CSCO vs. NVDA

Last updated Jun 6, 2026

CSCO (Cisco Systems, Inc.) and NVDA (NVIDIA Corporation) are both stocks. Both are in the Technology sector — CSCO in Communication Equipment, NVDA in Semiconductors. Over the past 10 years, CSCO returned 18.93%/yr vs 68.14%/yr for NVDA. At a 0.47 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

CSCO vs. NVDA - Performance Comparison

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, CSCO achieves a 59.62% return, which is significantly higher than NVDA's 10.11% return. Over the past 10 years, CSCO has underperformed NVDA with an annualized return of 18.93%, while NVDA has yielded a comparatively higher 68.14% annualized return.

CSCO

• 1D: -6.43%
• 1M: 32.74%
• YTD: 59.62%
• 6M: 57.69%
• 1Y: 92.57%
• 3Y*: 38.44%
• 5Y*: 21.02%
• 10Y*: 18.93%

NVDA

• 1D: -6.20%
• 1M: -1.20%
• YTD: 10.11%
• 6M: 12.58%
• 1Y: 46.72%
• 3Y*: 74.54%
• 5Y*: 63.58%
• 10Y*: 68.14%

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

CSCO vs. NVDA - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
CSCO Cisco Systems, Inc.	59.62%	33.47%	21.00%	9.30%	-22.46%	45.76%	-3.49%	13.81%	16.57%	31.27%
NVDA NVIDIA Corporation	10.11%	38.92%	171.25%	239.02%	-50.26%	125.48%	122.30%	76.94%	-30.82%	81.99%

Correlation

The correlation between CSCO and NVDA is 0.24, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.24
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.26
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.37
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.41
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 25, 1999	0.47

Over the past year, the correlation between CSCO and NVDA has dropped to 0.24 - well below their long-term average of 0.47, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Fundamentals

Market Cap CSCO : $484.98B NVDA : $5.00T
EPS CSCO : $3.00 NVDA : $6.53
PE Ratio CSCO : 40.58 NVDA : 31.43
PEG Ratio CSCO : 34.05 NVDA : 0.17
PS Ratio CSCO : 7.99 NVDA : 19.79
PB Ratio CSCO : 9.93 NVDA : 25.59
Total Revenue (TTM) CSCO : $60.75B NVDA : $253.49B
Gross Profit (TTM) CSCO : $39.08B NVDA : $187.95B
EBITDA (TTM) CSCO : $13.98B NVDA : $192.76B

Return for Risk

CSCO vs. NVDA — Risk / Return Rank

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

CSCO

CSCO Risk / Return Rank: 94
CSCO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 95
CSCO Sortino Ratio Rank: 92
CSCO Omega Ratio Rank: 94
CSCO Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
CSCO Martin Ratio Rank: 95

NVDA

NVDA Risk / Return Rank: 76
NVDA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 79
NVDA Sortino Ratio Rank: 73
NVDA Omega Ratio Rank: 70
NVDA Calmar Ratio Rank: 77
NVDA Martin Ratio Rank: 78

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.

CSCO vs. NVDA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) and NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA). 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.

	CSCO	NVDA	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	3.03	1.35	+1.68
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.56	1.92	+1.64
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.55	1.23	+0.31
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	6.86	2.32	+4.53
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	19.16	5.67	+13.50
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

CSCO vs. NVDA - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current CSCO Sharpe Ratio is 3.03, which is higher than the NVDA Sharpe Ratio of 1.35. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CSCO and NVDA, 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

	CSCO	NVDA	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.03	1.35	+1.68
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.85	1.23	-0.38
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.73	1.37	-0.64
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.61	0.62	-0.02

Drawdowns

CSCO vs. NVDA - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CSCO drawdown since its inception was -89.26%, roughly equal to the maximum NVDA drawdown of -89.72%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CSCO and NVDA.

Drawdown Indicators

	CSCO	NVDA	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-89.26%	-89.72%	+0.46%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.57%	-20.21%	+6.64%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-20.16%	-36.88%	+16.72%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-36.68%	-66.34%	+29.66%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-41.95%	-66.34%	+24.39%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.43%	-12.90%	+6.47%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-40.14%	-36.20%	-3.94%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.85%	8.27%	-3.42%

Volatility

CSCO vs. NVDA - Volatility Comparison

Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) has a higher volatility of 16.94% compared to NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) at 13.15%. This indicates that CSCO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than NVDA based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	CSCO	NVDA	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	16.94%	13.15%	+3.79%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	26.88%	26.39%	+0.49%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	30.71%	34.76%	-4.05%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	24.80%	51.73%	-26.93%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	25.85%	49.84%	-23.99%

Dividends

CSCO vs. NVDA - Dividend Comparison

CSCO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.36%, more than NVDA's 0.14% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CSCO Cisco Systems, Inc.	1.36%	2.12%	2.69%	3.07%	3.17%	2.32%	3.20%	2.88%	2.95%	2.95%	3.28%	3.02%
NVDA NVIDIA Corporation	0.14%	0.02%	0.03%	0.03%	0.11%	0.05%	0.12%	0.27%	0.46%	0.29%	0.45%	1.20%

Financials

CSCO vs. NVDA - Profitability Comparison

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

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%.

NVDA - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, NVIDIA Corporation reported a gross profit of 61.16B and revenue of 81.62B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 74.9%.

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%.

NVDA - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, NVIDIA Corporation reported an operating income of 53.54B and revenue of 81.62B, resulting in an operating margin of 65.6%.

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%.

NVDA - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, NVIDIA Corporation reported a net income of 58.32B and revenue of 81.62B, resulting in a net margin of 71.5%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both CSCO and NVDA in my portfolio?

CSCO and NVDA have a correlation of 0.24, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, CSCO or NVDA?

CSCO has higher volatility (16.94%) compared to NVDA (13.15%). In terms of maximum drawdown, CSCO dropped -89.26% vs NVDA's -89.72%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

CSCO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.03 vs 1.35), 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.