Amphenol vs Cisco: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Amphenol reported $23.1B of revenue in FY2025 and $4.3B of net income. Cisco reported $63.3B of revenue in FY2026 and $13.3B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
Amphenol
Amphenol compounds through acquisition in a fragmented industry. Net sales rose from $12.55 billion in 2023 to $15.22 billion in 2024 and $23.09 billion in 2025, and net income rose from $1.93 billion to $2.42 billion and then $4.27 billion across the same three years. Fiscal 2025 produced a 25.4% GAAP operating margin, $5.4 billion of operating cash flow and $4.4 billion of free cash flow, and the company returned nearly $1.5 billion to shareholders while completing five acquisitions. The pattern is consistent: buy niche connector, cable and sensor makers, leave their management and brands in place, add purchasing scale, and fund the next deal from cash flow and investment grade debt.
Cisco
Cisco's revenue fell 5.6% to $53.8 billion in FY2024 as customers worked through excess inventory, then recovered to $56.7 billion in FY2025 and a record $63.3 billion in FY2026 (up 12%). FY2026 GAAP net income was about $13.3 billion, GAAP EPS was $3.33 (up 31%), and non-GAAP EPS was $4.33. Growth accelerated through the year: Q4 FY2026 revenue was $17.3 billion, up 18%, with product revenue up 24% and total product orders up 35%. Cisco said it recognized about $4 billion of AI infrastructure revenue from hyperscalers in FY2026 and expects about $7.5 billion in FY2027, within total FY2027 revenue guidance of $72.2-73.4 billion. The company also pays a quarterly dividend and buys back stock.
Revenue and profit by year
Amphenol
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $23.1B | $4.3B | 18.5% | +51.7% | Source |
| FY2024 | $15.2B | $2.4B | 15.9% | +21.3% | Source |
| FY2023 | $12.6B | $1.9B | 15.4% | -0.5% | Source |
| FY2022 | $12.6B | $1.9B | 15.1% | +16.1% | Source |
| FY2021 | $10.9B | $1.6B | 14.6% | +26.5% | Source |
| FY2020 | $8.6B | $1.2B | 14.0% | +4.5% | Source |
| FY2019 | $8.2B | $1.2B | 14.0% | +0.3% | Source |
| FY2018 | $8.2B | $1.2B | 14.7% | +17.0% | Source |
| FY2017 | $7B | $650.5M | 9.3% | +11.5% | Source |
| FY2016 | $6.3B | $822.9M | 13.1% | — | Source |
Cisco
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | $63.3B | $13.3B | 21.0% | +11.8% | Source |
| FY2025 | $56.7B | $10.2B | 18.0% | +5.3% | Source |
| FY2024 | $53.8B | $10.3B | 19.2% | -5.6% | Source |
| FY2023 | $57B | $12.6B | 22.1% | +10.6% | Source |
| FY2022 | $51.6B | $11.8B | 22.9% | +3.5% | Source |
| FY2021 | $49.8B | $10.6B | 21.3% | +1.0% | Source |
| FY2020 | $49.3B | $11.2B | 22.7% | -5.0% | Source |
| FY2019 | $51.9B | $11.6B | 22.4% | +5.2% | Source |
| FY2018 | $49.3B | $110M | 0.2% | +2.8% | Source |
| FY2017 | $48B | $9.6B | 20.0% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
Amphenol
- Communications Solutions~52%
High-speed board-to-board and backplane connectors, fiber optic interconnects, RF and microwave connectors, antennas, and cable assemblies for IT datacom, mobile networks, mobile devices, automotive, and broadband communications. FY2025 revenue of $12.1 billion, up 91% YoY, driven by $4.6 billion in incremental AI datacom sales.
- Harsh Environment Solutions~25%
Ruggedized connectors, cable assemblies, and interconnect systems for defense, commercial aerospace, industrial, and automotive applications that must withstand extreme temperatures, vibration, moisture, and electromagnetic interference. FY2025 revenue of $5.9 billion, up 33% YoY, with significant contributions from the Carlisle Interconnect Technologies acquisition.
- Interconnect and Sensor Systems~22%
Sensor technologies, value-added cable assemblies, and specialized interconnect products for automotive, industrial, IT datacom, and medical applications. FY2025 revenue of $5.2 billion, up 15% YoY, with growth in industrial sensors and the August 2025 acquisition of Rochester Sensors.
Cisco
- Secure, Agile Networks (Networking)~49%
Enterprise switching, routing, and wireless products including Catalyst, Nexus, and Meraki platforms. Cisco's largest and most established segment.
- Security~11%
Cybersecurity products including firewalls, zero-trust solutions, XDR, and the Splunk observability platform acquired in 2024 for $28 billion.
- Collaboration~9%
Webex video conferencing, unified communications, contact center solutions, and collaboration devices for hybrid work environments.
- Observability~8%
Full-stack observability including AppDynamics, ThousandEyes, and Splunk's SIEM/observability capabilities for monitoring application and network performance.
- Services~23%
Technical support, advisory services, and implementation services tied to Cisco's hardware and software portfolio. High-margin recurring revenue stream.
Business model and strategy
Amphenol
How it makes money
The business model is high volume, highly specialized B2B component manufacturing. Amphenol sells hundreds of thousands of connector, cable, antenna and sensor variants to thousands of customers, and no single end market dominates: in 2025, data centers and information technology accounted for 36% of sales, industrial 19%, automotive 15%, communications networks 10%, defense 9%, mobile devices 6% and commercial aeros…
Growth strategy
Amphenol's growth strategy has two parts: sell into secular demand and buy specialized suppliers. On the first, it builds high speed copper and optical interconnects for AI clusters, including the Celerity mezzanine connector family rated to 224 Gb/s PAM4 and XtremePass co-packaged copper interconnects aimed at 448G class links, plus high voltage connectors and sensors for electric vehicles, which carry more wiring a…
Competitive advantage
Amphenol's competitive advantage rests on switching costs and the cost of failure. A connector may cost a few cents, but if it fails the aircraft, satellite or server rack around it stops working, so buyers qualify suppliers rather than shop on price.
Cisco
How it makes money
Cisco makes money in two ways: product sales and services. Products (switches, routers, wireless, Silicon One-based data center and AI networking gear, firewalls, Splunk and other security and observability software, and Webex) made up about $13.5 billion of the $17.3 billion Q4 FY2026 revenue, while services (technical support, advisory, and maintenance contracts) contributed about $3.8 billion.
Growth strategy
Cisco's growth plan rests on three areas. First, AI infrastructure: Silicon One chips, Nexus and Cisco 8000 systems, and optics sold to hyperscalers and, increasingly, to neoclouds, sovereign AI projects, and enterprises building their own AI clusters. Second, campus and branch refresh, as enterprises upgrade switching and Wi-Fi for AI workloads.
Competitive advantage
Cisco's advantage is how deeply its equipment is built into corporate networks. The saying in IT is that 'nobody ever got fired for buying Cisco': large banks and other enterprises choose it for reliability. Replacing an integrated Cisco network with cheaper hardware is a multi-year project with real risk, so most CIOs stay, which gives Cisco a durable installed base.
Questions about Amphenol vs Cisco
Which company has higher revenue — Amphenol Corporation or Cisco Systems, Inc.?
Amphenol Corporation reported $23.1B (FY2025), while Cisco Systems, Inc. reported $63.3B (FY2026). By last reported revenue, Cisco Systems, Inc. is the larger business, with Amphenol Corporation reporting a smaller revenue base. Note: these are from different fiscal years and are not a direct like-for-like comparison.
What is the market cap of Amphenol Corporation vs Cisco Systems, Inc.?
Amphenol Corporation's market capitalisation stands at $208.6B, while Cisco Systems, Inc.'s is $420.7B. Cisco Systems, Inc. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Amphenol Corporation.
Which is more financially efficient — Amphenol Corporation or Cisco Systems, Inc.?
Amphenol Corporation generates $136k / employee in revenue per employee, while Cisco Systems, Inc. generates $769k / employee. Cisco Systems, Inc. shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do Amphenol Corporation and Cisco Systems, Inc. make money?
Amphenol Corporation and Cisco Systems, Inc. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Amphenol Corporation: The business model is high volume, highly specialized B2B component manufacturing. Cisco Systems, Inc.: Cisco makes money in two ways: product sales and services.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Amphenol Corporation or Cisco Systems, Inc.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Amphenol Corporation trades at 9.0x P/S and Cisco Systems, Inc. at 6.6x P/S. Amphenol Corporation commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Cisco Systems, Inc.. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Amphenol Corporation bigger than Cisco Systems, Inc.?
By last reported revenue, Cisco Systems, Inc. ($63.3B (FY2026)) is the larger company compared to Amphenol Corporation ($23.1B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Amphenol vs Cisco overview