CSCO vs. LIN: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at CSCO and LIN, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | CSCO | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Cisco Systems, Inc. | Linde plc |
| Country | United States | United Kingdom |
| GICS Sector | Information Technology | Materials |
| GICS Industry | Communications Equipment | Chemicals |
| Market Capitalization | 271.78 billion USD | 222.46 billion USD |
| Exchange | NasdaqGS | NasdaqGS |
| Listing Date | February 16, 1990 | June 17, 1992 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of CSCO and LIN by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | CSCO | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 1.33% | 0.18% |
| 13-Week Price Return | -0.51% | 1.24% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 11.97% | 2.94% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 29.18% | -0.94% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 0.48% | -0.69% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 16.13% | 13.45% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 21.60M | 1.87M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 19.74M | 1.75M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 18.80% | 12.74% |
| Beta | 0.87 | 0.93 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
CSCO
22.18%
Communications Equipment Industry
- Max
- 32.30%
- Q3
- 20.90%
- Median
- 9.10%
- Q1
- 4.29%
- Min
- -13.50%
In the upper quartile for the Communications Equipment industry, CSCO’s Return on Equity of 22.18% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
LIN
17.46%
Chemicals Industry
- Max
- 29.52%
- Q3
- 13.18%
- Median
- 6.53%
- Q1
- 1.35%
- Min
- -11.86%
In the upper quartile for the Chemicals industry, LIN’s Return on Equity of 17.46% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
CSCO
17.97%
Communications Equipment Industry
- Max
- 23.65%
- Q3
- 12.56%
- Median
- 5.62%
- Q1
- 2.50%
- Min
- -3.09%
A Net Profit Margin of 17.97% places CSCO in the upper quartile for the Communications Equipment industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
LIN
20.20%
Chemicals Industry
- Max
- 20.20%
- Q3
- 9.15%
- Median
- 3.94%
- Q1
- 0.60%
- Min
- -10.43%
A Net Profit Margin of 20.20% places LIN in the upper quartile for the Chemicals industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
CSCO
20.76%
Communications Equipment Industry
- Max
- 25.23%
- Q3
- 13.72%
- Median
- 6.44%
- Q1
- 3.00%
- Min
- -10.95%
An Operating Profit Margin of 20.76% places CSCO in the upper quartile for the Communications Equipment industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
LIN
26.75%
Chemicals Industry
- Max
- 27.33%
- Q3
- 13.82%
- Median
- 7.98%
- Q1
- 3.60%
- Min
- -7.61%
An Operating Profit Margin of 26.75% places LIN in the upper quartile for the Chemicals industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | CSCO | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 22.18% | 17.46% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 8.37% | 8.10% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.97% | 20.20% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 20.76% | 26.75% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 64.94% | 48.45% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
CSCO
1.00
Communications Equipment Industry
- Max
- 3.33
- Q3
- 2.13
- Median
- 1.55
- Q1
- 1.15
- Min
- 0.91
CSCO’s Current Ratio of 1.00 falls into the lower quartile for the Communications Equipment industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
LIN
0.93
Chemicals Industry
- Max
- 3.72
- Q3
- 2.38
- Median
- 1.69
- Q1
- 1.42
- Min
- 0.75
LIN’s Current Ratio of 0.93 falls into the lower quartile for the Chemicals industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
CSCO
0.60
Communications Equipment Industry
- Max
- 1.44
- Q3
- 0.86
- Median
- 0.53
- Q1
- 0.22
- Min
- 0.00
CSCO’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.60 is typical for the Communications Equipment industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
LIN
0.67
Chemicals Industry
- Max
- 1.53
- Q3
- 1.00
- Median
- 0.69
- Q1
- 0.41
- Min
- 0.00
LIN’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.67 is typical for the Chemicals industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
CSCO
22.76
Communications Equipment Industry
- Max
- 55.49
- Q3
- 34.19
- Median
- 7.59
- Q1
- 3.73
- Min
- -9.94
CSCO’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 22.76 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Communications Equipment industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
LIN
33.09
Chemicals Industry
- Max
- 56.43
- Q3
- 26.33
- Median
- 8.84
- Q1
- 2.54
- Min
- -9.39
LIN’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 33.09 is in the upper quartile for the Chemicals industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | CSCO | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.00 | 0.93 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.91 | 0.70 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.60 | 0.67 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 22.76 | 33.09 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
CSCO
2.37%
Communications Equipment Industry
- Max
- 8.13%
- Q3
- 3.29%
- Median
- 0.94%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
CSCO’s Dividend Yield of 2.37% is consistent with its peers in the Communications Equipment industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
LIN
1.25%
Chemicals Industry
- Max
- 6.59%
- Q3
- 3.67%
- Median
- 2.44%
- Q1
- 1.36%
- Min
- 0.00%
LIN’s Dividend Yield of 1.25% is in the lower quartile for the Chemicals industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
CSCO
63.23%
Communications Equipment Industry
- Max
- 111.16%
- Q3
- 70.91%
- Median
- 30.78%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
CSCO’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 63.23% is within the typical range for the Communications Equipment industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
LIN
40.71%
Chemicals Industry
- Max
- 192.00%
- Q3
- 108.95%
- Median
- 57.38%
- Q1
- 27.28%
- Min
- 0.00%
LIN’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 40.71% is within the typical range for the Chemicals industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | CSCO | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.37% | 1.25% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 63.23% | 40.71% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
CSCO
26.70
Communications Equipment Industry
- Max
- 103.74
- Q3
- 61.65
- Median
- 26.20
- Q1
- 18.12
- Min
- 4.19
CSCO’s P/E Ratio of 26.70 is within the middle range for the Communications Equipment industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
LIN
32.60
Chemicals Industry
- Max
- 49.43
- Q3
- 32.03
- Median
- 21.32
- Q1
- 14.93
- Min
- 8.66
A P/E Ratio of 32.60 places LIN in the upper quartile for the Chemicals industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
CSCO
4.80
Communications Equipment Industry
- Max
- 6.86
- Q3
- 6.24
- Median
- 2.44
- Q1
- 1.02
- Min
- 0.48
CSCO’s P/S Ratio of 4.80 aligns with the market consensus for the Communications Equipment industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
LIN
6.58
Chemicals Industry
- Max
- 3.90
- Q3
- 2.23
- Median
- 1.00
- Q1
- 0.55
- Min
- 0.15
With a P/S Ratio of 6.58, LIN trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Chemicals industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
CSCO
5.74
Communications Equipment Industry
- Max
- 6.28
- Q3
- 5.73
- Median
- 3.32
- Q1
- 2.02
- Min
- 0.42
CSCO’s P/B Ratio of 5.74 is in the upper tier for the Communications Equipment industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.
LIN
5.73
Chemicals Industry
- Max
- 5.01
- Q3
- 2.59
- Median
- 1.50
- Q1
- 0.95
- Min
- 0.30
At 5.73, LIN’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Chemicals industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | CSCO | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 26.70 | 32.60 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 4.80 | 6.58 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 5.74 | 5.73 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 20.45 | 43.18 |