Arista Networks, Inc. (ANET)
Arista Networks builds high-speed cloud networking switches and software favored by hyperscale data centers.
ANET vs CSCO: how the two businesses compare
- Bigger business: CSCO, with $56.7B of yearly revenue, about 6.3× ANET's $9.0B.
- More cash from each sale: ANET turns 49 cents of each sales dollar into operating cash flow, against 25 cents at CSCO.
From each company's latest annual SEC filing. Fiscal years can end on different dates.
Cisco Systems (CSCO) is the larger business by reported revenue: $56.7B in its fiscal year ended Jul 2025, about 6.3× ANET's $9.0B (fiscal year ended Dec 2025). Both file with the SEC under the same industry code, SIC 3576 (Computer Communications Equipment).
Figures come from each company's own SEC filings. This page compares the businesses; it is not a price target or a verdict.
- Information Technology
- Computer Communications Equipment
- Same classification
- Different
- ANET December 31 · CSCO July 31
- Sep 2, 2026
ANET vs CSCO: quick comparison
| Company fact | ANET | CSCO |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Arista Networks, Inc. | Cisco Systems, Inc. |
| Exchange | NYSE | NASDAQ |
| Headquarters | — | San Jose, California |
| Founded | — | 1984 |
| SEC industry | Computer Communications Equipment | Computer Communications Equipment |
| Fiscal year-end | December 31 | July 31 |
| Latest annual filing | 10-K · 2026-02-17 | 10-K · 2026-09-02 |
ANET vs CSCO: audited financials
- Scale: CSCO's $56.7B of revenue is about 6.3× ANET's $9.0B.
- Cash conversion: operating cash flow equalled ANET 48.5% of revenue; CSCO 25.1% of revenue, or 1.39× net income. A ratio well above 1× usually reflects non-cash charges or working-capital release; well below 1× can reflect working-capital build or non-cash gains.
- Periods: the fiscal years end about 5 months apart (2025-12-31 for ANET, 2025-07-26 for CSCO), so each figure reflects somewhat different demand and cost conditions.
| Metric | ANET | CSCO |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $9.0B2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing | $56.7B2024-07-28 to 2025-07-26 · SEC filing |
| Net income | — | $10.2B2024-07-28 to 2025-07-26 · SEC filing |
| Operating cash flow | $4.4B2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing | $14.2B2024-07-28 to 2025-07-26 · SEC filing |
| Diluted EPS | $2.752025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing | $2.552024-07-28 to 2025-07-26 · SEC filing |
| Net margin | — | 18.0%2024-07-28 to 2025-07-26 · SEC filing |
ANET: FY ending 2025-12-31 · CSCO: FY ending 2025-07-26. Figures as tagged in each issuer's SEC XBRL filing; fiscal calendars may not align.
Where ANET and CSCO overlap, and where they don't
Overlap
- Same SEC industry: both report under SIC 3576, Computer Communications Equipment.
Differences
- Offset fiscal calendars: ANET's year ends December 31 and CSCO's July 31, about 5 months apart.
- Only ANET maps to Artificial intelligence.
- Scale: CSCO reported about 6.3× the annual revenue of ANET.
Overlap is drawn from SEC classifications and Yield Theory research themes. It is not evidence that the companies sell to the same customers or compete product for product.
Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO)
Cisco supplies the routers, switches, and security products that form the backbone of enterprise and carrier networks. It is expanding recurring software and cybersecurity revenue to reduce its reliance on hardware cycles.
What moves each company
Company-specific drivers maintained by Yield Theory. Use them to decide which filing deserves deeper work; they are not predictions.
What moves ANET
We have not yet published a company-specific driver list for ANET. The primary source is Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of its 10-K filed 2026-02-17.
What moves CSCO
We have not yet published a company-specific driver list for CSCO. The primary source is Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of its 10-K filed 2026-09-02.
The investment question
You now know CSCO reports about 6.3× ANET's revenue. Those are the facts. The investment question is what each share price already assumes about the computer communications equipment cycle, and which evidence in the next filings would prove that assumption wrong.
Members-only research
What members are reading this month
- Issue 07: The Vote That Knocked Almost a Quarter off Data Center Stocks
Texas has frozen new data center approvals since the summer. The vote extends that freeze, but it cannot unplug campuses that already have power. We map who is exposed, test whether the sell-off overshot and say where the real risk sits.
- Citadel bought the AI fire sale. The seller had run out of time.
Up 439% in the first half, down about 67% in July: how an AI hedge fund ended up selling a roughly $16 billion stock book to Citadel at a discount.
The thesis, the numbers behind it, and what would break it. Full access is $39 a month.
Read the full researchSEC filing comparison and disclosure evidence
Start with primary filings because fiscal calendars and accounting presentation can make superficially similar quarters incomparable. ANET's fiscal year ends December 31, while CSCO's ends July 31. Normalize the reporting periods before comparing growth, margins, capital intensity, or guidance.
The current verified House and Senate snapshot contains 35 matched transaction rows for ANET and 32 matched transaction rows for CSCO. These delayed, range-based disclosures can identify a filing to inspect; they do not establish motive, conviction, or a real-time trading signal.
ANET primary filings
CSCO primary filings
What this comparison cannot tell you
This page does not contain licensed live prices, a valuation model, earnings estimates, portfolio constraints, or a forecast of future returns. SEC classifications can be broad, company descriptions can lag strategic change, and the latest annual filing may predate a material acquisition or divestiture. Read subsequent quarterly and current reports before making a decision.
A stronger business is not automatically the better stock. Starting valuation, expectations, capital structure, cyclicality, dilution, and the probability of each thesis determine the investment outcome. Use this comparison to frame the work, then verify the numbers in the linked filings and current company disclosures.
More comparisons involving ANET or CSCO
ANET vs CSCO FAQs
Are ANET and CSCO direct competitors?
Arista Networks and Cisco Systems share the SEC industry classification “Computer Communications Equipment.” That makes the operating comparison relevant, but it does not prove that every product, customer, or revenue stream competes directly.
Is ANET or CSCO the bigger company by revenue?
Cisco Systems (CSCO) is the larger business by reported revenue: $56.7B in its fiscal year ended Jul 2025, about 6.3× ANET's $9.0B (fiscal year ended Dec 2025). Both file with the SEC under the same industry code, SIC 3576 (Computer Communications Equipment). Each figure is the annual amount tagged in the company's own SEC XBRL filing; market value depends on live prices, which this page does not publish.
Which is better, ANET or CSCO?
There is no context-free winner. Compare the operating exposures, filing evidence, valuation, balance sheet, and risks against the specific thesis you are testing. This page deliberately does not turn a static profile into a buy or sell recommendation.
Does this ANET vs CSCO comparison include live prices?
No. Yield Theory does not republish unlicensed real-time market data. The financial figures on this page are the audited annual numbers Arista Networks, Inc. and Cisco Systems, Inc. tagged in their SEC XBRL filings. Use a regulated broker or licensed quote provider for current prices and valuation multiples.
Where does the company information come from?
Company classifications, fiscal year-ends, and filing links come from the SEC EDGAR submissions API snapshot refreshed 2026-11-09. Business summaries and research themes are maintained by Yield Theory.
Data snapshot: SEC EDGAR submissions API, refreshed 2026-11-09. Independent educational research; not investment advice.
Which business differences matter to the investment thesis?
ANET vs CSCO compares reported results. The reports below show how we connect operating evidence to an investment thesis, its assumptions, catalysts, and risks. $39/month or $249/year.
Members-only research
$39/mo or $249/yr · cancel future renewals anytime · sources included