Cisco vs Target: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Cisco reported $63.3B of revenue in FY2026 and $13.3B of net income. Target reported $104.8B of revenue in FY2025 and $3.7B 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.
Target
Target's revenue fell three years in a row, from $109.1 billion in fiscal 2022 to $104.8 billion in fiscal 2025, while FY2025 net income was $3.705 billion. Fiscal 2026 has reversed the trend so far. Q2 FY2026 net sales rose 5.3% to $26.5 billion, comparable sales grew 3.8% on a 3.6% traffic gain, and digital comparable sales rose 8.7% with same-day delivery up more than 25%. Q2 GAAP EPS was $4.11 versus $2.05 a year earlier, but $1.65 of that came from $994 million of pretax tariff refunds; excluding refunds, EPS grew about 20%. Management now guides to roughly 5% net sales growth for fiscal 2026 and EPS of $9.90 to $10.90.
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 |
Target
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $104.8B | $3.7B | 3.5% | -1.7% | Source |
| FY2024 | $106.6B | $4.1B | 3.8% | -0.8% | Source |
| FY2023 | $107.4B | $4.1B | 3.9% | -1.6% | Source |
| FY2022 | $109.1B | $2.8B | 2.5% | +2.9% | Source |
| FY2021 | $106B | $6.9B | 6.6% | +13.3% | Source |
| FY2020 | $93.6B | $4.4B | 4.7% | +19.8% | Source |
| FY2019 | $78.1B | $3.3B | 4.2% | +3.7% | Source |
| FY2018 | $75.4B | $2.9B | 3.9% | +3.6% | Source |
| FY2017 | $72.7B | $2.9B | 4.0% | +3.5% | Source |
| FY2016 | $70.3B | $2.7B | 3.9% | — | 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.
Target
- Stores and digital merchandise
Primary revenue source
Sales of food, essentials, apparel, beauty, home, electronics, toys and seasonal products through stores and digital channels.
- Owned brands
Strategic margin driver
Target-owned and exclusive brands that support margin and differentiation.
- Same-day services and Shipt
Growth and retention stream
Delivery, pickup, Drive Up and Target Circle 360 services that deepen loyalty.
- Roundel retail media
High-margin supplemental stream
Advertising revenue from brands using Target's retail media network.
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.
Target
How it makes money
Target runs a general-merchandise, big-box retail model that pairs low-margin essentials (groceries, household basics) to drive store traffic with higher-margin discretionary categories (apparel, home decor, and private-label brands) to drive profit -- the classic 'basket size' strategy.
Growth strategy
Target is focusing on merchandising authority, guest experience, technology acceleration, team and community strength, stores-as-hubs, same-day fulfillment, retail media and owned-brand renewal.
Competitive advantage
Target's advantage is the mix of curated merchandise, owned brands, convenient stores, same-day fulfillment and a brand position between discount utility and design-led retail.
Questions about Cisco vs Target
Which company has higher revenue — Cisco Systems, Inc. or Target Corporation?
Cisco Systems, Inc. reported $63.3B (FY2026), while Target Corporation reported $104.8B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Target 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 Target Corporation?
Cisco Systems, Inc.'s market capitalisation stands at $420.7B, while Target Corporation's is $72.0B. Cisco Systems, Inc. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Target Corporation.
Which is more financially efficient — Cisco Systems, Inc. or Target Corporation?
Cisco Systems, Inc. generates $769k / employee in revenue per employee, while Target Corporation generates $252k / 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 Cisco Systems, Inc. and Target Corporation make money?
Cisco Systems, Inc. and Target Corporation generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Cisco Systems, Inc.: Cisco makes money in two ways: product sales and services. Target Corporation: Target runs a general-merchandise, big-box retail model that pairs low-margin essentials (groceries, household basics) to drive store traffic with higher-margin discretionary categories (apparel, home decor, and private-label brands) to drive profit -- the classic 'basket size' strategy.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Cisco Systems, Inc. or Target Corporation?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Cisco Systems, Inc. trades at 6.6x P/S and Target Corporation at 0.7x P/S. Cisco Systems, Inc. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Target 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 Target Corporation?
By last reported revenue, Target Corporation ($104.8B (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 Target overview