CDW vs. SMCI: CDW vs. Super Micro Computer Stock Comparison
How do CDW (CDW) and Super Micro Computer (SMCI) 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
CDW (CDW) and Super Micro Computer (SMCI) both fall under the Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group, but CDW is classified in Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components while SMCI is classified in Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals.
| Profile Item | CDW | SMCI |
|---|---|---|
| Name | CDW Corporation | Super Micro Computer Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Information Technology | Information Technology |
| GICS Industry Group | Technology Hardware & Equipment | Technology Hardware & Equipment |
| GICS Industry | Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components | Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Technology Distributors | Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals |
| Market Capitalization | 19.60 billion USD | 18.96 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | June 27, 2013 | March 29, 2007 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CDW | SMCI |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 16.85% | -26.81% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | -6.46% | 3.18% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -1.35% | 45.36% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Super Micro Computer (SMCI) carries a highly aggressive beta of 2.21, indicating much higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, whereas CDW (CDW) is closer to market-like at 0.90 — a noticeable difference in market-sensitivity profile.
| Metric | CDW | SMCI |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 48.60% | 93.09% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.90 | 2.21 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -60.37% | -84.84% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 1.60M | 43.55M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CDW | SMCI |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.26 | -0.33 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.37 | -0.48 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both CDW (CDW) at 42.47% and Super Micro Computer (SMCI) at 32.37% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.
CDW
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
42.47%
- CDW
- 42.47%
- Max
- 42.47%
- Q3
- 19.13%
- Median
- 11.00%
- Q1
- 1.63%
- Min
- -20.62%
SMCI
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
32.37%
- Max
- 42.47%
- SMCI
- 32.37%
- Q3
- 19.13%
- Median
- 11.00%
- Q1
- 1.63%
- Min
- -20.62%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both CDW (CDW) at 4.48% and Super Micro Computer (SMCI) at 6.77% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
CDW
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
4.48%
- Max
- 27.60%
- Q3
- 11.66%
- CDW
- 4.48%
- Median
- 4.08%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -11.02%
SMCI
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
6.77%
- Max
- 27.60%
- Q3
- 11.66%
- SMCI
- 6.77%
- Median
- 4.08%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -11.02%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both CDW (CDW) at 8.14% and Super Micro Computer (SMCI) at 10.35% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
CDW
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
8.14%
- Max
- 36.27%
- Q3
- 18.36%
- Median
- 8.84%
- CDW
- 8.14%
- Q1
- 1.46%
- Min
- -21.39%
SMCI
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
10.35%
- Max
- 36.27%
- Q3
- 18.36%
- SMCI
- 10.35%
- Median
- 8.84%
- Q1
- 1.46%
- Min
- -21.39%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | CDW | SMCI |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 42.47% | 32.37% |
| ROA (TTM) | 6.47% | 11.61% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 4.48% | 6.77% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 8.14% | 10.35% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 21.00% | 11.67% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Super Micro Computer (SMCI) at 77.79% clears its industry range for revenue growth, far stronger top-line momentum than CDW (CDW) at 6.79%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
EPS Growth
Super Micro Computer (SMCI) at 94.05% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while CDW (CDW) at 1.38% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for SMCI.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CDW | SMCI |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 6.79% | 77.79% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | -1.89% | 76.34% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 1.38% | 94.05% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -0.21% | 41.82% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Super Micro Computer (SMCI) at 3.02 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while CDW (CDW) at 1.27 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — different working-capital profiles, both worth examining.
CDW
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
1.27
- Max
- 5.34
- Q3
- 3.02
- Median
- 1.95
- Q1
- 1.32
- CDW
- 1.27
- Min
- 0.17
SMCI
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
3.02
- Max
- 5.34
- SMCI
- 3.02
- Q3
- 3.02
- Median
- 1.95
- Q1
- 1.32
- Min
- 0.17
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Super Micro Computer (SMCI) at 0.57 is near its industry mid-range for debt-to-equity ratio, while CDW (CDW) at 2.98 sits above its benchmark range, pointing to a heavier debt load relative to equity.
CDW
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
2.98
- CDW
- 2.98
- Max
- 1.76
- Q3
- 0.78
- Median
- 0.24
- Q1
- 0.04
- Min
- 0.01
SMCI
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
0.57
- Max
- 1.76
- Q3
- 0.78
- SMCI
- 0.57
- Median
- 0.24
- Q1
- 0.04
- Min
- 0.01
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CDW | SMCI |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.27 | 3.02 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 2.98 | 0.57 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 3.01 | 0.50 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Super Micro Computer (SMCI) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile CDW (CDW) reports a yield of 1.59%, ranking against industry peers normally.
CDW
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
1.59%
- CDW
- 1.59%
- Max
- 0.73%
- Q3
- 0.31%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
SMCI
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 0.73%
- Q3
- 0.31%
- SMCI
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Super Micro Computer (SMCI) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile CDW (CDW) reports a payout of 29.40%, ranking against industry peers normally.
CDW
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
29.40%
- Max
- 32.27%
- CDW
- 29.40%
- Q3
- 14.48%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
SMCI
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 32.27%
- Q3
- 14.48%
- SMCI
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | CDW | SMCI |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.59% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 29.40% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both CDW (CDW) at 18.32 and Super Micro Computer (SMCI) at 6.07 sit in the cheaper earnings-multiple quartile for P/E ratio, with the market paying less for a dollar of trailing earnings than it pays for typical peers.
CDW
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
18.32
- Max
- 69.48
- Q3
- 41.02
- Median
- 26.39
- Q1
- 19.36
- CDW
- 18.32
- Min
- 6.07
SMCI
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
6.07
- Max
- 69.48
- Q3
- 41.02
- Median
- 26.39
- Q1
- 19.36
- SMCI
- 6.07
- Min
- 6.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Both CDW (CDW) at 0.80 and Super Micro Computer (SMCI) at 0.35 fetch a relatively low price per dollar of sales, landing in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.
CDW
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
0.80
- Max
- 11.30
- Q3
- 5.82
- Median
- 2.56
- Q1
- 1.05
- CDW
- 0.80
- Min
- 0.00
SMCI
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
0.35
- Max
- 11.30
- Q3
- 5.82
- Median
- 2.56
- Q1
- 1.05
- SMCI
- 0.35
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Super Micro Computer (SMCI) at 1.60 looks cheap against book in the lower P/B ratio quartile, while CDW (CDW) at 7.45 carries a premium in the upper quartile — a clear price-to-book gap.
CDW
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
7.45
- Max
- 10.75
- CDW
- 7.45
- Q3
- 5.52
- Median
- 3.17
- Q1
- 1.79
- Min
- 0.33
SMCI
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
1.60
- Max
- 10.75
- Q3
- 5.52
- Median
- 3.17
- Q1
- 1.79
- SMCI
- 1.60
- Min
- 0.33
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CDW | SMCI |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 18.32 | 6.07 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 0.80 | 0.35 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 7.45 | 1.60 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 4.43% | -42.54% |