ACA vs. CSCO

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

ACA (Arcosa, Inc.) and CSCO (Cisco Systems, Inc.) are both stocks. ACA operates in Infrastructure Operations (Industrials), while CSCO operates in Communication Equipment (Technology). Over the past 5 years, ACA returned 15.86%/yr vs 22.64%/yr for CSCO. At a 0.37 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

ACA vs. CSCO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Arcosa, Inc. (ACA) and Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ACA achieves a 16.54% return, which is significantly lower than CSCO's 70.59% return.

ACA

• 1D: 0.77%
• 1M: 0.50%
• YTD: 16.54%
• 6M: 15.77%
• 1Y: 40.91%
• 3Y*: 21.14%
• 5Y*: 15.86%
• 10Y*: —

CSCO

• 1D: 2.77%
• 1M: 37.86%
• YTD: 70.59%
• 6M: 68.99%
• 1Y: 106.54%
• 3Y*: 41.17%
• 5Y*: 22.64%
• 10Y*: 19.71%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

ACA vs. CSCO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
ACA Arcosa, Inc.	16.54%	10.15%	17.34%	52.54%	3.51%	-3.73%	23.87%	61.89%	31.86%
CSCO Cisco Systems, Inc.	70.59%	33.47%	21.00%	9.30%	-22.46%	45.76%	-3.49%	13.81%	-2.80%

Correlation

The correlation between ACA and CSCO is 0.28, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.28
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.30
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.34
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 31, 2018	0.37

Fundamentals

Market Cap ACA : $6.09B CSCO : $518.31B
EPS ACA : $4.54 CSCO : $3.00
PE Ratio ACA : 27.29 CSCO : 43.37
PEG Ratio ACA : 0.37 CSCO : 36.39
PS Ratio ACA : 2.15 CSCO : 8.54
PB Ratio ACA : 2.31 CSCO : 10.61
Total Revenue (TTM) ACA : $2.82B CSCO : $60.75B
Gross Profit (TTM) ACA : $642.70M CSCO : $39.08B
EBITDA (TTM) ACA : $460.00M CSCO : $13.98B

Return for Risk

ACA vs. CSCO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

ACA

ACA Risk / Return Rank: 73
ACA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
ACA Sortino Ratio Rank: 71
ACA Omega Ratio Rank: 72
ACA Calmar Ratio Rank: 73
ACA Martin Ratio Rank: 77

CSCO

CSCO Risk / Return Rank: 96
CSCO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 96
CSCO Sortino Ratio Rank: 95
CSCO Omega Ratio Rank: 96
CSCO Calmar Ratio Rank: 96
CSCO Martin Ratio Rank: 96

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

ACA vs. CSCO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Arcosa, Inc. (ACA) and Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	ACA	CSCO	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.15	3.58	-2.43
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.77	4.13	-2.36
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.25	1.63	-0.38
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.92	7.89	-5.98
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	5.65	22.14	-16.48
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ACA vs. CSCO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ACA Sharpe Ratio is 1.15, which is lower than the CSCO Sharpe Ratio of 3.58. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ACA and CSCO, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ACA	CSCO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.15	3.58	-2.43
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.46	0.92	-0.46
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.77	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.66	0.61	+0.05

Drawdowns

ACA vs. CSCO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ACA drawdown since its inception was -36.79%, smaller than the maximum CSCO drawdown of -89.26%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ACA and CSCO.

Drawdown Indicators

	ACA	CSCO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-36.79%	-89.26%	+52.47%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-21.45%	-13.57%	-7.88%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-36.63%	-20.16%	-16.47%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-36.63%	-36.68%	+0.05%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-41.95%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.78%	0.00%	-5.78%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.47%	-40.14%	+28.67%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	7.25%	4.83%	+2.42%

Volatility

ACA vs. CSCO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Arcosa, Inc. (ACA) is 11.42%, while Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) has a volatility of 15.42%. This indicates that ACA experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than CSCO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ACA	CSCO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	11.42%	15.42%	-4.00%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	27.59%	25.95%	+1.64%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	35.85%	29.97%	+5.88%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	34.49%	24.64%	+9.85%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	40.62%	25.77%	+14.85%

Dividends

ACA vs. CSCO - Dividend Comparison

ACA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.16%, less than CSCO's 1.27% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ACA Arcosa, Inc.	0.16%	0.19%	0.21%	0.24%	0.37%	0.38%	0.36%	0.45%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
CSCO Cisco Systems, Inc.	1.27%	2.12%	2.69%	3.07%	3.17%	2.32%	3.20%	2.88%	2.95%	2.95%	3.28%	3.02%

Financials

ACA vs. CSCO - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Arcosa, Inc. and Cisco Systems, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

ACA - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Arcosa, Inc. reported a gross profit of 120.90M and revenue of 571.70M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 21.2%.

CSCO - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Cisco Systems, Inc. reported a gross profit of 10.08B and revenue of 15.84B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 63.6%.

ACA - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Arcosa, Inc. reported an operating income of -2.00M and revenue of 571.70M, resulting in an operating margin of -0.4%.

CSCO - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Cisco Systems, Inc. reported an operating income of 3.96B and revenue of 15.84B, resulting in an operating margin of 25.0%.

ACA - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Arcosa, Inc. reported a net income of 37.80M and revenue of 571.70M, resulting in a net margin of 6.6%.

CSCO - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Cisco Systems, Inc. reported a net income of 3.37B and revenue of 15.84B, resulting in a net margin of 21.3%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ACA and CSCO in my portfolio?

ACA and CSCO have a correlation of 0.28, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, ACA or CSCO?

CSCO has higher volatility (15.42%) compared to ACA (11.42%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ACA dropped -36.79% vs CSCO's -89.26%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

CSCO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.58 vs 1.15), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.