EXTR vs CIEN vs AAOI Stock Comparison

Extreme Networks, Ciena and Applied Optoelectronics Prices as of Nov 5, 2026 Peers: Industry group
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EXTR Extreme Networks Inc
$21.05 -14.2% 1M +19.3% 1Y
Market cap
$3.18B
P/E
60.6x
Revenue (TTM)
$1.31B
Div. yield
–
Networking Equipment Technology
5 wins
CIEN Ciena Corp
$230.72 -48.0% 1M +17.8% 1Y
Market cap
$34.41B
P/E
52.6x
Revenue (TTM)
$6.02B
Div. yield
–
Networking Equipment Technology
3 wins

Head to Head

11 decided of 12

Extreme Networks leads on 5 of the 12 questions below (Extreme Networks 5, Ciena 3, Applied Optoelectronics 3). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionEXTRCIENAAOILeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $3.18B $34.41B $4.18B CIEN
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 60.6x 52.6x -127.6x CIEN
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 14.5x 30.4x 66.0x EXTR
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +11.3% +32.6% +77.2% AAOI
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 4.0% 10.9% -4.4% CIEN
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 23.5% 12.4% -2.3% EXTR
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA -0.4x 0.7x 68.1x EXTR
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +19.3% +17.8% +48.8% AAOI
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +12.8%/yr +30.7%/yr +51.6%/yr AAOI
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 53.5% 81.6% 141.5% EXTR
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 56/100 55/100 33/100 EXTR

Percentile Scorecard

EXTRCIENAAOI

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

AxisEXTRCIENAAOI
Valuation 46 #61 of 112 23 #87 of 112 14 #96 of 112
Growth 45 #60 of 108 94 #8 of 108 64 #40 of 108
Profitability 76 #26 of 104 82 #20 of 104 18 #85 of 104
Financial Health 23 #90 of 116 44 #65 of 116 63 #44 of 116
Shareholder Returns 89 #10 of 83 32 #57 of 83 4 #80 of 83
Overall 56 55 33
  • EXTR ranked among 121 companies in Computer Hardware
  • CIEN ranked among 121 companies in Computer Hardware
  • AAOI ranked among 121 companies in Computer Hardware

Price Performance

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

Returns

PeriodEXTRCIENAAOISPY
1 month -14.2%-48.0%-64.0% -5.9%
3 months -13.4%-42.8%-62.3% -4.6%
6 months -10.5%-57.2%-70.2% +0.2%
Year to date +26.4%-1.3%+34.5% +7.5%
1 year +19.3%+17.8%+48.8% +8.2%
3 years +23.9%+433.8%+383.9% +68.3%
3 years, per year +7.4%+74.8%+69.2% +19.0%
5 years +82.9%+281.4%+700.2% +56.5%
5 years, per year +12.8%+30.7%+51.6% +9.4%
10 years +388.4%+1,098.5%+116.6% +251.5%
10 years, per year +17.2%+28.2%+8.0% +13.4%

Risk

MeasureEXTRCIENAAOISPY
Volatility, 1Y 53.5%81.6%141.5% 13.6%
Downside volatility, 1Y 52.5%89.5%132.3% 14.2%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 1.602.854.37 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 0.360.220.34 0.60
Max drawdown, 5Y -67.2%-63.2%-79.0% -25.4%
From 52-week high -37.6%-63.2%-79.0% -5.9%
52-week high $33.71$627.00$223.10 $779.14
52-week low $13.74$176.45$19.49 $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.

MultipleEXTRCIENAAOI
P/E now vs peer median 52.7xmedian 25.2x 50.1xmedian 25.2x -122.1xmedian 25.2x
P/S now vs peer median 2.1xmedian 2.4x 5.4xmedian 2.4x 5.7xmedian 2.4x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 27.3xmedian 16.2x 37.1xmedian 16.2x -463.5xmedian 16.2x
P/FCF now vs peer median 18.0xmedian 23.4x 40.2xmedian 23.4x -4.8xmedian 23.4x
P/B now vs peer median 31.6xmedian 2.3x 10.7xmedian 2.3x 1.9xmedian 2.3x
PEG now vs peer median -2.94median 0.98 1.12median 0.98 -2.91median 0.98

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 monthsEXTRCIENAAOI
Revenue $1.31B $6.02B $747.22M
Gross profit $813.05M $2.65B $215.22M
Operating income $74.49M $738.95M -$50.66M
Net income $52.49M $654.41M -$32.78M
Free cash flow $154.76M $814.36M -$883.41M
R&D $233.95M $924.94M $124.46M
EPS (diluted) $0.39 $4.48 $-0.37
Cash & equivalents $244.52M $2.45B $605.41M
Total debt $200.00M $3.23B $59.99M
Shares (diluted) 134.68M 145.97M 87.84M
Enterprise value $2.29B $27.97B $2.43B

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
MetricEXTRCIENAAOI
P/E 52.7x 50.1x -122.1x
P/FCF 18.0x 40.2x -4.8x
P/Operating cash flow 15.2x 31.0x -40.1x
P/S 2.1x 5.4x 5.7x
P/B 31.6x 10.7x 1.9x
P/Tangible book 32.6x 11.4x 1.9x
EV/EBITDA 27.3x 37.1x -463.5x
EV/EBIT 36.8x 45.1x -73.2x
EV/Revenue 2.1x 5.5x 5.0x
EV/FCF 17.7x 40.9x -4.2x
EV/Operating cash flow 15.0x 31.6x -34.9x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) -2.94 1.12 -2.91

Growth

14 metrics
MetricEXTRCIENAAOI
Revenue growth (1Y) 11.3% 32.6% 77.2%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) -1.3% 12.5% 50.6%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 11.7% 40.6% 74.0%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 0.5% 13.3% 70.3%
Operating income growth (1Y) 126.0% 200.1% -2.2%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) -16.3% 29.1% 2.8%
Net income growth (1Y) 506.9% 364.5% 79.0%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -17.7% 43.5% 19.3%
EPS growth (1Y) 508.7% 359.9% 84.8%
EPS CAGR (3Y) -18.0% 44.8% 41.9%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 52.9% 34.5% 37.3%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) -12.8% 201.2% -101.6%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 63.2% 34.5% -192.6%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) -15.9% 95.4% -275.9%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricEXTRCIENAAOI
Gross margin 61.9% 44.1% 28.8%
EBITDA margin 7.6% 14.9% -1.1%
Operating margin 5.7% 12.3% -6.8%
Pretax margin 4.7% 12.1% -4.9%
Net margin 4.0% 10.9% -4.4%
FCF margin 11.8% 13.5% -118.2%
Operating cash flow margin 13.9% 17.5% -14.2%
Return on equity 59.4% 22.0% -1.7%
Return on assets 4.2% 9.3% -1.2%
Return on invested capital 23.5% 12.4% -2.3%
Return on capital employed 12.8% 13.1% -2.5%
Asset turnover 1.1x 0.9x 0.3x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 3.5x 1.6x 3.2x
Stock comp / revenue 6.7% 3.5% 2.4%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricEXTRCIENAAOI
Debt / assets 15.4% 40.4% 1.9%
Debt / equity 2.3x 1.1x 0.0x
Net debt / EBITDA -0.4x 0.7x 68.1x
Debt / FCF 1.3x 4.0x -0.1x
Liabilities / assets 93.2% 61.8% 28.5%
Equity / assets 6.8% 38.2% 71.5%
Interest coverage 4.9x 10.6x -13.1x
Current ratio 1.0x 3.8x 2.3x
Quick ratio 0.6x 2.8x 1.5x
Cash ratio 0.4x 1.9x 0.9x
Altman Z-score 1.63 5.17 3.15

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricEXTRCIENAAOI
Dividend yield – – –
Net buyback yield 3.6% -1.5% -41.5%
Shareholder yield 3.6% -1.5% -41.5%
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.

ConsensusEXTRCIENAAOI
Forward P/E 14.5xFY2027 30.4xFY2026 66.0xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $1.45FY2027 $7.60FY2026 $0.71FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +36.8%FY2027 +187.9%FY2026 –
EPS growth, the year after +0.7% +64.7% +646.5%
Revenue, next fiscal year $1.36BFY2027 $6.86BFY2026 $994.70MFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +6.0%FY2027 +43.8%FY2026 +118.3%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +22.0% +18.0% +185.6%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersEXTRCIENAAOI
Held by institutions 96.7% 93.0% 60.5%
Institutions holding 339 1,224 482
Change in shares held, QoQ +1.2% -1.7% -3.5%
Institutions buying 182 733 313
Institutions selling 121 379 144
Buyers to sellers 1.50 1.93 2.17

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.

EXTRCIENAAOI
EXTR 1.00 0.34 0.37
CIEN 0.34 1.00 0.61
AAOI 0.37 0.61 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, EXTR, CIEN and AAOI?

Ciena (CIEN) is the largest by market capitalisation: Extreme Networks (EXTR) $3.18B, Ciena (CIEN) $34.41B, Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) $4.18B.

Which stock is cheaper, EXTR, CIEN and AAOI?

Ciena (CIEN) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Extreme Networks (EXTR) 60.6x, Ciena (CIEN) 52.6x, Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) -127.6x). On next year's consensus earnings, Extreme Networks (EXTR) is cheapest (Extreme Networks (EXTR) 14.5x, Ciena (CIEN) 30.4x, Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) 66.0x). 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: Extreme Networks (EXTR) +11.3%, Ciena (CIEN) +32.6%, Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) +77.2%.

Which company is more profitable?

Ciena (CIEN) has the highest net margin (Extreme Networks (EXTR) 4.0%, Ciena (CIEN) 10.9%, Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) -4.4%). On return on invested capital, Extreme Networks (EXTR) leads (Extreme Networks (EXTR) 23.5%, Ciena (CIEN) 12.4%, Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) -2.3%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) returned the most: Extreme Networks (EXTR) +19.3%, Ciena (CIEN) +17.8%, Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) +48.8%. Over five years, Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) compounded fastest (Extreme Networks (EXTR) +12.8%/yr, Ciena (CIEN) +30.7%/yr, Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) +51.6%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Extreme Networks (EXTR) has been the steadiest (Extreme Networks (EXTR) 53.5%, Ciena (CIEN) 81.6%, Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) 141.5%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, EXTR, CIEN and AAOI?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Extreme Networks (EXTR) leads on 5. 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.