LIVE
ANET
Arista Networks, Inc. · Networking / Technology
$156.40
+10.32% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
CSCO
Cisco Systems, Inc. · Networking / Technology
$124.15
+28.56% this month
AI Score
77.2vs52.5
ANET ↑1Y Return
+60.82%vs+87.94%
CSCO ↑Forward P/E
34.67xvs25.49x
CSCO ↑Target Upside
+21.99%vs+3.43%
ANET ↑Scoreboard verdict
Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin
ANET
3
CSCO
2
Metrics last refreshed: 6/9/2026
Quick take
ANET vs CSCO: Arista Networks vs Cisco Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Arista and Cisco serve different networking markets from different competitive positions. Arista is a high-growth cloud and AI networking specialist gaining share in the most important new data center infrastructure category; Cisco is the entrenched enterprise networking leader undergoing a software transition and major acquisition integration. Arista is the growth premium; Cisco is the quality value.
Use this ANET vs CSCO comparison to choose between a high-momentum AI and cloud networking beneficiary and an entrenched enterprise networking franchise transforming toward software and security. Arista offers growth and AI cluster networking exposure; Cisco offers income, scale, and Splunk's security platform at a lower multiple.
Live analysis · updated 6/9/2026
ANET holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. CSCO leads on both 1-year return (+87.94%) and forward P/E (25.49x vs 34.67x for ANET), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. ANET leads on both revenue growth (35.10%) and operating margin (42.74%), suggesting a stronger fundamental setup on both dimensions. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for ANET (+21.99%) than for CSCO (+3.43%).
Comparison scoreboard
ANET LEADS 3/5AI Score
ANET ✓77.2
CSCO 52.5
1Y Return
ANET +60.82%
CSCO ✓+87.94%
Fwd P/E
ANET 34.67
CSCO ✓25.49
Target Up.
ANET ✓+21.99%
CSCO +3.43%
Op. Margin
ANET ✓42.74%
CSCO 24.99%
Normalized 1Y performance
ANET
CSCO
Recent returns
ANET
CSCO
Analyst price targets & sentiment
ANET · 24 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (1.7/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$79.00
analyst mean$188.20
current price$156.40
+22.0% upside to analyst mean
CSCO · 22 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (2.0/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$56.00
analyst mean$125.82
current price$124.15
+3.4% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
ANET may suit investors who:
- →Want the highest-quality way to invest in AI and cloud data center networking infrastructure
- →Value Arista's dominant position with hyperscalers (Microsoft, Meta) as a durable competitive moat
- →Believe AI cluster back-end networking is a large, multi-year spending category just beginning to ramp
- →Are comfortable with a growth premium valuation in exchange for best-in-class revenue growth
CSCO may suit investors who:
- →Want the world's most widely deployed enterprise networking franchise at a value-oriented multiple
- →Value Splunk's security and observability platform as a major strategic asset gaining in a high-priority enterprise spending category
- →Prefer a growing dividend yield from a profitable, cash-generative technology company
- →Are comfortable with a slower-growth profile in exchange for enterprise networking market leadership and income
Performance & AI score
| Metric | ANET | CSCO |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 77.2 | 52.5 |
| AI rank | #21 | #354 |
| Latest close | $156.40 | $124.15 |
| 1M return | +10.32% | +28.56% |
| 6M return | +21.63% | +59.23% |
| 1Y return | +60.82% | +87.94% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | ANET | CSCO |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $16.16K (+61.6%) started 2025-06-09 | $18.84K (+88.4%) started 2025-06-09 |
| 5Y ago | $69.56K (+595.6%) started 2021-06-09 | $29.45K (+194.5%) started 2021-06-09 |
| 10Y ago | $333.12K (+3231.2%) started 2016-06-09 | $77.67K (+676.7%) started 2016-06-09 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | ANET | CSCO |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $194.25B | $479.44B |
| Trailing P/E | 52.83 | 40.55 |
| Forward P/E | 34.67 | 25.49 |
| Price/Sales | 16.42 | 4.70 |
| EV/Revenue | 18.73 | 8.16 |
| Analyst target | $188.20 | $125.82 |
| Target upside | +21.99% | +3.43% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | ANET | CSCO |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 35.10% | 12.00% |
| Earnings growth | 25.00% | 37.10% |
| EPS growth | +25.00% | +37.10% |
| FCF margin | +44.93% | +15.29% |
| Operating margin | 42.74% | 24.99% |
| Profit margin | 38.32% | 19.68% |
| ROIC proxy | 31.52% | 25.23% |
| Return on equity | 31.52% | 25.23% |
| Dividend yield | N/A | 1.38% |
| Beta | 1.61 | 1.00 |
| Debt/equity | 0.73 | 67.54 |
| Current ratio | 2.83 | 0.93 |
| Quick ratio | 2.18 | 0.70 |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
ANET max drawdown28.33%
CSCO max drawdown13.57%
ANET max wkly drop20.97%
CSCO max wkly drop11.44%
5Y risk snapshot
ANET max drawdown50.42%
CSCO max drawdown36.68%
ANET max wkly drop20.97%
CSCO max wkly drop13.61%
10Y risk snapshot
ANET max drawdown52.20%
CSCO max drawdown41.95%
ANET max wkly drop24.17%
CSCO max wkly drop16.10%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | ANET | CSCO |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | +61.57% | +88.39% |
| CAGR | +61.89% | +88.89% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.09 | 2.09 | |
| Max drawdown | 28.33% | 13.57% | |
| Max daily drop | 13.61% | 12.32% | |
| Max wkly drop | 20.97% | 11.44% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +595.63% | +159.19% |
| CAGR | +47.42% | +20.99% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.97 | 0.72 | |
| Max drawdown | 50.42% | 36.68% | |
| Max daily drop | 22.35% | 13.73% | |
| Max wkly drop | 20.97% | 13.61% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +3231.20% | +463.43% |
| CAGR | +42.01% | +18.88% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.91 | 0.63 | |
| Max drawdown | 52.20% | 41.95% | |
| Max daily drop | 24.23% | 13.73% | |
| Max wkly drop | 24.17% | 16.10% |
Business comparison
| Category | ANET | CSCO |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Arista Networks, Inc. | Cisco Systems, Inc. |
| Sector | Technology | Technology |
| Industry | Computer Hardware | Communication Equipment |
| Core business | High-performance cloud networking company providing switching and routing products for hyper-scale data centers, AI/ML compute clusters, and campus environments. Key customers include Microsoft, Meta, and major cloud providers. EOS software platform is a differentiating asset. | World's largest enterprise networking company. Transitioning from hardware-first to software and subscription revenue. Core businesses: Networking (switches, routers, wireless), Security (including Splunk post-acquisition), Collaboration (Webex), and Observability. Acquired Splunk in 2024 for $28B to accelerate security and AI-driven networking. |
| Investor focus | AI cluster networking revenue from hyperscaler back-end network build-outs, cloud titan spending durability, campus networking expansion, and gross margin sustainability. | Splunk integration and security revenue growth, software/subscription transition progress, AI networking demand in enterprise, operating margin, and dividend sustainability. |
ANET strengths
- →Dominant position in hyper-scale data center networking — the preferred choice for cloud and AI infrastructure at Microsoft, Meta, and others
- →AI cluster back-end networking (connecting GPUs at scale) is a new, large, fast-growing demand category
- →EOS software provides a programmable, unified operating system that differentiates Arista from commodity switching alternatives
CSCO strengths
- →Unrivalled enterprise networking installed base — Cisco equipment is in millions of businesses globally, creating deep switching cost moats
- →Splunk acquisition transforms Cisco into a top-tier security operations and AI-powered network management platform
- →High and growing dividend yield with a consistent buyback program — a reliable income stock in technology
Risks to watch — ANET
- →Customer concentration — Microsoft and Meta account for a large share of revenue; any spending pause would be significant
- →AI networking demand is real but timing of large orders creates revenue lumpiness
- →Competition from NVIDIA (Quantum InfiniBand for AI clusters), Juniper, and merchant silicon vendors
Risks to watch — CSCO
- →Splunk integration is a multi-year, multi-billion dollar execution challenge — the deal adds complexity and debt
- →Core networking hardware faces competition from white-box and merchant silicon alternatives in data centers
- →Enterprise IT budget sensitivity — Cisco's broad enterprise exposure means slowdowns impact both hardware and software renewal rates
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