Apple Inc. vs CISCO SYSTEMS, INC., two Computer Hardware stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where AAPL and CSCO diverge most: on return on equity, AAPL reads 119.9% and CSCO reads 24.1%; on p/b, AAPL reads 45.96 and CSCO reads 9.37. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. On valuation, today's AAPL price has a different growth bar priced in than CSCO (+30.7% implied for AAPL vs +21.2% for CSCO); the higher figure is the steeper assumption to clear, not a better or worse stock. What AAPL's price implies is a bet that sits within the historical range (whole-company basis). What CSCO's price implies is a bet that sits within the historical range (whole-company basis). The bull and bear cases for each are in their full reports below.
| Metric | AAPL | CSCO |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $335.86 | $118.37 |
| Market cap | $4.94T | $471.3B |
| Sector | Computer Hardware | Computer Hardware |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +30.7% | +21.2% |
| P/E | 38.6 | 35.5 |
| P/B | 45.96 | 9.37 |
| P/S | 10.59 | 7.44 |
| EV/EBITDA | 29.7 | 29.9 |
| Revenue growth | +14.1% | +11.7% |
| Gross margin | 50.1% | 64.1% |
| Operating margin | 32.6% | 24.7% |
| Net margin | 27.6% | 19.1% |
| Return on equity | 119.9% | 24.1% |
| Return on assets | 33.6% | 9.3% |
| Return on invested capital | 70.5% | 15.1% |
| FCF yield | 2.8% | 2.7% |
| Dividend yield | 0.3% | 1.4% |
| Debt / equity | 0.78 | 0.59 |
| Current ratio | 1.00 | 0.93 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 7.57 | 4.15 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 6 / 9 | 7 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.