Cisco vs Kia: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Cisco reported $63.3B of revenue in FY2026 and $13.3B of net income. Kia reported ~$81B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$5.4B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
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.
Kia
Kia's revenue has risen every year since 2020: from ~$49.6 billion (KRW 69.9 trillion) in 2021 to ~$76.3 billion (KRW 107.4 trillion) in 2024 and a record ~$81 billion (KRW 114.1 trillion) in 2025 (+6.2%). Profit has not kept up. Operating profit fell 28.3% in 2025 to ~$6.45 billion (KRW 9.08 trillion), and the margin dropped from 11.8% to 8.0% as US tariffs and incentives ate into earnings. Net profit was about $5.36 billion (KRW 7.55 trillion). The squeeze continued into 2026. Q1 revenue was a record ~$20.9 billion (KRW 29.50 trillion) (+5.3%), but operating profit fell 26.7% to ~$1.57 billion (KRW 2.21 trillion). Q2 revenue reached ~$23.5 billion (KRW 33.04 trillion) (+12.6%) while operating profit fell 4.9% to ~$1.87 billion (KRW 2.63 trillion). The shares dropped about 13% on the day of the Q2 results. Shareholder returns are still high: the 2025 dividend was KRW 6,800 per share, a 35% consolidated payout ratio, and Kia has been cancelling treasury shares, cutting issued shares from 405.4 million in 2022 to 390.4 million at the end of 2025.
Revenue and profit by year
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
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.
Kia
- Global Vehicle Sales
primary revenue source
Kia generates most revenue from selling SUVs, passenger cars, hybrids, EVs, and commercial vehicles through regional subsidiaries, importers, dealers, and fleet channels.
- Parts, Service, and Accessories
recurring support revenue
Genuine parts, aftersales service, accessories, and warranty-related activity provide higher-repeat revenue tied to Kia's installed vehicle base.
- Future Mobility and PBVs
emerging growth area
Dedicated EVs, software-defined vehicles, purpose-built vehicles, and connected services support Kia's longer-term mobility strategy.
Business model and strategy
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.
Kia
How it makes money
Kia makes money mainly by building and selling vehicles wholesale to its regional sales subsidiaries, importers and franchised dealers, which then sell to retail and fleet buyers. SUVs and RVs such as the Sportage, Sorento, Seltos, Carnival and Telluride make up most of the mix and earn more per unit than small sedans.
Growth strategy
Kia's current strategy, set out at the 2026 CEO Investor Day, uses several powertrains instead of only EVs. It plans to grow EVs (EV3, EV4, EV5, EV6, EV9 and later models) and hybrids together, add a PBV line of modular electric vans starting with the PV5, and build up software-defined vehicles, autonomous driving and robotics as longer-term businesses.
Competitive advantage
Kia's main advantages are its scale inside Hyundai Motor Group and the way it can switch powertrains easily. Sharing platforms, the E-GMP 800V EV architecture, batteries, chips and logistics (Hyundai Glovis) with Hyundai lowers development and purchasing costs. Factories in Korea, the US (Georgia), Mexico, Slovakia and India let Kia shift production between combustion, hybrid and electric models.
Questions about Cisco vs Kia
Which company has higher revenue — Cisco Systems, Inc. or Kia Corporation?
Cisco Systems, Inc. reported $63.3B (FY2026), while Kia Corporation reported ~$81B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Kia Corporation 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 Cisco Systems, Inc. vs Kia Corporation?
Cisco Systems, Inc.'s market capitalisation stands at $420.7B, while Kia Corporation's is $32.4B. Cisco Systems, Inc. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Kia Corporation.
Which is more financially efficient — Cisco Systems, Inc. or Kia Corporation?
Cisco Systems, Inc. generates $769k / employee in revenue per employee, while Kia Corporation generates $1.52M / employee. Kia Corporation 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 Cisco Systems, Inc. and Kia Corporation make money?
Cisco Systems, Inc. and Kia Corporation generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Cisco Systems, Inc.: Cisco makes money in two ways: product sales and services. Kia Corporation: Kia makes money mainly by building and selling vehicles wholesale to its regional sales subsidiaries, importers and franchised dealers, which then sell to retail and fleet buyers.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Cisco Systems, Inc. or Kia Corporation?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Cisco Systems, Inc. trades at 6.6x P/S and Kia Corporation at 0.4x P/S. Cisco Systems, Inc. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Kia Corporation. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Cisco Systems, Inc. bigger than Kia Corporation?
By last reported revenue, Kia Corporation (~$81B (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 Cisco vs Kia overview