Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) vs NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA)

NVDA leads on 13 of 17 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Cisco Systems, Inc. and NVIDIA Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 15, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

Compare

Total return — CSCO vs NVDA

growth of $100 · last 27y
CSCO +371.2%NVDA +500157.2%NVDA compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
101001k10k100k1MStart $10020042009201420192024$471$500,257
CSCO NVDA

CSCO vs NVDA: by the numbers

  • NVDA is the larger company ($4.97T vs $477.31B market cap).
  • NVDA trades at the lower earnings multiple (31.42 vs 40.37 P/E).
  • NVDA converts more revenue to profit (62.97% vs 19.69% net margin).
  • NVDA grew revenue faster over the past five years (68.23% vs 4.58% CAGR).
  • CSCO pays the higher dividend yield (1.36% vs 0.01%).

Which is better, CSCO or NVDA?

Metric tally: CSCO 4 · NVDA 13

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueNVDA(lower P/E)
GrowthNVDA(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeCSCO(higher dividend yield)
QualityNVDA(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

MetricCSCONVDA
P/E ratio40.3731.42
Forward P/E28.3316.44
P/S ratio7.9519.74
P/B ratio9.8825.60
PEG ratio68.410.57
EV / EBITDA29.0725.96
FCF yield2.61%2.38%

Profitability

MetricCSCONVDA
Gross margin64.33%74.15%
Operating margin23.36%64.02%
Net margin19.69%62.97%
ROE24.47%81.65%
ROIC11.66%62.88%

Dividends

MetricCSCONVDA
Dividend yield1.36%0.01%
Payout ratio64.45%0.61%

Growth (annualized)

MetricCSCONVDA
Revenue CAGR (5Y)4.58%68.23%
EPS CAGR (5Y)-0.69%85.78%
FCF CAGR (5Y)-2.45%85.52%
Total return CAGR (5Y)20.60%63.05%

Frequently asked

Which is better, CSCO or NVDA?
It depends on your goal. value: NVDA (lower P/E); growth: NVDA (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: CSCO (higher dividend yield); quality: NVDA (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, NVDA leads 13 to 4.
Is CSCO or NVDA cheaper?
On trailing earnings, NVDA is cheaper: CSCO trades at a 40.37 P/E and NVDA at 31.42.
Which has grown faster, CSCO or NVDA?
Over the past five years, NVDA grew revenue faster — CSCO at a 4.58% CAGR versus NVDA at 68.23%.
Does CSCO or NVDA pay a bigger dividend?
CSCO yields 1.36% and NVDA yields 0.01% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is CSCO or NVDA more profitable?
NVDA runs the higher net margin — CSCO at 19.69% versus NVDA at 62.97%.
Which has been the better investment, CSCO or NVDA?
Over the past 10-year, NVDA delivered the higher annualized total return — CSCO at 18.88% versus NVDA at 68.06%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

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 15, 2026.