ADTN vs. CIEN

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

ADTN (ADTRAN, Inc.) and CIEN (Ciena Corporation) are both stocks. Both operate in the Communication Equipment industry within the Technology sector. Over the past 10 years, ADTN returned 0.79%/yr vs 40.28%/yr for CIEN. At a 0.42 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

ADTN vs. CIEN - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in ADTRAN, Inc. (ADTN) and Ciena Corporation (CIEN). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ADTN achieves a 102.07% return, which is significantly lower than CIEN's 165.26% return. Over the past 10 years, ADTN has underperformed CIEN with an annualized return of 0.79%, while CIEN has yielded a comparatively higher 40.28% annualized return.

ADTN

• 1D: -3.83%
• 1M: -4.25%
• YTD: 102.07%
• 6M: 113.37%
• 1Y: 111.57%
• 3Y*: 25.56%
• 5Y*: -2.05%
• 10Y*: 0.79%

CIEN

• 1D: -1.06%
• 1M: 15.20%
• YTD: 165.26%
• 6M: 220.85%
• 1Y: 645.10%
• 3Y*: 134.47%
• 5Y*: 59.55%
• 10Y*: 40.28%

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

ADTN vs. CIEN - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ADTN ADTRAN, Inc.	102.07%	4.32%	13.49%	-59.88%	-16.28%	57.43%	54.41%	-5.22%	-43.14%	-11.96%
CIEN Ciena Corporation	165.26%	175.76%	88.42%	-11.71%	-33.77%	45.64%	23.80%	25.89%	62.02%	-14.26%

Correlation

The correlation between ADTN and CIEN is 0.43, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.43
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.43
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.49
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.49
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 10, 1997	0.42

Fundamentals

Market Cap ADTN : $1.41B CIEN : $90.45B
EPS ADTN : -$0.37 CIEN : $1.58
PS Ratio ADTN : 1.25 CIEN : 17.59
PB Ratio ADTN : 10.26 CIEN : 32.39
Total Revenue (TTM) ADTN : $1.12B CIEN : $5.12B
Gross Profit (TTM) ADTN : $432.77M CIEN : $2.09B
EBITDA (TTM) ADTN : $56.05M CIEN : $450.47M

Return for Risk

ADTN vs. CIEN — Risk / Return Rank

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

ADTN

ADTN Risk / Return Rank: 82
ADTN Sharpe Ratio Rank: 84
ADTN Sortino Ratio Rank: 76
ADTN Omega Ratio Rank: 81
ADTN Calmar Ratio Rank: 85
ADTN Martin Ratio Rank: 85

CIEN

CIEN Risk / Return Rank: 99
CIEN Sharpe Ratio Rank: 100
CIEN Sortino Ratio Rank: 98
CIEN Omega Ratio Rank: 98
CIEN Calmar Ratio Rank: 100
CIEN Martin Ratio Rank: 100

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.

ADTN vs. CIEN - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for ADTRAN, Inc. (ADTN) and Ciena Corporation (CIEN). 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.

	ADTN	CIEN	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.74	9.97	-8.23
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.08	5.64	-3.56
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.32	1.86	-0.54
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.54	38.67	-35.13
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.94	113.44	-104.51
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ADTN vs. CIEN - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ADTN Sharpe Ratio is 1.74, which is lower than the CIEN Sharpe Ratio of 9.97. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ADTN and CIEN, 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

	ADTN	CIEN	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.74	9.97	-8.23
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.04	1.25	-1.29
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.02	0.92	-0.90
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.10	0.08	+0.02

Drawdowns

ADTN vs. CIEN - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ADTN drawdown since its inception was -87.92%, smaller than the maximum CIEN drawdown of -99.51%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ADTN and CIEN.

Drawdown Indicators

	ADTN	CIEN	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-87.92%	-99.51%	+11.59%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-31.67%	-16.84%	-14.83%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-59.48%	-45.51%	-13.97%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-81.99%	-49.54%	-32.45%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-81.99%	-49.54%	-32.45%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-51.57%	-40.72%	-10.85%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-47.91%	-87.12%	+39.21%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	12.53%	5.73%	+6.80%

Volatility

ADTN vs. CIEN - Volatility Comparison

ADTRAN, Inc. (ADTN) has a higher volatility of 33.74% compared to Ciena Corporation (CIEN) at 19.50%. This indicates that ADTN's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than CIEN based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ADTN	CIEN	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	33.74%	19.50%	+14.24%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	44.93%	52.85%	-7.92%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	64.52%	65.31%	-0.79%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	54.94%	47.89%	+7.05%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	50.21%	43.99%	+6.22%

Dividends

ADTN vs. CIEN - Dividend Comparison

Neither ADTN nor CIEN has paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ADTN ADTRAN, Inc.	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	3.68%	1.92%	1.58%	2.44%	3.64%	3.35%	1.86%	1.61%	2.09%
CIEN Ciena Corporation	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Financials

ADTN vs. CIEN - Profitability Comparison

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

ADTN - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, ADTRAN, Inc. reported a gross profit of 112.99M and revenue of 286.09M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 39.5%.

CIEN - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Ciena Corporation reported a gross profit of 625.52M and revenue of 1.43B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 43.8%.

ADTN - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, ADTRAN, Inc. reported an operating income of 6.38M and revenue of 286.09M, resulting in an operating margin of 2.2%.

CIEN - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Ciena Corporation reported an operating income of 189.41M and revenue of 1.43B, resulting in an operating margin of 13.3%.

ADTN - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, ADTRAN, Inc. reported a net income of 4.76M and revenue of 286.09M, resulting in a net margin of 1.7%.

CIEN - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Ciena Corporation reported a net income of 150.28M and revenue of 1.43B, resulting in a net margin of 10.5%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ADTN and CIEN in my portfolio?

ADTN and CIEN have a correlation of 0.43, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, ADTN or CIEN?

ADTN has higher volatility (33.74%) compared to CIEN (19.50%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ADTN dropped -87.92% vs CIEN's -99.51%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

CIEN currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (9.97 vs 1.74), 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.