AAOI vs DGII vs CSCO Stock Comparison

Applied Optoelectronics, Digi International and Cisco Systems Prices as of Nov 2, 2026 Peers: Industry group
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DGII Digi International Inc
$71.82 -5.0% 1M +95.8% 1Y
Market cap
$2.75B
P/E
56.5x
Revenue (TTM)
$506.21M
Div. yield
–
Networking Equipment Technology
3 wins
CSCO Cisco Systems, Inc.
$101.61 -9.4% 1M +39.0% 1Y
Market cap
$411.39B
P/E
31.0x
Revenue (TTM)
$63.33B
Div. yield
–
Networking Equipment Technology
6 wins

Head to Head

11 decided of 12

Cisco Systems leads on 6 of the 12 questions below (Cisco Systems 6, Digi International 3, Applied Optoelectronics 2). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionAAOIDGIICSCOLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $5.02B $2.75B $411.39B CSCO
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only -88.0x 56.5x 31.0x CSCO
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 90.1x 25.9x 21.7x CSCO
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +61.8% +20.3% +11.8% AAOI
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months -9.6% 9.6% 21.0% CSCO
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital -4.2% 6.9% 15.9% CSCO
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 13.8x 0.7x 0.8x DGII
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +75.8% +95.8% +39.0% DGII
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +49.5%/yr +25.5%/yr +12.0%/yr AAOI
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 140.2% 41.2% 35.9% CSCO
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 32/100 58/100 53/100 DGII

Percentile Scorecard

AAOIDGIICSCO

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisAAOIDGIICSCO
Valuation 11 #100 of 112 39 #69 of 112 30 #79 of 112
Growth 54 #50 of 108 70 #33 of 108 40 #65 of 108
Profitability 16 #88 of 104 82 #20 of 104 87 #14 of 104
Financial Health 71 #34 of 116 48 #61 of 116 30 #82 of 116
Shareholder Returns 8 #74 of 80 51 #40 of 80 80 #17 of 80
Overall 32 58 53
  • AAOI ranked among 121 companies in Computer Hardware
  • DGII ranked among 121 companies in Computer Hardware
  • CSCO ranked among 121 companies in Computer Hardware

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodAAOIDGIICSCOSPY
1 month -45.9%-5.0%-9.4% -2.3%
3 months -43.3%+2.0%-12.3% -0.7%
6 months -63.9%+26.2%+9.7% +4.8%
Year to date +79.3%+65.9%+31.9% +10.3%
1 year +75.8%+95.8%+39.0% +10.3%
3 years +560.0%+185.2%+91.7% +73.0%
3 years, per year +87.7%+41.9%+24.2% +20.1%
5 years +646.7%+210.5%+76.3% +61.9%
5 years, per year +49.5%+25.5%+12.0% +10.1%
10 years +210.9%+680.7%+234.4% +258.6%
10 years, per year +12.0%+22.8%+12.8% +13.6%

Risk

MeasureAAOIDGIICSCOSPY
Volatility, 1Y 140.2%41.2%35.9% 12.8%
Downside volatility, 1Y 129.1%39.5%37.6% 12.8%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 4.471.491.16 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 0.542.331.09 0.80
Max drawdown, 5Y -82.6%-48.6%-38.6% -25.4%
From 52-week high -72.0%-15.7%-21.8% -3.5%
52-week high $223.10$85.24$130.00 $779.14
52-week low $19.49$35.40$71.04 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleAAOIDGIICSCO
P/E now vs peer median -89.4xmedian 29.9x 55.7xmedian 29.9x 30.3xmedian 29.9x
P/S now vs peer median 8.8xmedian 2.8x 5.4xmedian 2.8x 6.3xmedian 2.8x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median -150.5xmedian 18.5x 24.8xmedian 18.5x 23.1xmedian 18.5x
P/FCF now vs peer median -8.8xmedian 28.0x 20.0xmedian 28.0x 31.4xmedian 28.0x
P/B now vs peer median 3.2xmedian 2.8x 4.0xmedian 2.8x 8.0xmedian 2.8x
PEG now vs peer median -2.69median 1.00 3.51median 1.00 11.24median 1.00

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsAAOIDGIICSCO
Revenue $595.97M $506.21M $63.33B
Gross profit $172.33M $323.07M $40.86B
Operating income -$67.41M $70.58M $15.37B
Net income -$57.02M $48.74M $13.27B
Free cash flow -$600.81M $135.98M $12.77B
R&D $107.61M $73.84M $9.56B
EPS (diluted) $-0.70 $1.25 $3.33
Cash & equivalents $499.74M $27.97M $7.22B
Total debt $57.26M $108.13M $29.53B
Shares (diluted) 81.57M 38.92M 3.99B
Enterprise value $3.74B $2.64B $347.32B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricAAOIDGIICSCO
P/E -89.4x 55.7x 30.3x
P/FCF -8.8x 20.0x 31.4x
P/Operating cash flow -40.0x 19.7x 28.3x
P/S 8.8x 5.4x 6.3x
P/B 3.2x 4.0x 8.0x
P/Tangible book 3.2x 8.6x 9.4x
EV/EBITDA -150.5x 24.8x 23.1x
EV/EBIT -71.7x 39.8x 27.0x
EV/Revenue 8.1x 5.5x 6.5x
EV/FCF -8.0x 20.6x 32.5x
EV/Operating cash flow -36.7x 20.3x 29.2x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) -2.69 3.51 11.24

Growth

14 metrics
MetricAAOIDGIICSCO
Revenue growth (1Y) 61.8% 20.3% 11.8%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 40.9% 4.9% 3.6%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 62.0% 23.4% 11.1%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 73.3% 9.3% 4.6%
Operating income growth (1Y) -40.6% 24.0% 30.7%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) -2.8% 9.7% 0.7%
Net income growth (1Y) 63.4% 14.2% 30.3%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 6.2% 18.0% 1.7%
EPS growth (1Y) 74.5% 10.5% 30.7%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 33.2% 15.9% 2.7%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 15.2% 30.1% -0.1%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) -168.6% 59.2% -10.7%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) -146.3% 31.6% -3.9%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) -294.2% 60.8% -12.5%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricAAOIDGIICSCO
Gross margin 28.9% 63.8% 64.5%
EBITDA margin -5.4% 22.3% 28.3%
Operating margin -11.3% 13.9% 24.3%
Pretax margin -10.6% 12.4% 25.3%
Net margin -9.6% 9.6% 21.0%
FCF margin -100.8% 26.9% 20.2%
Operating cash flow margin -22.1% 27.3% 22.4%
Return on equity -4.1% 7.2% 26.8%
Return on assets -2.9% 5.0% 10.4%
Return on invested capital -4.2% 6.9% 15.9%
Return on capital employed -4.5% 8.4% 17.9%
Asset turnover 0.3x 0.5x 0.5x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 2.3x 2.8x 1.1x
Stock comp / revenue 2.6% 3.4% 6.0%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricAAOIDGIICSCO
Debt / assets 2.5% 11.2% 22.8%
Debt / equity 0.0x 0.2x 0.6x
Net debt / EBITDA 13.8x 0.7x 0.8x
Debt / FCF -0.1x 0.8x 2.3x
Liabilities / assets 27.5% 29.0% 61.2%
Equity / assets 72.5% 71.0% 38.8%
Interest coverage -19.1x 8.9x 10.5x
Current ratio 2.8x 1.1x 0.9x
Quick ratio 1.9x 0.7x 0.6x
Cash ratio 1.2x 0.2x 0.4x
Altman Z-score 5.24 7.12 3.90

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricAAOIDGIICSCO
Dividend yield – – 1.6%
Net buyback yield -25.6% 0.0% 1.4%
Shareholder yield -25.6% 0.0% 3.1%
Payout ratio (earnings) – – –
Payout ratio (FCF) – – –
Dividend growth (1Y) – – –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – – –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusAAOIDGIICSCO
Forward P/E 90.1xFY2026 25.9xFY2026 21.7xFY2027
EPS, next fiscal year $0.71FY2026 $2.78FY2026 $4.74FY2027
EPS growth, next FY – +32.4%FY2026 +9.5%FY2027
EPS growth, the year after +646.5% +9.4% +20.7%
Revenue, next fiscal year $994.70MFY2026 $519.66MFY2026 $74.93BFY2027
Revenue growth, next FY +118.3%FY2026 +20.8%FY2026 +18.3%FY2027
Revenue growth, the year after +185.6% +3.8% +0.6%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersAAOIDGIICSCO
Held by institutions 60.5% 100.0% 80.1%
Institutions holding 482 285 4,048
Change in shares held, QoQ -3.5% +1.6% +5.0%
Institutions buying 313 143 1,848
Institutions selling 144 105 1,818
Buyers to sellers 2.17 1.36 1.02

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

AAOIDGIICSCO
AAOI 1.00 0.26 0.35
DGII 0.26 1.00 0.31
CSCO 0.35 0.31 1.00

Add a Peer

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, AAOI, DGII and CSCO?

Cisco Systems (CSCO) is the largest by market capitalisation: Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) $5.02B, Digi International (DGII) $2.75B, Cisco Systems (CSCO) $411.39B.

Which stock is cheaper, AAOI, DGII and CSCO?

Cisco Systems (CSCO) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) -88.0x, Digi International (DGII) 56.5x, Cisco Systems (CSCO) 31.0x). On next year's consensus earnings, Cisco Systems (CSCO) is cheapest (Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) 90.1x, Digi International (DGII) 25.9x, Cisco Systems (CSCO) 21.7x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) +61.8%, Digi International (DGII) +20.3%, Cisco Systems (CSCO) +11.8%.

Which company is more profitable?

Cisco Systems (CSCO) has the highest net margin (Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) -9.6%, Digi International (DGII) 9.6%, Cisco Systems (CSCO) 21.0%). On return on invested capital, Cisco Systems (CSCO) leads (Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) -4.2%, Digi International (DGII) 6.9%, Cisco Systems (CSCO) 15.9%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Digi International (DGII) returned the most: Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) +75.8%, Digi International (DGII) +95.8%, Cisco Systems (CSCO) +39.0%. Over five years, Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) compounded fastest (Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) +49.5%/yr, Digi International (DGII) +25.5%/yr, Cisco Systems (CSCO) +12.0%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Cisco Systems (CSCO) has been the steadiest (Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) 140.2%, Digi International (DGII) 41.2%, Cisco Systems (CSCO) 35.9%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, AAOI, DGII and CSCO?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Cisco Systems (CSCO) leads on 6. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.