AXA vs Cisco: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
AXA reported ~$131.1B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$11.1B of net income. Cisco reported $63.3B of revenue in FY2026 and $13.3B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
AXA
AXA's results combine large, slow-moving premium income with investment income on the reserves it holds. In 2025 gross written premiums and other revenues rose 6% to ~$131 billion (EUR 116 billion), underlying earnings rose 6% to ~$9.49 billion (EUR 8.4 billion), underlying earnings per share rose 8% to EUR 3.86 and net income rose to ~$11.1 billion (EUR 9.80 billion), helped by the gain on the sale of AXA Investment Managers. The property and casualty combined ratio improved 0.3 points to 90.6%, so underwriting itself was profitable before investment income. The Solvency II ratio ended 2025 at 224%, and 215% on January 1, 2026 once capital instruments under Solvency II transitional measures stopped qualifying. AXA proposed a dividend of EUR 2.32 per share for 2025, up 8%, alongside an annual buyback of up to $1.41 billion (EUR 1.25 billion).
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
AXA
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$131.1B | ~$11.1B | 8.4% | +5.2% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$124.6B | ~$8.9B | 7.2% | +7.4% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$116.1B | ~$8.1B | 7.0% | +0.7% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$115.3B | — | 0.0% | +2.1% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$112.9B | ~$8.2B | 7.3% | +3.0% | Source |
| FY2020 | ~$109.6B | — | 0.0% | -6.3% | Source |
| FY2019 | ~$117B | — | 0.0% | +0.6% | Source |
| FY2018 | ~$116.3B | — | 0.0% | — | Source |
| FY2016 | ~$113B | — | 0.0% | — | 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
AXA
- Property & Casualty Insurance~50%
Gross written premiums and revenues of ~$65.5 billion (EUR 58 billion) in 2025, up 5%, including personal lines of ~$22.3 billion (EUR 19.7 billion) and AXA XL Reinsurance of ~$2.94 billion (EUR 2.6 billion). The 90.6% combined ratio means the book was profitable before investment income.
- Life & Savings Insurance~32%
~$42.4 billion (EUR 37.5 billion) of 2025 premiums and revenues, up 9%, with unit-linked business up 13%. Capital-light savings and protection contracts have replaced much of the traditional guaranteed savings book.
- Health Insurance~16%
~$21.5 billion (EUR 19 billion) of 2025 premiums and revenues, up 5% on pricing, spanning individual cover, group schemes and employee benefits. Health earnings grew 17% in 2025.
- Asset Management (divested July 2025)~1%
AXA Investment Managers contributed revenues only until July 1, 2025, when it was sold to BNP Paribas Cardif for ~$5.76 billion (EUR 5.1 billion) in cash out of a ~$6.1 billion (EUR 5.4 billion) total transaction value.
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
AXA
How it makes money
AXA collects premiums across three businesses: property and casualty (motor, home, commercial property, liability and specialty risks written through AXA XL), life and savings (protection, general account savings and unit-linked contracts), and health (individual cover and employee benefits).
Growth strategy
AXA grows mostly organically in insurance lines it can price, supplemented by bolt-on deals: Laya Healthcare in Ireland and GACM España in 2023, and a 51% stake in the Italian direct insurer Prima announced in 2025 for ~$565 million (EUR 500 million). The bigger strategic move has been simplification.
Competitive advantage
AXA's main advantage is a diversified risk pool. Writing motor, home, commercial property, liability, health and life cover in 52 countries lets one bad year in a single market or line be absorbed elsewhere: in 2025 growth in health and European commercial lines offset pressure in other portfolios. Its balance sheet supports that spread, with a Solvency II ratio of 224% at the end of 2025.
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 AXA vs Cisco
Which company has higher revenue — AXA SA or Cisco Systems, Inc.?
AXA SA reported ~$131.1B (FY2025), while Cisco Systems, Inc. reported $63.3B (FY2026). By last reported revenue, AXA SA is the larger business, with Cisco Systems, Inc. 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 AXA SA vs Cisco Systems, Inc.?
AXA SA's market capitalisation stands at $90.3B, 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 AXA SA.
Which is more financially efficient — AXA SA or Cisco Systems, Inc.?
AXA SA generates $840k / employee in revenue per employee, while Cisco Systems, Inc. generates $769k / employee. AXA SA 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 AXA SA and Cisco Systems, Inc. make money?
AXA SA and Cisco Systems, Inc. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. AXA SA: AXA collects premiums across three businesses: property and casualty (motor, home, commercial property, liability and specialty risks written through AXA XL), life and savings (protection, general account savings and unit-linked contracts), and health (individual cover and employee benefits). Cisco Systems, Inc.: Cisco makes money in two ways: product sales and services.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — AXA SA or Cisco Systems, Inc.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, AXA SA trades at 0.7x P/S and Cisco Systems, Inc. at 6.6x P/S. Cisco Systems, Inc. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to AXA SA. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is AXA SA bigger than Cisco Systems, Inc.?
By last reported revenue, AXA SA (~$131.1B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Cisco Systems, Inc. ($63.3B (FY2026)). 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 AXA vs Cisco overview