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Side-by-side financial comparison of Cisco (CSCO) and PayPal (PYPL). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Cisco is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($15.3B vs $8.7B, roughly 1.8× PayPal). Cisco runs the higher net margin — 20.7% vs 16.6%, a 4.1% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Cisco posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (9.7% vs 3.7%). PayPal produced more free cash flow last quarter ($2.2B vs $1.5B). Over the past eight quarters, Cisco's revenue compounded faster (9.9% CAGR vs 6.2%).

Cisco Systems, Inc. is an American multinational digital communications technology conglomerate corporation headquartered in San Jose, California. Cisco develops, manufactures, and sells networking hardware, software, telecommunications equipment and other high-technology services and products.

PayPal Holdings, Inc. is an American multinational financial technology company operating an online payments system in the majority of countries that support online money transfers; it serves as an electronic alternative to traditional paper methods such as checks and money orders. The company operates as a payment processor for online vendors, auction sites and many other commercial and company users.

CSCO vs PYPL — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
CSCO
CSCO
1.8× larger
CSCO
$15.3B
$8.7B
PYPL
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
CSCO
CSCO
+6.0% gap
CSCO
9.7%
3.7%
PYPL
Higher net margin
CSCO
CSCO
4.1% more per $
CSCO
20.7%
16.6%
PYPL
More free cash flow
PYPL
PYPL
$651.0M more FCF
PYPL
$2.2B
$1.5B
CSCO
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
CSCO
CSCO
Annualised
CSCO
9.9%
6.2%
PYPL

Income Statement — Q2 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
CSCO
CSCO
PYPL
PYPL
Revenue
$15.3B
$8.7B
Net Profit
$3.2B
$1.4B
Gross Margin
65.0%
Operating Margin
24.6%
17.4%
Net Margin
20.7%
16.6%
Revenue YoY
9.7%
3.7%
Net Profit YoY
30.8%
28.2%
EPS (diluted)
$0.80
$1.53

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
CSCO
CSCO
PYPL
PYPL
Q1 26
$15.3B
Q4 25
$14.9B
$8.7B
Q3 25
$14.7B
$8.4B
Q2 25
$14.1B
$8.3B
Q1 25
$14.0B
$7.8B
Q4 24
$13.8B
$8.4B
Q3 24
$13.6B
$7.8B
Q2 24
$12.7B
$7.9B
Net Profit
CSCO
CSCO
PYPL
PYPL
Q1 26
$3.2B
Q4 25
$2.9B
$1.4B
Q3 25
$2.5B
$1.2B
Q2 25
$2.5B
$1.3B
Q1 25
$2.4B
$1.3B
Q4 24
$2.7B
$1.1B
Q3 24
$2.2B
$1.0B
Q2 24
$1.9B
$1.1B
Gross Margin
CSCO
CSCO
PYPL
PYPL
Q1 26
65.0%
Q4 25
65.5%
Q3 25
63.2%
Q2 25
65.6%
Q1 25
65.1%
Q4 24
65.9%
Q3 24
64.4%
Q2 24
65.1%
Operating Margin
CSCO
CSCO
PYPL
PYPL
Q1 26
24.6%
Q4 25
22.6%
17.4%
Q3 25
21.0%
18.1%
Q2 25
22.6%
18.1%
Q1 25
22.3%
19.6%
Q4 24
17.0%
17.2%
Q3 24
19.2%
17.7%
Q2 24
17.2%
16.8%
Net Margin
CSCO
CSCO
PYPL
PYPL
Q1 26
20.7%
Q4 25
19.2%
16.6%
Q3 25
17.4%
14.8%
Q2 25
17.6%
15.2%
Q1 25
17.4%
16.5%
Q4 24
19.6%
13.4%
Q3 24
15.8%
12.9%
Q2 24
14.8%
14.3%
EPS (diluted)
CSCO
CSCO
PYPL
PYPL
Q1 26
$0.80
Q4 25
$0.72
$1.53
Q3 25
$0.64
$1.30
Q2 25
$0.62
$1.29
Q1 25
$0.61
$1.29
Q4 24
$0.68
$1.09
Q3 24
$0.54
$0.99
Q2 24
$0.46
$1.08

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
CSCO
CSCO
PYPL
PYPL
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$15.8B
$10.4B
Total DebtLower is stronger
$24.6B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$47.7B
$20.3B
Total Assets
$123.4B
$80.2B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.52×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
CSCO
CSCO
PYPL
PYPL
Q1 26
$15.8B
Q4 25
$15.7B
$10.4B
Q3 25
$16.1B
$10.8B
Q2 25
$15.6B
$10.0B
Q1 25
$16.9B
$11.2B
Q4 24
$18.7B
$10.8B
Q3 24
$17.9B
$11.9B
Q2 24
$18.8B
$13.6B
Total Debt
CSCO
CSCO
PYPL
PYPL
Q1 26
$24.6B
Q4 25
$24.6B
Q3 25
$24.6B
Q2 25
$25.1B
Q1 25
$20.1B
Q4 24
$20.1B
Q3 24
$20.1B
Q2 24
$20.1B
Stockholders' Equity
CSCO
CSCO
PYPL
PYPL
Q1 26
$47.7B
Q4 25
$46.9B
$20.3B
Q3 25
$46.8B
$20.2B
Q2 25
$45.9B
$20.2B
Q1 25
$45.5B
$20.3B
Q4 24
$45.3B
$20.4B
Q3 24
$45.5B
$20.2B
Q2 24
$45.8B
$20.6B
Total Assets
CSCO
CSCO
PYPL
PYPL
Q1 26
$123.4B
Q4 25
$121.1B
$80.2B
Q3 25
$122.3B
$79.8B
Q2 25
$119.8B
$79.8B
Q1 25
$121.4B
$81.3B
Q4 24
$123.3B
$81.6B
Q3 24
$124.4B
$83.5B
Q2 24
$123.0B
$84.0B
Debt / Equity
CSCO
CSCO
PYPL
PYPL
Q1 26
0.52×
Q4 25
0.53×
Q3 25
0.53×
Q2 25
0.55×
Q1 25
0.44×
Q4 24
0.44×
Q3 24
0.44×
Q2 24
0.44×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
CSCO
CSCO
PYPL
PYPL
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$1.8B
$2.4B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$1.5B
$2.2B
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
10.0%
25.2%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.8%
2.2%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
0.57×
1.66×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$12.2B
$5.6B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
CSCO
CSCO
PYPL
PYPL
Q1 26
$1.8B
Q4 25
$3.2B
$2.4B
Q3 25
$4.2B
$2.0B
Q2 25
$4.1B
$898.0M
Q1 25
$2.2B
$1.2B
Q4 24
$3.7B
$2.4B
Q3 24
$3.7B
$1.6B
Q2 24
$4.0B
$1.5B
Free Cash Flow
CSCO
CSCO
PYPL
PYPL
Q1 26
$1.5B
Q4 25
$2.9B
$2.2B
Q3 25
$4.0B
$1.7B
Q2 25
$3.8B
$692.0M
Q1 25
$2.0B
$964.0M
Q4 24
$3.4B
$2.2B
Q3 24
$3.5B
$1.4B
Q2 24
$3.8B
$1.4B
FCF Margin
CSCO
CSCO
PYPL
PYPL
Q1 26
10.0%
Q4 25
19.4%
25.2%
Q3 25
27.4%
20.4%
Q2 25
26.8%
8.3%
Q1 25
14.5%
12.4%
Q4 24
24.9%
26.2%
Q3 24
25.9%
18.4%
Q2 24
29.9%
17.3%
Capex Intensity
CSCO
CSCO
PYPL
PYPL
Q1 26
1.8%
Q4 25
2.2%
2.2%
Q3 25
1.5%
3.0%
Q2 25
1.8%
2.5%
Q1 25
1.5%
2.5%
Q4 24
1.6%
2.4%
Q3 24
1.5%
2.2%
Q2 24
1.3%
2.0%
Cash Conversion
CSCO
CSCO
PYPL
PYPL
Q1 26
0.57×
Q4 25
1.12×
1.66×
Q3 25
1.66×
1.58×
Q2 25
1.63×
0.71×
Q1 25
0.92×
0.90×
Q4 24
1.35×
2.14×
Q3 24
1.73×
1.60×
Q2 24
2.11×
1.35×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

CSCO
CSCO

Networking$8.3B54%
Services$3.7B24%
Security$2.0B13%
Collaboration$1.1B7%
Observability$277.0M2%

PYPL
PYPL

US$4.9B57%
Non Us$3.7B43%

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