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Cisco Systems vs MKS: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Cisco Systems holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across stability and profitability. MKS does not offset that deficit through any equally strong structural edge elsewhere. The market setup is broadly comparable for both — no clear directional signal from price behavior. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the Russell 1000 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-05-17

This is not just a one-metric split: both stability and profitability materially support the lead. The overall score gap is 31 points in favour of Cisco Systems, Inc..

Trajectory Similarity
0.71
Similar
Peer-set rank: #4
within Cisco Systems, Inc.'s functional peer set

This pair is matched through long-term financial trajectory similarity within the selected peer universe.

The pair sits on a clearly comparable long-term path, though it is not a near-twin match.

The strongest overlap appears in investment intensity and margin trend.

Similarity drivers
investment intensitymargin trend
How to read the score
0.85–1.00 · Very similar0.70–0.84 · Similar0.55–0.69 · Moderately similarbelow 0.55 · Loose match
Peer-Relative Score
CSCO
Cisco Systems, Inc.
67
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000
vs
MKSI
MKS Inc.
36
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

Score differences across key dimensions.

Dimension spread: CSCO vs MKSI Profitability 85 34 Stability 72 17 Valuation 48 31 Growth 61 63 CSCO MKSI
Gap Ranking
#1 Stability +55
#2 Profitability +51
#3 Valuation +17
#4 Growth +2
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for CSCO and MKSI Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer CSCOMKSI Relative valuation Structural strength

Cisco Systems, Inc. looks stronger on relative valuation, while the broader price setup remains mixed.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where CSCO and MKSI each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY CSCO Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 0 pct gap MKSI Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 99th 99th
CSCO (99th percentile) and MKSI (99th percentile) both sit in the upper portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Stability
Cisco Systems, Inc. ranks near the top of the group on stability; MKS Inc. sits in the weaker half.
Profitability
On profitability, the gap still runs the same way: Cisco Systems, Inc. sits near the top of the group, while MKS Inc. remains in the weaker half.
Stability — Dominant Gap
CSCO
72
MKSI
17
Gap+55in favour of CSCO

The stability gap is very wide, with the stronger side looking materially steadier through time.

What else supports the lead

Profitability gives the lead a second hard layer of support, with a 9-point operating margin advantage.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both stability and profitability, making it broader than a single-dimension result.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the CSCO vs MKSI comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

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Similar stability-and-profitability comparisons

Explore how CSCO and MKSI each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.