Is CIEN or UMC cheaper?

On trailing earnings, UMC is cheaper: CIEN trades at a 161.56 P/E and UMC at 51.96.

Which has grown faster, CIEN or UMC?

Over the past five years, UMC grew revenue faster — CIEN at a 10.39% CAGR versus UMC at 10.42%.

Does CIEN or UMC pay a bigger dividend?

UMC pays a dividend (1.73% yield) while CIEN does not currently pay one.

Is CIEN or UMC more profitable?

UMC runs the higher net margin — CIEN at 7.87% versus UMC at 20.72%.

Which has been the better investment, CIEN or UMC?

Over the past 10-year, CIEN delivered the higher annualized total return — CIEN at 38.17% versus UMC at 37.21%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Ciena Corporation (CIEN) vs United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC)

UMC leads on 9 of 14 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Ciena Corporation and United Microelectronics Corporation 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).

United Microelectronics Corporation

$69.31B

$28.01Technology

Total return — CIEN vs UMC

growth of $100 · last 26y

CIEN -33.1%UMC +139.0%UMC compounded faster

CIEN UMC

CIEN vs UMC: by the numbers

•UMC is the larger company ($69.31B vs $68.61B market cap).
•UMC trades at the lower earnings multiple (51.96 vs 161.56 P/E).
•UMC converts more revenue to profit (20.72% vs 7.87% net margin).
•UMC pays a dividend (1.73% yield) while CIEN does not currently pay one.

Which is better, CIEN or UMC?

Metric tally: CIEN 5 · UMC 9

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueUMC(lower P/E)

QualityUMC(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	CIEN	UMC
P/E ratio	161.56	51.96●
Forward P/E	74.19	—
P/S ratio	12.73	9.13●
P/B ratio	24.52	5.78●
PEG ratio	4.37●	9.91
EV / EBITDA	97.78	19.18●
FCF yield	1.17%	2.30%●

Profitability

Metric	CIEN	UMC
Gross margin	43.05%●	29.60%
Operating margin	11.18%	18.85%●
Net margin	7.87%	20.72%●
ROE	15.15%●	12.74%
ROIC	5.35%	7.35%●

Dividends

Metric	CIEN	UMC
Dividend yield	—	1.73%
Payout ratio	—	90.81%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CIEN	UMC
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	10.39%	10.42%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	-17.95%	4.35%●
FCF CAGR (5Y)	11.11%●	4.51%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	52.84%●	31.34%

Frequently asked

Which is better, CIEN or UMC?: It depends on your goal. value: UMC (lower P/E); quality: UMC (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, UMC leads 9 to 5.
Is CIEN or UMC cheaper?: On trailing earnings, UMC is cheaper: CIEN trades at a 161.56 P/E and UMC at 51.96.
Which has grown faster, CIEN or UMC?: Over the past five years, UMC grew revenue faster — CIEN at a 10.39% CAGR versus UMC at 10.42%.
Does CIEN or UMC pay a bigger dividend?: UMC pays a dividend (1.73% yield) while CIEN does not currently pay one.
Is CIEN or UMC more profitable?: UMC runs the higher net margin — CIEN at 7.87% versus UMC at 20.72%.
Which has been the better investment, CIEN or UMC?: Over the past 10-year, CIEN delivered the higher annualized total return — CIEN at 38.17% versus UMC at 37.21%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full CIEN analysis Full UMC analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

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

Ciena & United Microelectronics 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.