CIEN vs. MSI: Ciena vs. Motorola Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Ciena (CIEN) and Motorola (MSI) 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 Motorola (MSI) are both classified in the Communications Equipment sub-industry within the broader Communications Equipment industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Company profile comparison for Ciena (CIEN) and Motorola (MSI)
Profile Item	CIEN	MSI
Name	Ciena Corp.	Motorola Solutions, Inc.
Country/Region	United States	United States
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	85.07 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	February 7, 1997	January 2, 1962
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

CIEN

MSI

GSPC

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Motorola (MSI), 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 Motorola (MSI). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Ciena (CIEN) and Motorola (MSI)
Metric	CIEN	MSI
Total Return (1Y)	36.49%	35.63%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	84.56%	20.55%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	35.01%	17.37%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

CIEN

MSI

GSPC

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Motorola (MSI), 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 Motorola (MSI). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Ciena (CIEN) and Motorola (MSI)
Metric	CIEN	MSI
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	81.12%	25.11%
Beta (5Y)	1.39	0.84
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-63.19%	-27.23%
Avg. Volume (3M)	2.83M	973.41K

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

CIEN and MSI 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 Motorola (MSI)
Metric	CIEN	MSI
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.40	1.25
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	0.56	1.90

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both companies show strong equity returns, but Motorola (MSI) at 76.98% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; Ciena (CIEN) at 22.40% also sits in the top quartile.

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%

MSI

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

76.98%

MSI: 76.98%
Max: 42.47%
Q3: 19.13%
Median: 11.00%
Q1: 1.63%
Min: -20.62%

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Motorola (MSI): A comparison of their ROE against the Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Motorola (MSI) at 16.54% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Ciena (CIEN) at 10.87%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

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%

MSI

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

16.54%

Max: 27.60%
MSI: 16.54%
Q3: 11.66%
Median: 4.08%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: -11.02%

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Motorola (MSI): A comparison of their net margin against the Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Motorola (MSI) at 24.62% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Ciena (CIEN) at 18.08%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

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%

MSI

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

24.62%

Max: 36.27%
MSI: 24.62%
Q3: 18.36%
Median: 8.84%
Q1: 1.46%
Min: -21.39%

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Motorola (MSI): A comparison of their operating margin against the Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Ciena (CIEN) and Motorola (MSI)
Metric	CIEN	MSI
ROE (TTM)	22.40%	76.98%
ROA (TTM)	7.73%	9.64%
Net Margin (TTM)	10.87%	16.54%
Operating Margin (TTM)	18.08%	24.62%
Gross Margin (TTM)	44.07%	51.75%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Ciena (CIEN) at 18.79% and Motorola (MSI) at 8.00% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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

EPS Growth

Ciena (CIEN) at 46.55% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Motorola (MSI) at 38.14% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for CIEN.

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

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Ciena (CIEN) and Motorola (MSI)
Metric	CIEN	MSI
Revenue Growth (YoY)	18.79%	8.00%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	9.50%	8.63%
EPS Growth (YoY)	46.55%	38.14%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	-5.27%	17.15%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Ciena (CIEN) at 3.80 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while Motorola (MSI) at 1.10 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

MSI

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

1.10

Max: 5.34
Q3: 3.02
Median: 1.95
Q1: 1.32
MSI: 1.10
Min: 0.17

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Motorola (MSI): A comparison of their current ratio against the Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both balance sheets lean debt-heavy versus peers, but MSI is more stretched: Ciena (CIEN) at 1.07 sits in the higher-leverage quartile and Motorola (MSI) at 3.46 is above its industry benchmark range.

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

MSI

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

3.46

MSI: 3.46
Max: 1.76
Q3: 0.78
Median: 0.24
Q1: 0.04
Min: 0.01

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Motorola (MSI): 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 Motorola (MSI)
Metric	CIEN	MSI
Current Ratio (MRQ)	3.80	1.10
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	1.07	3.46
Net Debt / EBITDA	0.64	2.70

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 Motorola (MSI) reports a yield of 0.94%, ranking against industry peers normally.

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%

MSI

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

0.94%

MSI: 0.94%
Max: 0.73%
Q3: 0.31%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Motorola (MSI): 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 Motorola (MSI) reports a payout of 38.94%, 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%

MSI

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

38.94%

MSI: 38.94%
Max: 32.27%
Q3: 14.48%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Motorola (MSI): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Ciena (CIEN) and Motorola (MSI)
Metric	CIEN	MSI
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	0.94%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	38.94%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Ciena (CIEN) at 54.45 and Motorola (MSI) at 41.39 sit in the richer earnings-multiple quartile for P/E ratio, so investors are paying more for TTM earnings than they pay for typical peers.

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

MSI

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

41.39

Max: 69.48
MSI: 41.39
Q3: 41.02
Median: 26.39
Q1: 19.36
Min: 6.07

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

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Ciena (CIEN) at 5.73 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Motorola (MSI) at 6.75 sits in the pricier quartile — MSI costs more per dollar of sales.

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

MSI

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

6.75

Max: 11.30
MSI: 6.75
Q3: 5.82
Median: 2.56
Q1: 1.05
Min: 0.00

Ciena (CIEN) vs. Motorola (MSI): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Measured against book value, both Ciena (CIEN) at 11.30 and Motorola (MSI) at 27.75 look expensive — each P/B ratio sits above its industry’s benchmark range.

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

MSI

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

27.75

MSI: 27.75
Max: 10.75
Q3: 5.52
Median: 3.17
Q1: 1.79
Min: 0.33

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

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Ciena (CIEN) and Motorola (MSI)
Metric	CIEN	MSI
P/E Ratio (TTM)	54.45	41.39
P/S Ratio (TTM)	5.73	6.75
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	11.30	27.75
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	1.84%	2.24%