vs

Side-by-side financial comparison of CIENA CORP (CIEN) and KBR, INC. (KBR). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

KBR, INC. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.9B vs $1.2B, roughly 1.6× CIENA CORP). KBR, INC. runs the higher net margin — 6.0% vs 4.1%, a 1.8% gap on every dollar of revenue. KBR, INC. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($190.0M vs $134.6M).

Ciena Corporation is an American optical networking systems and software company based in Hanover, Maryland. The company has been described as a vital player in optical connectivity. The company reported revenues of $4.8 billion and more than 9,000 employees, as of November 2025. Gary Smith serves as president and chief executive officer (CEO).

KBR, Inc. is a U.S. based company operating in fields of science, technology and engineering. KBR works in various markets including aerospace, defense, industrial, intelligence, and energy. The company supports various NASA programs, international partner space agencies, and commercial partners.

CIEN vs KBR — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
KBR
KBR
1.6× larger
KBR
$1.9B
$1.2B
CIEN
Higher net margin
KBR
KBR
1.8% more per $
KBR
6.0%
4.1%
CIEN
More free cash flow
KBR
KBR
$55.4M more FCF
KBR
$190.0M
$134.6M
CIEN

Income Statement — Q3 FY2025 vs Q3 FY2026

Metric
CIEN
CIEN
KBR
KBR
Revenue
$1.2B
$1.9B
Net Profit
$50.3M
$115.0M
Gross Margin
41.3%
14.0%
Operating Margin
6.0%
9.9%
Net Margin
4.1%
6.0%
Revenue YoY
-0.8%
Net Profit YoY
15.0%
EPS (diluted)
$0.35
$0.90

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
CIEN
CIEN
KBR
KBR
Q4 25
$1.9B
Q3 25
$1.2B
$2.0B
Q2 25
$1.1B
$2.1B
Q1 25
$1.1B
Q4 24
$1.1B
Q3 24
$942.3M
Q2 24
$910.8M
Q1 24
$1.0B
Net Profit
CIEN
CIEN
KBR
KBR
Q4 25
$115.0M
Q3 25
$50.3M
$73.0M
Q2 25
$9.0M
$116.0M
Q1 25
$44.6M
Q4 24
$37.0M
Q3 24
$14.2M
Q2 24
$-16.8M
Q1 24
$49.5M
Gross Margin
CIEN
CIEN
KBR
KBR
Q4 25
14.0%
Q3 25
41.3%
14.9%
Q2 25
40.2%
14.5%
Q1 25
44.0%
Q4 24
40.9%
Q3 24
42.9%
Q2 24
42.7%
Q1 24
45.0%
Operating Margin
CIEN
CIEN
KBR
KBR
Q4 25
9.9%
Q3 25
6.0%
9.9%
Q2 25
2.9%
9.5%
Q1 25
7.5%
Q4 24
5.3%
Q3 24
2.8%
Q2 24
-0.4%
Q1 24
8.2%
Net Margin
CIEN
CIEN
KBR
KBR
Q4 25
6.0%
Q3 25
4.1%
3.7%
Q2 25
0.8%
5.6%
Q1 25
4.2%
Q4 24
3.3%
Q3 24
1.5%
Q2 24
-1.8%
Q1 24
4.8%
EPS (diluted)
CIEN
CIEN
KBR
KBR
Q4 25
$0.90
Q3 25
$0.35
$0.56
Q2 25
$0.06
$0.88
Q1 25
$0.31
Q4 24
$0.26
Q3 24
$0.10
Q2 24
$-0.12
Q1 24
$0.34

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
CIEN
CIEN
KBR
KBR
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$1.3B
$539.0M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$2.6B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$2.8B
$1.5B
Total Assets
$5.7B
$6.6B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
1.78×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
CIEN
CIEN
KBR
KBR
Q4 25
$539.0M
Q3 25
$1.3B
$403.0M
Q2 25
$1.3B
$442.0M
Q1 25
$1.2B
Q4 24
$1.3B
Q3 24
$1.1B
Q2 24
$1.3B
Q1 24
$1.4B
Total Debt
CIEN
CIEN
KBR
KBR
Q4 25
$2.6B
Q3 25
$2.6B
Q2 25
$2.7B
Q1 25
Q4 24
Q3 24
Q2 24
Q1 24
Stockholders' Equity
CIEN
CIEN
KBR
KBR
Q4 25
$1.5B
Q3 25
$2.8B
$1.5B
Q2 25
$2.8B
$1.4B
Q1 25
$2.8B
Q4 24
$2.8B
Q3 24
$2.9B
Q2 24
$2.9B
Q1 24
$2.9B
Total Assets
CIEN
CIEN
KBR
KBR
Q4 25
$6.6B
Q3 25
$5.7B
$6.8B
Q2 25
$5.7B
$6.8B
Q1 25
$5.6B
Q4 24
$5.6B
Q3 24
$5.6B
Q2 24
$5.6B
Q1 24
$5.6B
Debt / Equity
CIEN
CIEN
KBR
KBR
Q4 25
1.78×
Q3 25
1.76×
Q2 25
1.94×
Q1 25
Q4 24
Q3 24
Q2 24
Q1 24

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
CIEN
CIEN
KBR
KBR
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$174.3M
$198.0M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$134.6M
$190.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
11.0%
9.8%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
3.3%
0.4%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
3.47×
1.72×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$605.5M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
CIEN
CIEN
KBR
KBR
Q4 25
$198.0M
Q3 25
$174.3M
Q2 25
$156.9M
$98.0M
Q1 25
$103.7M
Q4 24
$349.4M
Q3 24
$-159.4M
Q2 24
$58.5M
Q1 24
$266.1M
Free Cash Flow
CIEN
CIEN
KBR
KBR
Q4 25
$190.0M
Q3 25
$134.6M
Q2 25
$128.2M
$89.0M
Q1 25
$76.8M
Q4 24
$265.8M
Q3 24
$-179.0M
Q2 24
$41.6M
Q1 24
$249.5M
FCF Margin
CIEN
CIEN
KBR
KBR
Q4 25
9.8%
Q3 25
11.0%
Q2 25
11.4%
4.3%
Q1 25
7.2%
Q4 24
23.6%
Q3 24
-19.0%
Q2 24
4.6%
Q1 24
24.0%
Capex Intensity
CIEN
CIEN
KBR
KBR
Q4 25
0.4%
Q3 25
3.3%
0.4%
Q2 25
2.6%
0.4%
Q1 25
2.5%
Q4 24
7.4%
Q3 24
2.1%
Q2 24
1.9%
Q1 24
1.6%
Cash Conversion
CIEN
CIEN
KBR
KBR
Q4 25
1.72×
Q3 25
3.47×
Q2 25
17.50×
0.84×
Q1 25
2.33×
Q4 24
9.44×
Q3 24
-11.20×
Q2 24
Q1 24
5.37×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

CIEN
CIEN

Optical Networking$815.5M67%
Routing And Switching$125.9M10%
Platform Softwareand Services Segment$90.0M7%
Maintenance Support And Training$80.7M7%
Installation And Deployment$65.9M5%
Blue Planet Automation Softwareand Services Segment$27.8M2%
Consulting And Network Design$13.6M1%

KBR
KBR

U.S.Government Defense And Intelligence Clients$832.0M43%
Sustainable Technology Solutions$525.0M27%
Science And Space$292.0M15%
Corporate Joint Venture$172.0M9%
Commercial And Infrastructure$64.0M3%
Other$46.0M2%

Related Comparisons