CIEN vs. TEL: Ciena vs. TE Connectivity Stock Comparison
How do Ciena (CIEN) and TE Connectivity (TEL) 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 TE Connectivity (TEL) both fall under the Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group, but CIEN is classified in Communications Equipment while TEL is classified in Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components.
| Profile Item | CIEN | TEL |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Ciena Corp. | TE Connectivity plc |
| Country/Region | United States | Ireland |
| GICS Sector | Information Technology | Information Technology |
| GICS Industry Group | Technology Hardware & Equipment | Technology Hardware & Equipment |
| GICS Industry | Communications Equipment | Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Communications Equipment | Electronic Manufacturing Services |
| Market Capitalization | 34.51 billion USD | 59.52 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | February 7, 1997 | June 14, 2007 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CIEN | TEL |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 36.49% | -8.84% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 84.56% | 22.58% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 35.01% | 7.96% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | CIEN | TEL |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 81.12% | 36.95% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.39 | 1.14 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -63.19% | -34.26% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.83M | 1.95M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CIEN | TEL |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.40 | -0.36 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.56 | -0.47 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Ciena (CIEN) at 22.40% and TE Connectivity (TEL) at 24.61% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.
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%
TEL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
24.61%
- Max
- 42.47%
- TEL
- 24.61%
- Q3
- 19.13%
- Median
- 11.00%
- Q1
- 1.63%
- Min
- -20.62%
Net Margin (TTM)
TE Connectivity (TEL) at 16.36% 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%
TEL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
16.36%
- Max
- 27.60%
- TEL
- 16.36%
- Q3
- 11.66%
- Median
- 4.08%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -11.02%
Operating Margin (TTM)
TE Connectivity (TEL) at 21.07% 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%
TEL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
21.07%
- Max
- 36.27%
- TEL
- 21.07%
- Q3
- 18.36%
- Median
- 8.84%
- Q1
- 1.46%
- Min
- -21.39%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | CIEN | TEL |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 22.40% | 24.61% |
| ROA (TTM) | 7.73% | 10.00% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 10.87% | 16.36% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 18.08% | 21.07% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 44.07% | 36.24% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Ciena (CIEN) at 18.79% and TE Connectivity (TEL) at 8.94% 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 TE Connectivity (TEL) at -40.37% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CIEN | TEL |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 18.79% | 8.94% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 9.50% | 1.97% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 46.55% | -40.37% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -5.27% | -6.23% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
TE Connectivity (TEL) at 1.73 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
TEL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
1.73
- Max
- 5.34
- Q3
- 3.02
- Median
- 1.95
- TEL
- 1.73
- Q1
- 1.32
- Min
- 0.17
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
TE Connectivity (TEL) 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
TEL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
0.41
- Max
- 1.76
- Q3
- 0.78
- TEL
- 0.41
- Median
- 0.24
- Q1
- 0.04
- Min
- 0.01
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CIEN | TEL |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 3.80 | 1.73 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 1.07 | 0.41 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.64 | 0.76 |
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 TE Connectivity (TEL) reports a yield of 1.44%, 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%
TEL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
1.44%
- TEL
- 1.44%
- Max
- 0.73%
- Q3
- 0.31%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
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 TE Connectivity (TEL) reports a payout of 28.50%, 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%
TEL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
28.50%
- Max
- 32.27%
- TEL
- 28.50%
- Q3
- 14.48%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | CIEN | TEL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 1.44% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 28.50% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
TE Connectivity (TEL) at 18.70 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
TEL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
18.70
- Max
- 69.48
- Q3
- 41.02
- Median
- 26.39
- Q1
- 19.36
- TEL
- 18.70
- Min
- 6.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Ciena (CIEN) at 5.73 and TE Connectivity (TEL) at 2.99 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
TEL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
2.99
- Max
- 11.30
- Q3
- 5.82
- TEL
- 2.99
- Median
- 2.56
- Q1
- 1.05
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
TE Connectivity (TEL) at 4.38 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
TEL
Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group
4.38
- Max
- 10.75
- Q3
- 5.52
- TEL
- 4.38
- Median
- 3.17
- Q1
- 1.79
- Min
- 0.33
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CIEN | TEL |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 54.45 | 18.70 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 5.73 | 2.99 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 11.30 | 4.38 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 1.84% | 4.09% |