CIEN vs. NOK: Ciena vs. Nokia Stock Comparison
How do Ciena (CIEN) and Nokia (NOK) 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 Nokia (NOK) 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 Nokia (NOK) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.
| Profile Item | CIEN | NOK |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Ciena Corp. | Nokia Corporation Sponsored ADR |
| Country/Region | United States | Finland |
| 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 | 43.35 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | February 7, 1997 | July 1, 1994 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | ADR |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CIEN | NOK |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 36.49% | 19.81% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 84.56% | 36.27% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 35.01% | 9.52% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | CIEN | NOK |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 81.12% | 62.40% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.39 | 1.24 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -63.19% | -55.73% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.83M | 77.91M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CIEN | NOK |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.40 | 0.25 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.56 | 0.35 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Ciena (CIEN) at 22.40% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Nokia (NOK) at 3.88% 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%
NOK
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
3.88%
- Max
- 42.47%
- Q3
- 19.13%
- Median
- 11.00%
- NOK
- 3.88%
- Q1
- 1.63%
- Min
- -20.62%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Ciena (CIEN) at 10.87% and Nokia (NOK) at 3.75% 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%
NOK
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
3.75%
- Max
- 27.60%
- Q3
- 11.66%
- Median
- 4.08%
- NOK
- 3.75%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -11.02%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Ciena (CIEN) at 18.08% and Nokia (NOK) at 10.81% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
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%
NOK
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
10.81%
- Max
- 36.27%
- Q3
- 18.36%
- NOK
- 10.81%
- Median
- 8.84%
- Q1
- 1.46%
- Min
- -21.39%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | CIEN | NOK |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 22.40% | 3.88% |
| ROA (TTM) | 7.73% | 3.49% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 10.87% | 3.75% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 18.08% | 10.81% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 44.07% | 45.43% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Ciena (CIEN) at 18.79% and Nokia (NOK) at 3.48% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Ciena (CIEN) at 46.55% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Nokia (NOK) at -47.83% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CIEN | NOK |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 18.79% | 3.48% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 9.50% | -5.76% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 46.55% | -47.83% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -5.27% | -45.71% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Nokia (NOK) at 1.46 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.
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
NOK
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
1.46
- Max
- 5.34
- Q3
- 3.02
- Median
- 1.95
- NOK
- 1.46
- Q1
- 1.32
- Min
- 0.17
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Nokia (NOK) at 0.16 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
NOK
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
0.16
- Max
- 1.76
- Q3
- 0.78
- Median
- 0.24
- NOK
- 0.16
- Q1
- 0.04
- Min
- 0.01
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CIEN | NOK |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 3.80 | 1.46 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 1.07 | 0.16 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.64 | -0.59 |
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 Nokia (NOK) reports a yield of 1.88%, 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%
NOK
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
1.88%
- NOK
- 1.88%
- Max
- 0.73%
- Q3
- 0.31%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Nokia (NOK) reports payout ratio above 100% at 100.17%, meaning dividends exceeded current-period earnings; Ciena (CIEN) pays no dividend (payout 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%
NOK
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
100.17%
- NOK
- 100.17%
- Max
- 32.27%
- Q3
- 14.48%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | CIEN | NOK |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 1.88% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 100.17% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Ciena (CIEN) at 54.45 and Nokia (NOK) at 47.88 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
NOK
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
47.88
- Max
- 69.48
- NOK
- 47.88
- Q3
- 41.02
- Median
- 26.39
- Q1
- 19.36
- Min
- 6.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Ciena (CIEN) at 5.73 and Nokia (NOK) at 2.08 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
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
NOK
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
2.08
- Max
- 11.30
- Q3
- 5.82
- Median
- 2.56
- NOK
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.05
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Nokia (NOK) at 1.82 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Ciena (CIEN) at 11.30 prices above its benchmark range — CIEN looks rich relative to book.
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
NOK
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
1.82
- Max
- 10.75
- Q3
- 5.52
- Median
- 3.17
- NOK
- 1.82
- Q1
- 1.79
- Min
- 0.33
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CIEN | NOK |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 54.45 | 47.88 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 5.73 | 2.08 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 11.30 | 1.82 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 1.84% | 2.98% |