AVGO vs. CIEN: Broadcom vs. Ciena Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Broadcom (AVGO) and Ciena (CIEN) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Broadcom (AVGO) and Ciena (CIEN) share the Information Technology sector but sit in different industry groups — AVGO in Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment and CIEN in Technology Hardware & Equipment.

Company profile comparison for Broadcom (AVGO) and Ciena (CIEN)
Profile Item	AVGO	CIEN
Name	Broadcom Inc.	Ciena Corp.
Country/Region	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Information Technology	Information Technology
GICS Industry Group	Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment	Technology Hardware & Equipment
GICS Industry	Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment	Communications Equipment
GICS Sub-Industry	Semiconductors	Communications Equipment
Market Capitalization	1,401.97 billion USD	34.51 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	Nasdaq	NYSE
Listing Date	August 6, 2009	February 7, 1997
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

AVGO

CIEN

GSPC

Broadcom (AVGO) vs. Ciena (CIEN), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Broadcom (AVGO) and Ciena (CIEN). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Broadcom (AVGO) and Ciena (CIEN). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Broadcom (AVGO) and Ciena (CIEN)
Metric	AVGO	CIEN
Total Return (1Y)	-8.02%	36.49%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	53.49%	84.56%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	44.26%	35.01%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

AVGO

CIEN

GSPC

Broadcom (AVGO) vs. Ciena (CIEN), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Broadcom (AVGO) and Ciena (CIEN). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Broadcom (AVGO) and Ciena (CIEN)
Metric	AVGO	CIEN
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	48.06%	81.12%
Beta (5Y)	1.50	1.39
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-41.15%	-63.19%
Avg. Volume (3M)	23.75M	2.83M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

AVGO and CIEN are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. Each dashed Capital Allocation Line uses that stock's own industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Broadcom (AVGO) and Ciena (CIEN)
Metric	AVGO	CIEN
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	-0.26	0.40
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	-0.35	0.56

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both Broadcom (AVGO) at 44.25% and Ciena (CIEN) at 22.40% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.

AVGO

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

44.25%

Max: 52.82%
AVGO: 44.25%
Q3: 22.26%
Median: 10.58%
Q1: 1.29%
Min: -16.89%

CIEN

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

22.40%

Max: 42.47%
CIEN: 22.40%
Q3: 19.13%
Median: 11.00%
Q1: 1.63%
Min: -20.62%

Broadcom (AVGO) vs. Ciena (CIEN): A comparison of their ROE against their respective Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment and Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Net Margin (TTM)

Broadcom (AVGO) at 42.94% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Ciena (CIEN) at 10.87%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

AVGO

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

42.94%

Max: 63.80%
AVGO: 42.94%
Q3: 28.36%
Median: 11.44%
Q1: 0.90%
Min: -37.77%

CIEN

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

10.87%

Max: 27.60%
Q3: 11.66%
CIEN: 10.87%
Median: 4.08%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: -11.02%

Broadcom (AVGO) vs. Ciena (CIEN): A comparison of their net margin against their respective Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment and Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Broadcom (AVGO) at 54.31% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Ciena (CIEN) at 18.08%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

AVGO

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

54.31%

Max: 58.66%
AVGO: 54.31%
Q3: 30.23%
Median: 15.91%
Q1: 7.54%
Min: -25.74%

CIEN

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

18.08%

Max: 36.27%
Q3: 18.36%
CIEN: 18.08%
Median: 8.84%
Q1: 1.46%
Min: -21.39%

Broadcom (AVGO) vs. Ciena (CIEN): A comparison of their operating margin against their respective Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment and Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Broadcom (AVGO) and Ciena (CIEN)
Metric	AVGO	CIEN
ROE (TTM)	44.25%	22.40%
ROA (TTM)	15.37%	7.73%
Net Margin (TTM)	42.94%	10.87%
Operating Margin (TTM)	54.31%	18.08%
Gross Margin (TTM)	75.52%	44.07%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Broadcom (AVGO) at 23.87% and Ciena (CIEN) at 18.79% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Broadcom (AVGO) vs. Ciena (CIEN): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both companies show strong earnings momentum, but Broadcom (AVGO) at 287.80% is the standout with EPS growth above its industry range; Ciena (CIEN) at 46.55% also sits in the top quartile.

Broadcom (AVGO) vs. Ciena (CIEN): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Broadcom (AVGO) and Ciena (CIEN)
Metric	AVGO	CIEN
Revenue Growth (YoY)	23.87%	18.79%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	24.38%	9.50%
EPS Growth (YoY)	287.80%	46.55%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	21.60%	-5.27%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Broadcom (AVGO) at 2.50 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Ciena (CIEN) at 3.80 sits above its industry’s typical mid-range — comfortable liquidity, though possibly with more idle current assets relative to peers.

AVGO

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

2.50

Max: 10.33
Q3: 5.62
Median: 3.33
AVGO: 2.50
Q1: 2.35
Min: 1.03

CIEN

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

3.80

Max: 5.34
CIEN: 3.80
Q3: 3.02
Median: 1.95
Q1: 1.32
Min: 0.17

Broadcom (AVGO) vs. Ciena (CIEN): A comparison of their current ratio against their respective Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment and Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Broadcom (AVGO) at 0.60 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while Ciena (CIEN) at 1.07 uses more debt funding than most peers.

AVGO

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.60

Max: 1.46
Q3: 0.65
AVGO: 0.60
Median: 0.27
Q1: 0.04
Min: 0.00

CIEN

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

1.07

Max: 1.76
CIEN: 1.07
Q3: 0.78
Median: 0.24
Q1: 0.04
Min: 0.01

Broadcom (AVGO) vs. Ciena (CIEN): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against their respective Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment and Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Broadcom (AVGO) and Ciena (CIEN)
Metric	AVGO	CIEN
Current Ratio (MRQ)	2.50	3.80
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.60	1.07
Net Debt / EBITDA	0.68	0.64

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Ciena (CIEN) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Broadcom (AVGO) reports a yield of 0.89%, ranking against industry peers normally.

AVGO

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.89%

Max: 1.37%
AVGO: 0.89%
Q3: 0.65%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

CIEN

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

0.00%

Max: 0.73%
Q3: 0.31%
CIEN: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Broadcom (AVGO) vs. Ciena (CIEN): A comparison of their dividend yield against their respective Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment and Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Ciena (CIEN) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Broadcom (AVGO) reports a payout of 32.44%, ranking against industry peers normally.

AVGO

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

32.44%

Max: 49.64%
AVGO: 32.44%
Q3: 21.71%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

CIEN

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

0.00%

Max: 32.27%
Q3: 14.48%
CIEN: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Broadcom (AVGO) vs. Ciena (CIEN): A comparison of their payout ratio against their respective Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment and Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Broadcom (AVGO) and Ciena (CIEN)
Metric	AVGO	CIEN
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.89%	0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	32.44%	0.00%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Broadcom (AVGO) at 37.51 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Ciena (CIEN) at 54.45 sits in the richer quartile — CIEN needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.

AVGO

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

37.51

Max: 110.34
Q3: 66.81
AVGO: 37.51
Median: 37.02
Q1: 23.96
Min: 8.12

CIEN

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

54.45

Max: 69.48
CIEN: 54.45
Q3: 41.02
Median: 26.39
Q1: 19.36
Min: 6.07

Broadcom (AVGO) vs. Ciena (CIEN): A comparison of their P/E ratio against their respective Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment and Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmarks.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Ciena (CIEN) at 5.73 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Broadcom (AVGO) at 15.73 sits in the pricier quartile — AVGO costs more per dollar of sales.

AVGO

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

15.73

Max: 21.42
AVGO: 15.73
Q3: 12.27
Median: 5.76
Q1: 2.73
Min: 0.00

CIEN

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

5.73

Max: 11.30
Q3: 5.82
CIEN: 5.73
Median: 2.56
Q1: 1.05
Min: 0.00

Broadcom (AVGO) vs. Ciena (CIEN): A comparison of their P/S ratio against their respective Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment and Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmarks.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Both look rich against book: Broadcom (AVGO) at 14.06 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and Ciena (CIEN) at 11.30 prices even higher, above its industry range.

AVGO

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

14.06

AVGO: 14.06
Max: 14.06
Q3: 7.44
Median: 4.29
Q1: 2.30
Min: 0.20

CIEN

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

11.30

CIEN: 11.30
Max: 10.75
Q3: 5.52
Median: 3.17
Q1: 1.79
Min: 0.33

Broadcom (AVGO) vs. Ciena (CIEN): A comparison of their P/B ratio against their respective Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment and Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Broadcom (AVGO) and Ciena (CIEN)
Metric	AVGO	CIEN
P/E Ratio (TTM)	37.51	54.45
P/S Ratio (TTM)	15.73	5.73
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	14.06	11.30
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	2.18%	1.84%