Cisco Systems, Inc. designs, develops, and sells technologies that help to power, secure, and draw insights from the internet in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, Japan, and China. The company offers data center switching; network security, identity and access management, and secure access service edge; threat intelligence, detection, and response solutions; interconnects public and private …
Full CSCO analysis →
Competitive advantage assessment
Key strengths
Margins Consistently Above PeersGross margin at 64.5% (top 4%) and operating margin at 24.3% (top 4%) indicate strong pricing power.
Margins Stable Across CyclesOperating margin volatility is low (stability score 0.94), demonstrating pricing resilience across cycles.
Key risks
Liquidity ConcernsLiquidity is concerning (score 0.15), raising questions about short-term obligations.
The dashed ring is the peer median. Defense scores are percentile ranks
against peers, so 50 is roughly the typical company in this group.
Upgrade to unlock the signals and evidence behind each defense.
Premium access
Unlock full defense analysis
Get key signals, strengths, and risks for every moat dimension.
Cisco Systems, Inc. ranks #2 of 59
scored companies in Communication Equipment by moat score — the top 3%.
The widest moat in the group is Ubiquiti Inc. (UI)
at 82/100.
Moat scores for companies ranked near CSCO in Communication Equipment
Pricing power is the ability to raise prices without losing volume.
Cost Advantage
Score 76
· 15% of the moat score
A cost advantage means delivering the same product for structurally less — better purchasing, denser distribution, a more automated process.
Customer Stickiness
Score 90
· 15% of the moat score
Stickiness is what makes revenue repeat without being re-won every year.
Capital Efficiency
Score 90
· 18% of the moat score
Capital efficiency asks what the company earns on the money tied up in the business.
Resilience
Score 55
· 17% of the moat score
Resilience is the capacity to get through a bad year on its own terms — enough liquidity, enough interest cover, and enough cash generation to avoid a rescue financing or a forced sale.
Scale & Market Position
Score 74
· 15% of the moat score
Scale matters only when it converts into economics.
Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) scores 81 out of 100 on the StatsAlpha Moat Map, which rates its competitive advantage as strong. It ranks #2 of 59 scored companies in Communication Equipment, the top 3%. The score is a weighted composite of 6 competitive defenses, each measured against industry peers of 58 companies in Communication Equipment. Its strongest defense is Pricing Power (96/100) and its weakest is Resilience (55/100).
How does Cisco Systems, Inc. compare with other Communication Equipment companies?
Cisco Systems, Inc. ranks #2 of 59 scored companies in Communication Equipment by moat score. The widest moat in Communication Equipment is Ubiquiti Inc. (UI) at 82/100. The companies ranked closest are Ubiquiti Inc. (UI) at 82 just above it and BK Technologies Corporation (BKTI) at 80 just below it.
How is the moat score calculated?
Each company is scored with an industry-specific template — Corporate Default in this case, chosen because the defenses that matter to a bank are not the ones that matter to a software company. Every defense combines several financial signals, and each signal is measured as a percentile against a peer group of 58 companies in Communication Equipment. The defenses are then weighted to produce the overall score out of 100.
Why is Cisco Systems, Inc. scored with the Corporate Default template?
Most public companies sell a product or a service at a margin, so the moat question is whether that margin survives contact with competitors. The Corporate template scores the six defenses that show up in a general operating company's financial signature: whether it can hold price, produce more cheaply than rivals, keep its customers, earn a return above its cost of capital, withstand a downturn, and turn size into economics.
Which competitive defenses are measured for Cisco Systems, Inc.?
The Corporate Default template measures 6 defenses, and CSCO scores: Pricing Power (96), Cost Advantage (76), Customer Stickiness (90), Capital Efficiency (90), Resilience (55), Scale & Market Position (74). Each is scored independently as a percentile against peers, so a company can be strong on one and weak on another — the overall score reflects how those defenses are weighted for this industry.
We value your privacy
We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site traffic, and personalize content. By clicking 'Accept All', you consent to our use of cookies.
Read our cookie policy
Cookie Preferences
Manage your cookie preferences. Essential cookies are always enabled.