DELL vs. CSCO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Dell Technologies Inc. (DELL) and Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO).

Performance

DELL vs. CSCO - Performance Comparison

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

DELL vs. CSCO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
DELL Dell Technologies Inc.	30.96%	11.22%	52.97%	95.85%	-26.63%	51.21%	42.62%	5.16%	15.88%
CSCO Cisco Systems, Inc.	1.27%	33.47%	21.00%	9.30%	-22.46%	45.76%	-3.49%	13.81%	3.54%

Fundamentals

EPS DELL : $11.27 CSCO : $2.77
PE Ratio DELL : 14.56 CSCO : 27.98
PEG Ratio DELL : 0.63 CSCO : 23.48
PS Ratio DELL : 0.76 CSCO : 5.25
Total Revenue (TTM) DELL : $113.54B CSCO : $59.05B
Gross Profit (TTM) DELL : $22.71B CSCO : $38.28B
EBITDA (TTM) DELL : $8.27B CSCO : $14.30B

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DELL achieves a 30.96% return, which is significantly higher than CSCO's 1.27% return.

DELL

• 1D: -0.32%
• 1M: 10.84%
• YTD: 30.96%
• 6M: 16.69%
• 1Y: 83.41%
• 3Y*: 62.99%
• 5Y*: 31.84%
• 10Y*: —

CSCO

• 1D: 0.71%
• 1M: -2.35%
• YTD: 1.27%
• 6M: 14.70%
• 1Y: 28.79%
• 3Y*: 17.35%
• 5Y*: 11.52%
• 10Y*: 13.89%

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

Return for Risk

DELL vs. CSCO — Risk / Return Rank

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

DELL

DELL Risk / Return Rank: 82
DELL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 85
DELL Sortino Ratio Rank: 81
DELL Omega Ratio Rank: 82
DELL Calmar Ratio Rank: 83
DELL Martin Ratio Rank: 79

CSCO

CSCO Risk / Return Rank: 75
CSCO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 77
CSCO Sortino Ratio Rank: 67
CSCO Omega Ratio Rank: 72
CSCO Calmar Ratio Rank: 81
CSCO Martin Ratio Rank: 80

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.

DELL vs. CSCO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Dell Technologies Inc. (DELL) 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.

	DELL	CSCO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.50	1.03	+0.47
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.12	1.44	+0.68
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.29	1.22	+0.07
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.51	2.25	+0.26
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.55	5.80	-0.25
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DELL vs. CSCO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DELL Sharpe Ratio is 1.50, which is higher than the CSCO Sharpe Ratio of 1.03. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DELL and CSCO, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	DELL	CSCO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.50	1.03	+0.47
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.69	0.50	+0.19
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.55	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.75	0.57	+0.18

Correlation

The correlation between DELL and CSCO is 0.46, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

DELL vs. CSCO - Dividend Comparison

DELL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.28%, less than CSCO's 2.11% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
DELL Dell Technologies Inc.	1.28%	1.60%	1.48%	1.88%	2.46%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
CSCO Cisco Systems, Inc.	2.11%	2.12%	2.69%	3.07%	3.17%	2.32%	3.20%	2.88%	2.95%	2.95%	3.28%	3.02%

Drawdowns

DELL vs. CSCO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DELL drawdown since its inception was -59.59%, smaller than the maximum CSCO drawdown of -89.26%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DELL and CSCO.

Drawdown Indicators

	DELL	CSCO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-59.59%	-89.26%	+29.67%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-32.34%	-13.57%	-18.77%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-59.59%	-36.68%	-22.91%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-41.95%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.80%	-10.59%	-0.21%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-18.87%	-40.33%	+21.46%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	14.62%	5.28%	+9.34%

Volatility

DELL vs. CSCO - Volatility Comparison

Dell Technologies Inc. (DELL) has a higher volatility of 15.25% compared to Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) at 8.22%. This indicates that DELL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than CSCO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DELL	CSCO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	15.25%	8.22%	+7.03%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	40.61%	21.41%	+19.20%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	55.93%	28.03%	+27.90%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	46.50%	23.34%	+23.16%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	45.32%	25.19%	+20.13%

Financials

DELL vs. CSCO - Profitability Comparison

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

DELL - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Dell Technologies Inc. reported a gross profit of 6.61B and revenue of 33.38B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 19.8%.

CSCO - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Cisco Systems, Inc. reported a gross profit of 9.97B and revenue of 15.35B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 65.0%.

DELL - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Dell Technologies Inc. reported an operating income of 3.09B and revenue of 33.38B, resulting in an operating margin of 9.3%.

CSCO - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Cisco Systems, Inc. reported an operating income of 3.78B and revenue of 15.35B, resulting in an operating margin of 24.6%.

DELL - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Dell Technologies Inc. reported a net income of 2.26B and revenue of 33.38B, resulting in a net margin of 6.8%.

CSCO - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Cisco Systems, Inc. reported a net income of 3.18B and revenue of 15.35B, resulting in a net margin of 20.7%.