HPE vs. CSCO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (HPE) and Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO).

Performance

HPE vs. CSCO - Performance Comparison

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

HPE vs. CSCO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
HPE Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company	-0.24%	15.54%	29.14%	9.72%	4.49%	37.37%	-21.94%	23.74%	-5.62%	7.83%
CSCO Cisco Systems, Inc.	1.27%	33.47%	21.00%	9.30%	-22.46%	45.76%	-3.49%	13.81%	16.57%	31.27%

Fundamentals

Market Cap HPE : $32.29B CSCO : $309.35B
EPS HPE : -$0.11 CSCO : $2.77
PS Ratio HPE : 0.90 CSCO : 5.25
PB Ratio HPE : 1.30 CSCO : 6.48
Total Revenue (TTM) HPE : $35.79B CSCO : $59.05B
Gross Profit (TTM) HPE : $7.65B CSCO : $38.28B
EBITDA (TTM) HPE : $1.58B CSCO : $14.30B

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, HPE achieves a -0.24% return, which is significantly lower than CSCO's 1.27% return. Over the past 10 years, HPE has underperformed CSCO with an annualized return of 11.32%, while CSCO has yielded a comparatively higher 13.89% annualized return.

HPE

• 1D: 5.31%
• 1M: 11.61%
• YTD: -0.24%
• 6M: -1.85%
• 1Y: 58.21%
• 3Y*: 17.50%
• 5Y*: 11.91%
• 10Y*: 11.32%

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

HPE vs. CSCO — Risk / Return Rank

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

HPE

HPE Risk / Return Rank: 79
HPE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 81
HPE Sortino Ratio Rank: 75
HPE Omega Ratio Rank: 78
HPE Calmar Ratio Rank: 81
HPE 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.

HPE vs. CSCO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (HPE) 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.

	HPE	CSCO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.28	1.03	+0.25
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.80	1.44	+0.37
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.26	1.22	+0.04
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.30	2.25	+0.05
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.36	5.80	-0.44
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

HPE vs. CSCO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current HPE Sharpe Ratio is 1.28, which is comparable to the CSCO Sharpe Ratio of 1.03. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of HPE 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

	HPE	CSCO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.28	1.03	+0.25
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.33	0.50	-0.17
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.32	0.55	-0.24
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.33	0.57	-0.24

Correlation

The correlation between HPE and CSCO is 0.53, 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

HPE vs. CSCO - Dividend Comparison

HPE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.29%, more than CSCO's 2.11% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
HPE Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company	2.29%	2.22%	2.44%	2.89%	3.01%	3.04%	4.05%	2.88%	3.12%	70.62%	0.99%	0.36%
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

HPE vs. CSCO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum HPE drawdown since its inception was -56.88%, smaller than the maximum CSCO drawdown of -89.26%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HPE and CSCO.

Drawdown Indicators

	HPE	CSCO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-56.88%	-89.26%	+32.38%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-23.73%	-13.57%	-10.16%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-48.36%	-36.68%	-11.68%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-56.88%	-41.95%	-14.93%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.17%	-10.59%	+2.42%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-14.65%	-40.33%	+25.68%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	10.19%	5.28%	+4.91%

Volatility

HPE vs. CSCO - Volatility Comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (HPE) has a higher volatility of 16.28% compared to Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) at 8.22%. This indicates that HPE'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

	HPE	CSCO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	16.28%	8.22%	+8.06%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	31.51%	21.41%	+10.10%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	45.62%	28.03%	+17.59%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	36.35%	23.34%	+13.01%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	35.84%	25.19%	+10.65%

Financials

HPE vs. CSCO - Profitability Comparison

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

HPE - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 9.30B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

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%.

HPE - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company reported an operating income of 470.00M and revenue of 9.30B, resulting in an operating margin of 5.1%.

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%.

HPE - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company reported a net income of 423.00M and revenue of 9.30B, resulting in a net margin of 4.6%.

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%.