CSCO vs. ERIC: Cisco Systems vs. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Cisco Systems (CSCO) 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

Cisco Systems (CSCO) 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.

Cisco Systems (CSCO) 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 Cisco Systems (CSCO) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC)
Profile Item	CSCO	ERIC
Name	Cisco Systems, Inc.	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	370.01 billion USD	33.25 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	Nasdaq	Nasdaq
Listing Date	February 16, 1990	August 24, 1981
Security Type	Common Stock	ADR

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

CSCO

ERIC

GSPC

Cisco Systems (CSCO) 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 Cisco Systems (CSCO) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Cisco Systems (CSCO) 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 Cisco Systems (CSCO) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC)
Metric	CSCO	ERIC
Total Return (1Y)	40.88%	11.58%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	26.81%	36.47%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	14.44%	2.71%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

CSCO

ERIC

GSPC

Cisco Systems (CSCO) 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 Cisco Systems (CSCO) 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 Cisco Systems (CSCO) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC)
Metric	CSCO	ERIC
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	36.83%	36.32%
Beta (5Y)	1.02	0.96
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-36.68%	-62.81%
Avg. Volume (3M)	18.52M	9.73M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

CSCO 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 Cisco Systems (CSCO) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC)
Metric	CSCO	ERIC
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.99	0.20
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	1.44	0.29

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 27.32% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) at 18.09% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for CSCO.

CSCO

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

27.32%

Max: 42.47%
CSCO: 27.32%
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%

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

Net Margin (TTM)

Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 20.95% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) at 8.36%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

CSCO

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

20.95%

Max: 27.60%
CSCO: 20.95%
Q3: 11.66%
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%

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

Operating Margin (TTM)

Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 27.72% carries a top-quartile operating margin, while Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) at 0.00% operates in the bottom quartile.

CSCO

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

27.72%

Max: 36.27%
CSCO: 27.72%
Q3: 18.36%
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%

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

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Cisco Systems (CSCO) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC)
Metric	CSCO	ERIC
ROE (TTM)	27.32%	18.09%
ROA (TTM)	7.98%	7.07%
Net Margin (TTM)	20.95%	8.36%
Operating Margin (TTM)	27.72%	0.00%
Gross Margin (TTM)	64.52%	48.01%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 11.78% 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.

Cisco Systems (CSCO) vs. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Only one side can be read here: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) reports EPS growth of 85,000.00%, ranked against its industry; Cisco Systems (CSCO) has no EPS growth figure this period.

Cisco Systems (CSCO) vs. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Cisco Systems (CSCO) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC)
Metric	CSCO	ERIC
Revenue Growth (YoY)	11.78%	-4.52%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	3.57%	-4.48%
EPS Growth (YoY)	--	85,000.00%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	--	14.83%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 0.93 and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) at 1.16 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.

CSCO

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

0.93

Max: 5.34
Q3: 3.02
Median: 1.95
Q1: 1.32
CSCO: 0.93
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

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

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 0.62 and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) at 0.41 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

CSCO

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

0.62

Max: 1.76
Q3: 0.78
CSCO: 0.62
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

Cisco Systems (CSCO) 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 Cisco Systems (CSCO) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC)
Metric	CSCO	ERIC
Current Ratio (MRQ)	0.93	1.16
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.62	0.41
Net Debt / EBITDA	0.82	--

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Cisco Systems (CSCO) reports a yield of 1.73%, ranking against industry peers normally.

CSCO

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

1.73%

CSCO: 1.73%
Max: 0.73%
Q3: 0.31%
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%

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

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 49.85% and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) at 51.66% pay out more of their earnings than any of their industry peers — the thinnest cover in their groups, so dividend headroom deserves attention.

CSCO

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

49.85%

CSCO: 49.85%
Max: 32.27%
Q3: 14.48%
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%

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

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Cisco Systems (CSCO) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC)
Metric	CSCO	ERIC
Dividend Yield (TTM)	1.73%	0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	49.85%	51.66%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) at 16.55 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 28.18 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for ERIC, though growth and earnings durability still matter.

CSCO

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

28.18

Max: 69.48
Q3: 41.02
CSCO: 28.18
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

Cisco Systems (CSCO) 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 Cisco Systems (CSCO), whose P/S ratio of 5.84 ranks against industry peers; Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) reports no figure this period.

CSCO

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

5.84

Max: 11.30
CSCO: 5.84
Q3: 5.82
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: --

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

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) at 0.33 looks cheap against book in the lower P/B ratio quartile, while Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 7.36 carries a premium in the upper quartile — a clear price-to-book gap.

CSCO

Technology Hardware & Equipment industry group

7.36

Max: 10.75
CSCO: 7.36
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

Cisco Systems (CSCO) 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 Cisco Systems (CSCO) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC)
Metric	CSCO	ERIC
P/E Ratio (TTM)	28.18	16.55
P/S Ratio (TTM)	5.84	--
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	7.36	0.33
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	3.02%	86.49%