

ALAB

-4.25%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 30.91%
Q3: 11.34%
Median: 4.08%
Q1: -2.17%
Min: -19.59%

ALAB has a negative Return on Invested Capital of -4.25%. This indicates that its operations are failing to generate a profit on the total capital invested, signaling significant inefficiency or value destruction.

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.

ALAB vs. CIEN: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin

ALAB

8.44%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 51.69%
Q3: 19.67%
Median: 8.56%
Q1: -5.44%
Min: -38.60%

ALAB’s Net Profit Margin of 8.44% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Semiconductors industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

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.

ALAB vs. CIEN: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin

ALAB

-4.45%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 58.03%
Q3: 22.12%
Median: 8.40%
Q1: -3.73%
Min: -36.14%

ALAB has a negative Operating Profit Margin of -4.45%. This signifies the company is unprofitable at the operational level, as its core business expenses exceed its revenue.

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.

ALAB vs. CIEN: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	ALAB	CIEN
Return on Equity (TTM)	4.43%	3.72%
Return on Assets (TTM)	3.69%	1.85%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)	-4.25%	2.97%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	8.44%	2.46%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	-4.45%	4.68%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	75.76%	41.94%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio

ALAB

13.92

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 9.10
Q3: 5.23
Median: 3.09
Q1: 2.49
Min: 1.02

ALAB’s Current Ratio of 13.92 is exceptionally high, placing it well outside the typical range for the Semiconductors industry. This indicates a very strong liquidity position, though such a high ratio may also suggest that the company is not using its assets efficiently to generate profits.

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.

ALAB vs. CIEN: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

ALAB

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 0.97
Q3: 0.46
Median: 0.21
Q1: 0.05
Min: 0.00

Debt-to-Equity Ratio data for ALAB is currently unavailable.

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.

ALAB vs. CIEN: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio

ALAB

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 36.25
Q3: 29.12
Median: 7.01
Q1: -1.22
Min: -18.18

Interest Coverage Ratio data for ALAB 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.

ALAB vs. CIEN: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	ALAB	CIEN
Current Ratio (TTM)	13.92	3.40
Quick Ratio (TTM)	13.26	2.57
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)	--	0.57
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)	--	0.28
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)	4.76	1.67
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	--	2.07

Growth

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

Revenue Growth

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

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

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

Free Cash Flow Growth

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

Dividend

Dividend Yield

ALAB

0.00%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 6.48%
Q3: 0.93%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ALAB 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.

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.

ALAB vs. CIEN: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio

ALAB

0.00%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 204.29%
Q3: 31.85%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ALAB 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.

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.

ALAB vs. CIEN: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	ALAB	CIEN
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	0.00%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio

ALAB

357.98

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 86.15
Q3: 47.38
Median: 27.87
Q1: 18.89
Min: 4.73

At 357.98, ALAB’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Semiconductors industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.

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.

ALAB vs. CIEN: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Forward P/E to Growth Ratio

ALAB

10.80

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 4.73
Q3: 2.80
Median: 1.11
Q1: 0.68
Min: 0.01

The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Semiconductors 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.

ALAB vs. CIEN: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio

ALAB

30.53

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 21.96
Q3: 10.21
Median: 4.45
Q1: 2.32
Min: 0.48

With a P/S Ratio of 30.53, ALAB trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Semiconductors 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.

ALAB vs. CIEN: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio

ALAB

14.23

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 13.12
Q3: 6.49
Median: 3.31
Q1: 1.74
Min: 0.23

At 14.23, ALAB’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Semiconductors 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.

ALAB vs. CIEN: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	ALAB	CIEN
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)	357.98	110.66
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)	10.80	2.86
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)	30.53	2.70
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)	14.23	4.18
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)	138.44	39.41
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)	-820.32	31.73
EV-to-Sales (TTM)	30.35	2.85