Cisco Systems, Inc. vs Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
CSCO wins the Tale of the Tape 6–3.
🏆 Tale of the Tape
Green = winner in each category. Higher is better except P/E (lower = cheaper).
Rolling Correlation
Moderately correlated — some diversification benefit from holding both.
Fundamentals
| Metric | CSCO | AAOI |
|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $474.6B | $12.7B |
| P/E Ratio | 40.1x | — |
| Forward P/E | 25.2x | 33.2x |
| P/B | 9.74x | 11.31x |
| Dividend Yield | 1.40% | — |
| Beta | 0.91 | 3.76 |
Quantitative Metrics
| Metric | CSCO | AAOI |
|---|---|---|
| DCF Fair Value | $70.57 | — |
| DCF Upside | -14.3% | — |
| Piotroski F | 8/9 | 4/9 |
| Altman Z | 3.39 | — |
| Beneish M | -2.65 | -0.61 |
| FCF Yield | 3.92% | — |
| Net Debt/EBITDA | 0.9x | — |
| ROIC | 11.5% | -3.8% |
| WACC | 9.5% | — |
| ROIC – WACC | 2.0pp | — |
| Gross Margin | 64.9% | 30.0% |
| Net Margin | 18.0% | -8.4% |
| Rev Growth YoY | 5.3% | 82.8% |
| Sharpe (1Y) | 1.39 | 2.40 |
| Max Drawdown 3Y | — | -77.2% |
| FCF Payout Ratio | 48% | — |
CSCO Price
AAOI Price
ETF Exposure
CSCO found in:
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Quant metrics computed from financial statements and 1,200+ trading days. Correlation is Pearson coefficient on daily log returns. Not investment advice.
CSCO vs AAOI: Head-to-Head Analysis
Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) and Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (AAOI) represent two companies in the Technology sector. In our quantitative Tale of the Tape scoring, CSCO leads 6–3 across nine fundamental and risk metrics including profitability, valuation, capital efficiency, and financial health.
In terms of capital efficiency, CSCO generates a return on invested capital (ROIC) of 11.5% compared to AAOI's -3.8%. This suggests CSCO is more effective at deploying capital to generate shareholder returns.
The 252-day rolling correlation between CSCO and AAOI is 0.324, indicating moderate co-movement, with some diversification value from holding both in a portfolio context.
CSCO appears in 42 ETFs tracked by SecuritiesDB, while AAOI appears in 5 ETFs. Investors holding broad-market ETFs may already have indirect exposure to both stocks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which stock is the better investment, CSCO or AAOI?
Our quantitative analysis compares CSCO and AAOI across nine fundamental dimensions. CSCO wins the Tale of the Tape 6–3. However, stock selection depends on your individual risk tolerance, time horizon, and portfolio context. These metrics are computed from SEC filings and market data — they are not investment recommendations.
Are CSCO and AAOI correlated?
The 252-day correlation between CSCO and AAOI is 0.324. They show moderate correlation — partially diversifying.
How is the Tale of the Tape scored?
The Tale of the Tape compares both stocks across nine categories: profitability (net margin), valuation (P/E), efficiency (ROIC), health (Piotroski F-Score), safety (Altman Z-Score), growth (revenue YoY), risk (Sharpe ratio), leverage (debt-to-equity), and cash generation (FCF yield). The stock that wins more categories takes the overall score. Lower P/E and lower debt-to-equity count as wins.