AFL vs. CSCO

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

AFL (Aflac Incorporated) and CSCO (Cisco Systems, Inc.) are both stocks. AFL operates in Insurance - Life (Financial Services), while CSCO operates in Communication Equipment (Technology). Over the past 10 years, AFL returned 15.48%/yr vs 19.19%/yr for CSCO. At a 0.31 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

AFL vs. CSCO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Aflac Incorporated (AFL) 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, AFL achieves a 5.61% return, which is significantly lower than CSCO's 62.91% return. Over the past 10 years, AFL has underperformed CSCO with an annualized return of 15.48%, while CSCO has yielded a comparatively higher 19.19% annualized return.

AFL

• 1D: -2.54%
• 1M: 2.42%
• YTD: 5.61%
• 6M: 7.77%
• 1Y: 13.52%
• 3Y*: 21.24%
• 5Y*: 17.94%
• 10Y*: 15.48%

CSCO

• 1D: 2.06%
• 1M: 28.56%
• YTD: 62.91%
• 6M: 59.13%
• 1Y: 92.26%
• 3Y*: 39.53%
• 5Y*: 21.53%
• 10Y*: 19.19%

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

AFL vs. CSCO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
AFL Aflac Incorporated	5.61%	8.94%	28.08%	17.36%	26.41%	34.55%	-13.60%	18.55%	6.20%	29.02%
CSCO Cisco Systems, Inc.	62.91%	33.47%	21.00%	9.30%	-22.46%	45.76%	-3.49%	13.81%	16.57%	31.27%

Correlation

The correlation between AFL and CSCO is 0.10, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.10
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.22
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.36
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.38
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 27, 1990	0.31

Over the past year, the correlation between AFL and CSCO has dropped to 0.10 - well below their long-term average of 0.31, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Fundamentals

Market Cap AFL : $59.32B CSCO : $494.99B
EPS AFL : $8.76 CSCO : $3.00
PE Ratio AFL : 13.16 CSCO : 41.42
PEG Ratio AFL : 3.41 CSCO : 34.76
PS Ratio AFL : 3.35 CSCO : 8.15
PB Ratio AFL : 2.64 CSCO : 10.13
Total Revenue (TTM) AFL : $18.22B CSCO : $60.75B
Gross Profit (TTM) AFL : $8.70B CSCO : $39.08B
EBITDA (TTM) AFL : $6.67B CSCO : $13.98B

Return for Risk

AFL vs. CSCO — Risk / Return Rank

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

AFL

AFL Risk / Return Rank: 65
AFL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 68
AFL Sortino Ratio Rank: 61
AFL Omega Ratio Rank: 58
AFL Calmar Ratio Rank: 70
AFL Martin Ratio Rank: 71

CSCO

CSCO Risk / Return Rank: 95
CSCO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 95
CSCO Sortino Ratio Rank: 93
CSCO Omega Ratio Rank: 95
CSCO Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
CSCO Martin Ratio Rank: 95

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.

AFL vs. CSCO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Aflac Incorporated (AFL) 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.

	AFL	CSCO	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.80	3.02	-2.22
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.23	3.55	-2.32
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.14	1.54	-0.40
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.49	6.83	-5.34
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	3.70	19.08	-15.37
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AFL vs. CSCO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AFL Sharpe Ratio is 0.80, which is lower than the CSCO Sharpe Ratio of 3.02. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AFL 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

	AFL	CSCO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.80	3.02	-2.22
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.86	0.87	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.60	0.74	-0.14
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.48	0.61	-0.13

Drawdowns

AFL vs. CSCO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AFL drawdown since its inception was -82.71%, smaller than the maximum CSCO drawdown of -89.26%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AFL and CSCO.

Drawdown Indicators

	AFL	CSCO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-82.71%	-89.26%	+6.55%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.11%	-13.57%	+4.46%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-13.56%	-20.16%	+6.60%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-19.86%	-36.68%	+16.82%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-54.89%	-41.95%	-12.94%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.54%	-4.50%	+1.96%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.66%	-40.13%	+28.47%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.67%	4.86%	-1.19%

Volatility

AFL vs. CSCO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Aflac Incorporated (AFL) is 5.82%, while Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) has a volatility of 16.93%. This indicates that AFL 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

	AFL	CSCO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.82%	16.93%	-11.11%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.24%	26.93%	-14.69%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.08%	30.76%	-13.68%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	20.94%	24.83%	-3.89%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	25.77%	25.87%	-0.10%

Dividends

AFL vs. CSCO - Dividend Comparison

AFL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.07%, more than CSCO's 1.33% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
AFL Aflac Incorporated	2.07%	2.10%	1.93%	2.04%	2.22%	2.26%	2.52%	2.04%	2.28%	1.98%	2.39%	2.64%
CSCO Cisco Systems, Inc.	1.33%	2.12%	2.69%	3.07%	3.17%	2.32%	3.20%	2.88%	2.95%	2.95%	3.28%	3.02%

Financials

AFL vs. CSCO - Profitability Comparison

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

AFL - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Aflac Incorporated reported a gross profit of 2.48B and revenue of 4.32B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 57.5%.

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%.

AFL - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Aflac Incorporated reported an operating income of 1.23B and revenue of 4.32B, resulting in an operating margin of 28.4%.

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%.

AFL - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Aflac Incorporated reported a net income of 1.02B and revenue of 4.32B, resulting in a net margin of 23.6%.

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 AFL and CSCO in my portfolio?

AFL and CSCO have a correlation of 0.10, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, AFL or CSCO?

CSCO has higher volatility (16.93%) compared to AFL (5.82%). In terms of maximum drawdown, AFL dropped -82.71% vs CSCO's -89.26%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

CSCO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.02 vs 0.80), 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.