Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. ANET scored 71.7, SMCI scored 72.0 — SMCI leads.
Compare another set
ANET
Arista Networks, Inc.
Computer Hardware · Quality-Growth
71.7
$216.74 · $273.4B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
0.3
SMCI leads
SMCI
Super Micro Computer, Inc.
Computer Hardware · Quality-Growth
72
$41.85 · $27.5B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
Fastest growthSMCI+77.8%
Strongest balance sheetANET0.00
Highest qualityANET93 / 100
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
ANET
stronger →← stronger
SMCI
93
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
52
96
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
98
41
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
74
SMCI is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
ANET
SMCI
$5.2bB+
FCF
-$7.0bF
+28.6%A-
Rev
+77.8%A
0.00A
D/E
0.64C+
68.4xC
P/E
—
1.58C+
PEG
0.91B+
—
P/S
0.7xA
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
ANET
SMCI
241% above
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
—
~50%/yr
Growth the price impliesyr-1 FCF growth, fading to 4% · lower = less priced in
—
-77%
1-yr DCF upside
—
-71%
5-yr DCF upside
—
-58%
10-yr DCF upside
—
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
ANET
Why this score
Durable high returns
SMCI
Why this score
Durable high returns
Diluting shareholders
The companies
ANETArista Networks, Inc.
Computer Hardware · $216.74 · beta 1.60
Why now
Computer Hardware · market cap $273.4b. Trading near 52-week high of $217.41 — momentum setup, limited technical margin of safety. Revenue growing +29% — in hypergrowth territory. 29 sell-side analysts rate this a Strong Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $243.69 (implying +12% upside).
Moat
Net margin 38% is exceptional — pricing-power territory rare outside premium software, branded staples, and specialty pharma. ROE 31% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. FCF converts 127% of net income, helped by cash released from working capital ($871m) that doesn't repeat every year.
Risk
Trailing P/E 68.4x prices in sustained high growth — any quarter that disappoints triggers sharp re-rating. Trading within 0% of the 52-week high — limited technical margin of safety; a momentum reversal would test conviction. Beta 1.60 implies above-market volatility — position-size to the drawdowns this name will produce in a market correction, not to its bull-case return.
SMCISuper Micro Computer, Inc.
Computer Hardware · $41.85 · beta 2.01
Why now
Computer Hardware · market cap $27.5b. Down 26% from 52-week high of $56.60 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +78% — in hypergrowth territory. PEG 0.91 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 15 sell-side analysts rate this a Hold with a mean 1-yr target of $42.27 (implying +1% upside).
Moat
ROE 15% is above 15% — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately.
Risk
Free cash flow is negative (-$7.0b) — capital raises or debt issuance likely required; dilution / leverage risk. Beta 2.01 implies above-market volatility — position-size to the drawdowns this name will produce in a market correction, not to its bull-case return.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
SMCI leads ANET by 0.2 points (68.6 to 68.4), its sharpest advantage coming in PEG (grade B+). A contrarian could still prefer ANET for its stronger FCF (grade B+). Note they play different roles — ANET screens as growth, SMCI screens as spec — so the model rewards different traits for each.
Our AI analyst is busy right now, so this verdict is drawn directly from the pillars, grades and DCF above.
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where ANET and SMCI diverge
The two are effectively level on the headline score. They get there differently, though — each leads on a different pillar, so the better pick depends on which you weight.
QualityANET 93.1 · SMCI 51.6ANET +41.5
ValueANET 41.4 · SMCI 73.8SMCI +32.4
GrowthANET 95.5 · SMCI 98.2level
Pillars run 0–100. Value is judged against each company's own sector, so a Value score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.
Common questions
Is SMCI or ANET the better stock?
SMCI scores higher: SMCI 72.0, ANET 71.7 out of 100 on the Bull Rankings quality-growth score, which blends business quality, growth and valuation into one number. A higher score means a stronger business at a more reasonable price — it is not a price target or a recommendation.
Where do SMCI and ANET differ most?
The widest gap is quality, where ANET leads by 42 points on the 0–100 pillar scale. Neither name sweeps: they trade the lead across the three pillars, so the comparison is a trade-off rather than one being better on every measure.
How are SMCI and ANET scored?
Each carries the same 0–100 quality-growth score used everywhere on the site, built from three pillars — quality (profitability and returns on capital), growth (revenue and earnings), and value (what you pay for them) — combined as a geometric mean, so a weak pillar cannot be papered over by a strong one.
How current is this comparison?
The whole universe is re-scored every trading day after the US market close, so the scores and fundamentals here reflect the latest published edition.