CIEN vs. ERIC: Ciena vs. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Ciena (CIEN) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) 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

Ciena (CIEN) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) are both classified in the Communications Equipment sub-industry within the broader Communications Equipment industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Ciena (CIEN) trades as ordinary local shares, while Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Company profile comparison for Ciena (CIEN) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC)
Profile Item	CIEN	ERIC
Name	Ciena Corp.	Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson Sponsored ADR
Country/Region	United States	Sweden
GICS Sector	Information Technology	Information Technology
GICS Industry Group	Technology Hardware & Equipment	Technology Hardware & Equipment
GICS Industry	Communications Equipment	Communications Equipment
GICS Sub-Industry	Communications Equipment	Communications Equipment
Market Capitalization	34.51 billion USD	33.25 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	Nasdaq
Listing Date	February 7, 1997	August 24, 1981
Security Type	Common Stock	ADR

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

CIEN

ERIC

GSPC

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC), 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 Ciena (CIEN) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Ciena (CIEN) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Ciena (CIEN) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC)
Metric	CIEN	ERIC
Total Return (1Y)	36.49%	11.58%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	84.56%	36.47%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	35.01%	2.71%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

CIEN

ERIC

GSPC

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC), 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 Ciena (CIEN) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Ciena (CIEN) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC)
Metric	CIEN	ERIC
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	81.12%	36.32%
Beta (5Y)	1.39	0.96
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-63.19%	-62.81%
Avg. Volume (3M)	2.83M	9.73M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

CIEN and ERIC are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Ciena (CIEN) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC)
Metric	CIEN	ERIC
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.40	0.20
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	0.56	0.29

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Ciena (CIEN) at 22.40% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) at 18.09% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for CIEN.

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%

ERIC

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

18.09%

Max: 42.47%
Q3: 19.13%
ERIC: 18.09%
Median: 11.00%
Q1: 1.63%
Min: -20.62%

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC): A comparison of their ROE against the Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both Ciena (CIEN) at 10.87% and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) at 8.36% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.

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%

ERIC

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

8.36%

Max: 27.60%
Q3: 11.66%
ERIC: 8.36%
Median: 4.08%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: -11.02%

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC): A comparison of their net margin against the Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Ciena (CIEN) at 18.08% runs core operations around its industry’s norm, while Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) at 0.00% operates in the bottom quartile.

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%

ERIC

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

0.00%

Max: 36.27%
Q3: 18.36%
Median: 8.84%
Q1: 1.46%
ERIC: 0.00%
Min: -21.39%

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC): A comparison of their operating margin against the Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Ciena (CIEN) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC)
Metric	CIEN	ERIC
ROE (TTM)	22.40%	18.09%
ROA (TTM)	7.73%	7.07%
Net Margin (TTM)	10.87%	8.36%
Operating Margin (TTM)	18.08%	0.00%
Gross Margin (TTM)	44.07%	48.01%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Ciena (CIEN) at 18.79% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) at -4.52% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both companies show strong earnings momentum, but Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) at 85,000.00% is the standout with EPS growth above its industry range; Ciena (CIEN) at 46.55% also sits in the top quartile.

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Ciena (CIEN) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC)
Metric	CIEN	ERIC
Revenue Growth (YoY)	18.79%	-4.52%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	9.50%	-4.48%
EPS Growth (YoY)	46.55%	85,000.00%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	-5.27%	14.83%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Ciena (CIEN) at 3.80 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) at 1.16 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — different working-capital profiles, both worth examining.

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

ERIC

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

1.16

Max: 5.34
Q3: 3.02
Median: 1.95
Q1: 1.32
ERIC: 1.16
Min: 0.17

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC): A comparison of their current ratio against the Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) at 0.41 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while Ciena (CIEN) at 1.07 uses more debt funding than most peers.

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

ERIC

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

0.41

Max: 1.76
Q3: 0.78
ERIC: 0.41
Median: 0.24
Q1: 0.04
Min: 0.01

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Ciena (CIEN) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC)
Metric	CIEN	ERIC
Current Ratio (MRQ)	3.80	1.16
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	1.07	0.41
Net Debt / EBITDA	0.64	--

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Neither Ciena (CIEN) nor Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.

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%

ERIC

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

0.00%

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

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmark.

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 Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) reports a payout of 51.66%, ranking against industry peers normally.

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%

ERIC

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

51.66%

ERIC: 51.66%
Max: 32.27%
Q3: 14.48%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Ciena (CIEN) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC)
Metric	CIEN	ERIC
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	51.66%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) at 16.55 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Ciena (CIEN) at 54.45 sits in the richer quartile — a clear split in what investors pay for each dollar of trailing earnings.

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

ERIC

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

16.55

Max: 69.48
Q3: 41.02
Median: 26.39
Q1: 19.36
ERIC: 16.55
Min: 6.07

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

A sales-based read is only available for Ciena (CIEN), whose P/S ratio of 5.73 ranks against industry peers; Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) reports no figure this period.

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

ERIC

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

Max: 11.30
Q3: 5.82
Median: 2.56
Q1: 1.05
Min: 0.00
ERIC: --

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC): ERIC does not report P/S ratio, so it has no value marker; CIEN is benchmarked against the Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) at 0.33 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile relative to book while Ciena (CIEN) at 11.30 prices above its industry range — a wide valuation gap against assets.

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

ERIC

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

0.33

Max: 10.75
Q3: 5.52
Median: 3.17
Q1: 1.79
ERIC: 0.33
Min: 0.33

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Ciena (CIEN) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC)
Metric	CIEN	ERIC
P/E Ratio (TTM)	54.45	16.55
P/S Ratio (TTM)	5.73	--
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	11.30	0.33
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	1.84%	86.49%