Broadcom vs Cisco: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Broadcom reported $63.9B of revenue in FY2025 and $23.1B of net income. Cisco reported $63.3B of revenue in FY2026 and $13.3B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
Broadcom
Fiscal 2025 revenue rose 24% to $63.9 billion and net income reached $23.1 billion, up from $5.9 billion in fiscal 2024, when a large income tax charge weighed on results. Operating income was $25.5 billion and free cash flow $26.9 billion, of which $11.1 billion went to dividends and $6.4 billion to buybacks. Fiscal 2026 then accelerated: quarterly revenue went from $19.3 billion in Q1 to $22.2 billion in Q2 and $29.6 billion in Q3, with Q4 guided at about $34.8 billion. Long-term debt taken on for VMware fell to $57.2 billion at 2 August 2026 from $62.0 billion at the end of fiscal 2025, and the quarterly dividend is $0.65 a share after a 10% increase.
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
Broadcom
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $63.9B | $23.1B | 36.2% | +23.9% | Source |
| FY2024 | $51.6B | $5.9B | 11.4% | +44.0% | Source |
| FY2023 | $35.8B | $14.1B | 39.3% | +7.9% | Source |
| FY2022 | $33.2B | $11.5B | 34.6% | +21.0% | Source |
| FY2021 | $27.4B | $6.7B | 24.5% | +14.9% | Source |
| FY2020 | $23.9B | $3B | 12.4% | +5.7% | Source |
| FY2019 | $22.6B | $2.7B | 12.1% | +8.4% | Source |
| FY2018 | $20.8B | $12.3B | 58.8% | +18.2% | Source |
| FY2017 | $17.6B | $1.7B | 9.6% | — | 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
Broadcom
- Semiconductor Solutions
~58% (FY2025); 70% in Q3 FY2026
Custom AI accelerators, Ethernet switch chips, network adapters, optics, broadband, storage connectivity, wireless and RF filters generated $36.9B in fiscal 2025 and $20.8B in Q3 fiscal 2026 alone, up 127% year over year.
- Infrastructure Software
~42% (FY2025); 30% in Q3 FY2026
VMware Cloud Foundation plus CA mainframe and Symantec security software generated $27.0B in fiscal 2025 and $8.8B in Q3 fiscal 2026, up 29%.
- AI Semiconductor Revenue
56% of revenue in Q3 FY2026
AI semiconductor revenue, a subset of Semiconductor Solutions, was about $20B in fiscal 2025 and $16.7B in Q3 fiscal 2026, with $21.7B guided for Q4.
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
Broadcom
How it makes money
Broadcom reports two segments. Semiconductor Solutions sold $36.9 billion of chips in fiscal 2025: custom AI accelerators (XPUs) designed with hyperscale customers, Tomahawk and Jericho Ethernet switch chips, network adapters, optical components, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips, RF filters for smartphones, broadband gateway chips and storage connectivity.
Growth strategy
Broadcom's growth plan has two engines. In chips, it co-designs custom accelerators with a short list of customers, including Google's TPU, Meta's MTIA, OpenAI and Anthropic, and sells the Ethernet switches, network adapters and optics that connect them. In software, it is moving VMware's installed base onto VMware Cloud Foundation subscriptions;
Competitive advantage
Broadcom's edge is engineering depth in a few hard problems where customers rarely switch once a design is chosen: high-speed SerDes, switch silicon, advanced packaging and custom ASIC design. Its Tomahawk 6 switch chip, announced in June 2025, handles 102.4 terabits per second. In software, VMware is built into enterprise data centers, which makes migrations slow and costly.
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 Broadcom vs Cisco
Which company has higher revenue — Broadcom Inc. or Cisco Systems, Inc.?
Broadcom Inc. reported $63.9B (FY2025), while Cisco Systems, Inc. reported $63.3B (FY2026). By last reported revenue, Broadcom Inc. 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 Broadcom Inc. vs Cisco Systems, Inc.?
Broadcom Inc.'s market capitalisation stands at $1.68T, while Cisco Systems, Inc.'s is $420.7B. Broadcom Inc. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Cisco Systems, Inc..
Which is more financially efficient — Broadcom Inc. or Cisco Systems, Inc.?
Broadcom Inc. generates $1.94M / employee in revenue per employee, while Cisco Systems, Inc. generates $769k / employee. Broadcom 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 Broadcom Inc. and Cisco Systems, Inc. make money?
Broadcom Inc. and Cisco Systems, Inc. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Broadcom Inc.: Broadcom reports two segments. Cisco Systems, Inc.: Cisco makes money in two ways: product sales and services.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Broadcom Inc. or Cisco Systems, Inc.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Broadcom Inc. trades at 26.3x P/S and Cisco Systems, Inc. at 6.6x P/S. Broadcom Inc. 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 Broadcom Inc. bigger than Cisco Systems, Inc.?
By last reported revenue, Broadcom Inc. ($63.9B (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 Broadcom vs Cisco overview