CSCO vs. NVDA: Cisco Systems vs. NVIDIA Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Cisco Systems (CSCO) and NVIDIA (NVDA) 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 NVIDIA (NVDA) share the Information Technology sector but sit in different industry groups — CSCO in Technology Hardware & Equipment and NVDA in Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment.

Company profile comparison for Cisco Systems (CSCO) and NVIDIA (NVDA)
Profile Item	CSCO	NVDA
Name	Cisco Systems, Inc.	NVIDIA Corporation
Country/Region	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Information Technology	Information Technology
GICS Industry Group	Technology Hardware & Equipment	Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
GICS Industry	Communications Equipment	Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
GICS Sub-Industry	Communications Equipment	Semiconductors
Market Capitalization	370.01 billion USD	4,506.80 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	Nasdaq	Nasdaq
Listing Date	February 16, 1990	January 22, 1999
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

CSCO

NVDA

GSPC

Cisco Systems (CSCO) vs. NVIDIA (NVDA), 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 NVIDIA (NVDA). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Cisco Systems (CSCO) and NVIDIA (NVDA). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Cisco Systems (CSCO) and NVIDIA (NVDA)
Metric	CSCO	NVDA
Total Return (1Y)	40.88%	-5.54%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	26.81%	55.88%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	14.44%	42.17%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

CSCO

NVDA

GSPC

Cisco Systems (CSCO) vs. NVIDIA (NVDA), 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 NVIDIA (NVDA). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

NVIDIA (NVDA) carries a highly aggressive beta of 2.28, indicating much higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, whereas Cisco Systems (CSCO) is closer to market-like at 1.02 — a noticeable difference in market-sensitivity profile.

Risk profile metrics for Cisco Systems (CSCO) and NVIDIA (NVDA)
Metric	CSCO	NVDA
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	36.83%	38.31%
Beta (5Y)	1.02	2.28
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-36.68%	-66.34%
Avg. Volume (3M)	18.52M	120.20M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

CSCO and NVDA are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. Each dashed Capital Allocation Line uses that stock's own industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Cisco Systems (CSCO) and NVIDIA (NVDA)
Metric	CSCO	NVDA
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.99	-0.26
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	1.44	-0.36

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both companies show strong equity returns, but NVIDIA (NVDA) at 117.21% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 27.32% also sits in the top quartile.

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%

NVDA

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

117.21%

NVDA: 117.21%
Max: 52.82%
Q3: 22.26%
Median: 10.58%
Q1: 1.29%
Min: -16.89%

Cisco Systems (CSCO) vs. NVIDIA (NVDA): A comparison of their ROE against their respective Technology Hardware & Equipment and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Net Margin (TTM)

For every dollar of sales, both Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 20.95% and NVIDIA (NVDA) at 63.66% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.

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%

NVDA

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

63.66%

Max: 63.80%
NVDA: 63.66%
Q3: 28.36%
Median: 11.44%
Q1: 0.90%
Min: -37.77%

Cisco Systems (CSCO) vs. NVIDIA (NVDA): A comparison of their net margin against their respective Technology Hardware & Equipment and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Operating Margin (TTM)

NVIDIA (NVDA) at 66.24% shows unusually strong operating efficiency — above its industry’s operating margin range — and Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 27.72% also operates in the top 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%

NVDA

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

66.24%

NVDA: 66.24%
Max: 58.66%
Q3: 30.23%
Median: 15.91%
Q1: 7.54%
Min: -25.74%

Cisco Systems (CSCO) vs. NVIDIA (NVDA): A comparison of their operating margin against their respective Technology Hardware & Equipment and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Cisco Systems (CSCO) and NVIDIA (NVDA)
Metric	CSCO	NVDA
ROE (TTM)	27.32%	117.21%
ROA (TTM)	7.98%	53.57%
Net Margin (TTM)	20.95%	63.66%
Operating Margin (TTM)	27.72%	66.24%
Gross Margin (TTM)	64.52%	74.67%

Growth

Revenue Growth

NVIDIA (NVDA) at 65.47% clears its industry range for revenue growth, far stronger top-line momentum than Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 11.78%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.

Cisco Systems (CSCO) vs. NVIDIA (NVDA): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Only one side can be read here: NVIDIA (NVDA) reports EPS growth of 66.67%, ranked against its industry; Cisco Systems (CSCO) has no EPS growth figure this period.

Cisco Systems (CSCO) vs. NVIDIA (NVDA): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Cisco Systems (CSCO) and NVIDIA (NVDA)
Metric	CSCO	NVDA
Revenue Growth (YoY)	11.78%	65.47%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	3.57%	100.05%
EPS Growth (YoY)	--	66.67%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	--	204.24%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

NVIDIA (NVDA) at 4.59 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 0.93 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for CSCO.

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

NVDA

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

4.59

Max: 10.33
Q3: 5.62
NVDA: 4.59
Median: 3.33
Q1: 2.35
Min: 1.03

Cisco Systems (CSCO) vs. NVIDIA (NVDA): A comparison of their current ratio against their respective Technology Hardware & Equipment and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 0.62 and NVIDIA (NVDA) at 0.17 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

NVDA

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.17

Max: 1.46
Q3: 0.65
Median: 0.27
NVDA: 0.17
Q1: 0.04
Min: 0.00

Cisco Systems (CSCO) vs. NVIDIA (NVDA): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against their respective Technology Hardware & Equipment and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Cisco Systems (CSCO) and NVIDIA (NVDA)
Metric	CSCO	NVDA
Current Ratio (MRQ)	0.93	4.59
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.62	0.17
Net Debt / EBITDA	0.82	-0.12

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

NVIDIA (NVDA) at 0.15% pays an industry-typical yield; Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 1.73% is above its entire peer range — the higher number, but one that calls for a look at payout sustainability before treating it as an advantage.

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%

NVDA

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.15%

Max: 1.37%
Q3: 0.65%
NVDA: 0.15%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Cisco Systems (CSCO) vs. NVIDIA (NVDA): A comparison of their dividend yield against their respective Technology Hardware & Equipment and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

NVIDIA (NVDA) at 3.54% keeps its payout in the industry’s typical band, while Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 49.85% pays out more than any of its peers — the most stretched cover in its group.

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%

NVDA

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

3.54%

Max: 49.64%
Q3: 21.71%
NVDA: 3.54%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Cisco Systems (CSCO) vs. NVIDIA (NVDA): A comparison of their payout ratio against their respective Technology Hardware & Equipment and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Cisco Systems (CSCO) and NVIDIA (NVDA)
Metric	CSCO	NVDA
Dividend Yield (TTM)	1.73%	0.15%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	49.85%	3.54%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

NVIDIA (NVDA) at 23.60 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 NVDA, 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

NVDA

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

23.60

Max: 110.34
Q3: 66.81
Median: 37.02
Q1: 23.96
NVDA: 23.60
Min: 8.12

Cisco Systems (CSCO) vs. NVIDIA (NVDA): A comparison of their P/E ratio against their respective Technology Hardware & Equipment and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Both Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 5.84 and NVIDIA (NVDA) at 14.88 command a richer price per dollar of sales than most peers, sitting in the upper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.

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

NVDA

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

14.88

Max: 21.42
NVDA: 14.88
Q3: 12.27
Median: 5.76
Q1: 2.73
Min: 0.00

Cisco Systems (CSCO) vs. NVIDIA (NVDA): A comparison of their P/S ratio against their respective Technology Hardware & Equipment and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Both look rich against book: Cisco Systems (CSCO) at 7.36 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and NVIDIA (NVDA) at 19.68 prices even higher, above its industry range.

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

NVDA

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

19.68

NVDA: 19.68
Max: 14.06
Q3: 7.44
Median: 4.29
Q1: 2.30
Min: 0.20

Cisco Systems (CSCO) vs. NVIDIA (NVDA): A comparison of their P/B ratio against their respective Technology Hardware & Equipment and Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmarks.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Cisco Systems (CSCO) and NVIDIA (NVDA)
Metric	CSCO	NVDA
P/E Ratio (TTM)	28.18	23.60
P/S Ratio (TTM)	5.84	14.88
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	7.36	19.68
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	3.02%	0.93%