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

Cisco is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($15.3B vs $8.4B, roughly 1.8× Southern Company). Cisco runs the higher net margin — 20.7% vs 15.9%, a 4.8% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Cisco posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (9.7% vs 8.0%). Over the past eight quarters, Southern Company's revenue compounded faster (14.0% CAGR vs 9.9%).

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.

Southern Company is an American gas and electric utility holding company based in the Southern United States. It is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with executive offices located in Birmingham, Alabama. As of 2021 it is the second largest utility company in the U.S. in terms of customer base. Through its subsidiaries it serves 9 million gas and electric utility customers in 6 states. Southern Company's regulated regional electric utilities serve a 120,000-square-mile (310,000 km2) territor...

CSCO vs SO — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
CSCO
CSCO
1.8× larger
CSCO
$15.3B
$8.4B
SO
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
CSCO
CSCO
+1.7% gap
CSCO
9.7%
8.0%
SO
Higher net margin
CSCO
CSCO
4.8% more per $
CSCO
20.7%
15.9%
SO
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
SO
SO
Annualised
SO
14.0%
9.9%
CSCO

Income Statement — Q2 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
CSCO
CSCO
SO
SO
Revenue
$15.3B
$8.4B
Net Profit
$3.2B
$1.3B
Gross Margin
65.0%
Operating Margin
24.6%
24.0%
Net Margin
20.7%
15.9%
Revenue YoY
9.7%
8.0%
Net Profit YoY
30.8%
5.4%
EPS (diluted)
$0.80

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
SO
SO
Q1 26
$15.3B
$8.4B
Q4 25
$14.9B
$7.0B
Q3 25
$14.7B
$7.8B
Q2 25
$14.1B
$7.0B
Q1 25
$14.0B
$7.8B
Q4 24
$13.8B
$6.3B
Q3 24
$13.6B
$7.3B
Q2 24
$12.7B
$6.5B
Net Profit
CSCO
CSCO
SO
SO
Q1 26
$3.2B
$1.3B
Q4 25
$2.9B
$341.0M
Q3 25
$2.5B
$1.7B
Q2 25
$2.5B
$880.0M
Q1 25
$2.4B
$1.3B
Q4 24
$2.7B
$466.0M
Q3 24
$2.2B
$1.5B
Q2 24
$1.9B
$1.2B
Gross Margin
CSCO
CSCO
SO
SO
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
SO
SO
Q1 26
24.6%
24.0%
Q4 25
22.6%
13.1%
Q3 25
21.0%
33.2%
Q2 25
22.6%
25.3%
Q1 25
22.3%
25.9%
Q4 24
17.0%
16.7%
Q3 24
19.2%
32.6%
Q2 24
17.2%
30.0%
Net Margin
CSCO
CSCO
SO
SO
Q1 26
20.7%
15.9%
Q4 25
19.2%
4.9%
Q3 25
17.4%
21.9%
Q2 25
17.6%
12.6%
Q1 25
17.4%
16.3%
Q4 24
19.6%
7.3%
Q3 24
15.8%
21.1%
Q2 24
14.8%
18.6%
EPS (diluted)
CSCO
CSCO
SO
SO
Q1 26
$0.80
Q4 25
$0.72
$0.38
Q3 25
$0.64
$1.54
Q2 25
$0.62
$0.79
Q1 25
$0.61
$1.21
Q4 24
$0.68
$0.48
Q3 24
$0.54
$1.39
Q2 24
$0.46
$1.09

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

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

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
CSCO
CSCO
SO
SO
Q1 26
$15.8B
Q4 25
$15.7B
$1.6B
Q3 25
$16.1B
$3.3B
Q2 25
$15.6B
$1.3B
Q1 25
$16.9B
$2.3B
Q4 24
$18.7B
$1.1B
Q3 24
$17.9B
$1.0B
Q2 24
$18.8B
$1.2B
Total Debt
CSCO
CSCO
SO
SO
Q1 26
$24.6B
Q4 25
$24.6B
$65.6B
Q3 25
$24.6B
$64.6B
Q2 25
$25.1B
$63.0B
Q1 25
$20.1B
$62.9B
Q4 24
$20.1B
$58.8B
Q3 24
$20.1B
$61.3B
Q2 24
$20.1B
$59.9B
Stockholders' Equity
CSCO
CSCO
SO
SO
Q1 26
$47.7B
Q4 25
$46.9B
$36.0B
Q3 25
$46.8B
$38.3B
Q2 25
$45.9B
$37.3B
Q1 25
$45.5B
$37.2B
Q4 24
$45.3B
$33.2B
Q3 24
$45.5B
$36.9B
Q2 24
$45.8B
$36.1B
Total Assets
CSCO
CSCO
SO
SO
Q1 26
$123.4B
Q4 25
$121.1B
$155.7B
Q3 25
$122.3B
$153.2B
Q2 25
$119.8B
$148.9B
Q1 25
$121.4B
$148.1B
Q4 24
$123.3B
$145.2B
Q3 24
$124.4B
$144.0B
Q2 24
$123.0B
$141.9B
Debt / Equity
CSCO
CSCO
SO
SO
Q1 26
0.52×
Q4 25
0.53×
1.82×
Q3 25
0.53×
1.69×
Q2 25
0.55×
1.69×
Q1 25
0.44×
1.69×
Q4 24
0.44×
1.77×
Q3 24
0.44×
1.66×
Q2 24
0.44×
1.66×

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
SO
SO
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$1.8B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$1.5B
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
10.0%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.8%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
0.57×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$12.2B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
CSCO
CSCO
SO
SO
Q1 26
$1.8B
Q4 25
$3.2B
$2.6B
Q3 25
$4.2B
$3.8B
Q2 25
$4.1B
$2.2B
Q1 25
$2.2B
$1.3B
Q4 24
$3.7B
$2.2B
Q3 24
$3.7B
$3.6B
Q2 24
$4.0B
$2.7B
Free Cash Flow
CSCO
CSCO
SO
SO
Q1 26
$1.5B
Q4 25
$2.9B
$-1.7B
Q3 25
$4.0B
$559.0M
Q2 25
$3.8B
$-619.0M
Q1 25
$2.0B
$-1.2B
Q4 24
$3.4B
$-576.0M
Q3 24
$3.5B
$1.3B
Q2 24
$3.8B
$563.0M
FCF Margin
CSCO
CSCO
SO
SO
Q1 26
10.0%
Q4 25
19.4%
-24.2%
Q3 25
27.4%
7.1%
Q2 25
26.8%
-8.9%
Q1 25
14.5%
-15.3%
Q4 24
24.9%
-9.1%
Q3 24
25.9%
17.9%
Q2 24
29.9%
8.7%
Capex Intensity
CSCO
CSCO
SO
SO
Q1 26
1.8%
Q4 25
2.2%
61.4%
Q3 25
1.5%
41.1%
Q2 25
1.8%
40.2%
Q1 25
1.5%
31.3%
Q4 24
1.6%
43.4%
Q3 24
1.5%
31.8%
Q2 24
1.3%
32.9%
Cash Conversion
CSCO
CSCO
SO
SO
Q1 26
0.57×
Q4 25
1.12×
7.62×
Q3 25
1.66×
2.21×
Q2 25
1.63×
2.48×
Q1 25
0.92×
0.98×
Q4 24
1.35×
4.66×
Q3 24
1.73×
2.36×
Q2 24
2.11×
2.23×

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%

SO
SO

Segment breakdown not available.

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