Is CIEN or STM cheaper?

On trailing earnings, CIEN is cheaper: CIEN trades at a 154.50 P/E and STM at 449.00.

Which has grown faster, CIEN or STM?

Over the past five years, CIEN grew revenue faster — CIEN at a 10.39% CAGR versus STM at 2.41%.

Does CIEN or STM pay a bigger dividend?

STM pays a dividend (0.50% yield) while CIEN does not currently pay one.

Is CIEN or STM more profitable?

CIEN runs the higher net margin — CIEN at 7.87% versus STM at 1.17%.

Which has been the better investment, CIEN or STM?

Over the past 10-year, CIEN delivered the higher annualized total return — CIEN at 37.56% versus STM at 30.38%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Ciena Corporation (CIEN) vs STMicroelectronics N.V. (STM)

CIEN leads on 11 of 14 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Ciena Corporation and STMicroelectronics N.V. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 25, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

STMicroelectronics N.V.

$63.85B

$71.84Technology

Total return — CIEN vs STM

growth of $100 · last 29y

CIEN +257.9%STM +512.4%STM compounded faster

CIEN STM

CIEN vs STM: by the numbers

•CIEN is the larger company ($65.61B vs $63.85B market cap).
•CIEN trades at the lower earnings multiple (154.50 vs 449.00 P/E).
•CIEN converts more revenue to profit (7.87% vs 1.17% net margin).
•CIEN grew revenue faster over the past five years (10.39% vs 2.41% CAGR).
•STM pays a dividend (0.50% yield) while CIEN does not currently pay one.

Which is better, CIEN or STM?

Metric tally: CIEN 11 · STM 3

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueCIEN(lower P/E)

GrowthCIEN(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

QualityCIEN(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	CIEN	STM
P/E ratio	154.50●	449.00
Forward P/E	71.00	—
P/S ratio	12.18	5.36●
P/B ratio	23.45	3.74●
PEG ratio	4.37	—
EV / EBITDA	93.54	29.46●
FCF yield	1.23%●	0.24%

Profitability

Metric	CIEN	STM
Gross margin	43.05%●	33.84%
Operating margin	11.18%●	3.54%
Net margin	7.87%●	1.17%
ROE	15.15%●	0.81%
ROIC	5.35%●	0.67%

Dividends

Metric	CIEN	STM
Dividend yield	—	0.50%
Payout ratio	—	189.47%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CIEN	STM
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	10.39%●	2.41%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	-17.95%●	-31.29%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	11.11%●	-30.04%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	51.73%●	15.31%

Frequently asked

Which is better, CIEN or STM?: It depends on your goal. value: CIEN (lower P/E); growth: CIEN (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); quality: CIEN (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, CIEN leads 11 to 3.
Is CIEN or STM cheaper?: On trailing earnings, CIEN is cheaper: CIEN trades at a 154.50 P/E and STM at 449.00.
Which has grown faster, CIEN or STM?: Over the past five years, CIEN grew revenue faster — CIEN at a 10.39% CAGR versus STM at 2.41%.
Does CIEN or STM pay a bigger dividend?: STM pays a dividend (0.50% yield) while CIEN does not currently pay one.
Is CIEN or STM more profitable?: CIEN runs the higher net margin — CIEN at 7.87% versus STM at 1.17%.
Which has been the better investment, CIEN or STM?: Over the past 10-year, CIEN delivered the higher annualized total return — CIEN at 37.56% versus STM at 30.38%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full CIEN analysis Full STM analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Ciena P/E ratio STMicroelectronics P/E ratio Ciena dividend yield STMicroelectronics dividend yield Ciena ROE STMicroelectronics ROE Ciena operating margin STMicroelectronics operating margin Ciena revenue growth STMicroelectronics revenue growth Ciena free cash flow STMicroelectronics free cash flow

Ciena & STMicroelectronics appear in these rankings

Best 10-Year Total Return Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 25, 2026.