CSCO vs. PAYC: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at CSCO and PAYC, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | CSCO | PAYC |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Cisco Systems, Inc. | Paycom Software, Inc. |
| Country | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Information Technology | Industrials |
| GICS Industry | Communications Equipment | Professional Services |
| Market Capitalization | 313.01 billion USD | 9.38 billion USD |
| Exchange | NasdaqGS | NYSE |
| Listing Date | February 16, 1990 | April 15, 2014 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of CSCO and PAYC 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 | PAYC |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 8.20% | -0.41% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 17.82% | -23.51% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 26.25% | -36.16% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 31.80% | -27.08% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 6.69% | -11.21% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 31.76% | -18.95% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 29.12M | 1.06M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 19.91M | 0.69M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 22.61% | 35.05% |
| Beta | 0.85 | 0.83 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
CSCO
22.31%
Communications Equipment Industry
- Max
- 31.28%
- Q3
- 24.67%
- Median
- 13.12%
- Q1
- 4.60%
- Min
- -12.73%
CSCO’s Return on Equity of 22.31% is on par with the norm for the Communications Equipment industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
PAYC
26.64%
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 50.82%
- Q3
- 32.98%
- Median
- 21.73%
- Q1
- 12.35%
- Min
- -10.69%
PAYC’s Return on Equity of 26.64% is on par with the norm for the Professional Services industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
CSCO
17.90%
Communications Equipment Industry
- Max
- 28.72%
- Q3
- 14.02%
- Median
- 5.41%
- Q1
- 2.50%
- Min
- -13.11%
A Net Profit Margin of 17.90% places CSCO in the upper quartile for the Communications Equipment industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
PAYC
22.64%
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 27.86%
- Q3
- 14.27%
- Median
- 7.71%
- Q1
- 4.47%
- Min
- -9.49%
A Net Profit Margin of 22.64% places PAYC in the upper quartile for the Professional Services industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
CSCO
22.12%
Communications Equipment Industry
- Max
- 33.69%
- Q3
- 15.81%
- Median
- 6.02%
- Q1
- 3.00%
- Min
- -4.94%
An Operating Profit Margin of 22.12% 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.
PAYC
29.69%
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 35.71%
- Q3
- 19.52%
- Median
- 12.30%
- Q1
- 7.86%
- Min
- -1.29%
An Operating Profit Margin of 29.69% places PAYC in the upper quartile for the Professional Services 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 | PAYC |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 22.31% | 26.64% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 8.53% | 9.69% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.90% | 22.64% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 22.12% | 29.69% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 64.85% | 82.95% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
CSCO
0.93
Communications Equipment Industry
- Max
- 3.28
- Q3
- 2.10
- Median
- 1.52
- Q1
- 1.17
- Min
- 0.91
CSCO’s Current Ratio of 0.93 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.
PAYC
1.22
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 2.45
- Q3
- 1.69
- Median
- 1.33
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.47
PAYC’s Current Ratio of 1.22 aligns with the median group of the Professional Services industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
CSCO
0.60
Communications Equipment Industry
- Max
- 1.44
- Q3
- 0.96
- Median
- 0.43
- Q1
- 0.21
- 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.
PAYC
0.00
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 2.55
- Q3
- 1.54
- Median
- 0.94
- Q1
- 0.45
- Min
- 0.00
Falling into the lower quartile for the Professional Services industry, PAYC’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.00 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
CSCO
22.76
Communications Equipment Industry
- Max
- 55.49
- Q3
- 34.19
- Median
- 8.92
- 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.
PAYC
191.88
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 39.45
- Q3
- 20.05
- Median
- 11.35
- Q1
- 5.46
- Min
- -1.21
With an Interest Coverage Ratio of 191.88, PAYC demonstrates a superior capacity to service its debt, placing it well above the typical range for the Professional Services industry. This stems from either robust earnings or a conservative debt load.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | CSCO | PAYC |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.93 | 1.22 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.83 | 1.19 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.60 | 0.00 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 22.76 | 191.88 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
CSCO
2.10%
Communications Equipment Industry
- Max
- 2.99%
- Q3
- 2.30%
- Median
- 0.91%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
CSCO’s Dividend Yield of 2.10% is consistent with its peers in the Communications Equipment industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
PAYC
0.91%
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 4.35%
- Q3
- 2.86%
- Median
- 1.57%
- Q1
- 0.72%
- Min
- 0.00%
PAYC’s Dividend Yield of 0.91% is consistent with its peers in the Professional Services industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
CSCO
62.56%
Communications Equipment Industry
- Max
- 111.16%
- Q3
- 61.16%
- Median
- 30.78%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
CSCO’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 62.56% is in the upper quartile for the Communications Equipment industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
PAYC
18.80%
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 99.60%
- Q3
- 69.06%
- Median
- 43.41%
- Q1
- 19.44%
- Min
- 0.00%
PAYC’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 18.80% is in the lower quartile for the Professional Services industry. This suggests a conservative dividend policy, with a strategic focus on reinvesting profits for future growth.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | CSCO | PAYC |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.10% | 0.91% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 62.56% | 18.80% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
CSCO
29.77
Communications Equipment Industry
- Max
- 74.67
- Q3
- 56.42
- Median
- 31.00
- Q1
- 15.93
- Min
- 3.89
CSCO’s P/E Ratio of 29.77 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.
PAYC
20.63
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 52.91
- Q3
- 32.20
- Median
- 25.00
- Q1
- 17.95
- Min
- 6.60
PAYC’s P/E Ratio of 20.63 is within the middle range for the Professional Services industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
CSCO
5.33
Communications Equipment Industry
- Max
- 11.84
- Q3
- 5.68
- Median
- 2.55
- Q1
- 1.24
- Min
- 0.40
CSCO’s P/S Ratio of 5.33 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.
PAYC
4.67
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 8.52
- Q3
- 4.25
- Median
- 2.07
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.18
PAYC’s P/S Ratio of 4.67 is in the upper echelon for the Professional Services industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
CSCO
6.00
Communications Equipment Industry
- Max
- 6.02
- Q3
- 6.01
- Median
- 3.83
- Q1
- 2.41
- Min
- 0.42
CSCO’s P/B Ratio of 6.00 is within the conventional range for the Communications Equipment industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
PAYC
6.85
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 18.65
- Q3
- 9.28
- Median
- 6.16
- Q1
- 2.96
- Min
- 0.53
PAYC’s P/B Ratio of 6.85 is within the conventional range for the Professional Services industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | CSCO | PAYC |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 29.77 | 20.63 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 5.33 | 4.67 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 6.00 | 6.85 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 24.15 | 23.97 |