CISCO SYSTEMS, INC. vs FORTINET, INC., two Computer Hardware stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where CSCO and FTNT diverge most: on p/b, CSCO reads 8.88 and FTNT reads 74.47; on return on invested capital, CSCO reads 14.4% and FTNT reads 94.2%. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. What CSCO's price implies is a bet that sits within the historical range (whole-company basis). What FTNT's price implies is a somewhat stretched bet versus history (whole-company basis). The bull and bear cases for each are in their full reports below.
| Metric | CSCO | FTNT |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $112.19 | $156.12 |
| Market cap | $446.7B | $115.5B |
| Sector | Computer Hardware | Computer Hardware |
| Stage | Mature | Growth |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +21.5% | — |
| P/E | 33.7 | 55.2 |
| P/B | 8.88 | 74.47 |
| P/S | 7.05 | 15.35 |
| EV/EBITDA | 30.3 | 43.6 |
| Revenue growth | +11.7% | +18.7% |
| Gross margin | 64.1% | 80.2% |
| Operating margin | 24.7% | 33.7% |
| Net margin | 19.1% | 28.2% |
| Return on equity | 24.1% | 136.7% |
| Return on assets | 9.3% | 19.5% |
| Return on invested capital | 14.4% | 94.2% |
| FCF yield | 2.9% | 2.7% |
| Dividend yield | 1.5% | — |
| Debt / equity | 0.66 | 0.32 |
| Current ratio | 0.93 | 1.28 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 3.97 | 7.01 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 7 / 9 | 6 / 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.