Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. MSI scored 60.9, CSCO scored 57.1 — MSI leads.
Compare another set
MSI
Motorola Solutions, Inc.
Communication Equipment · Quality-Growth
60.9
$444.18 · $73.5B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
3.8
MSI leads
CSCO
Cisco Systems, Inc.
Communication Equipment · Quality-Growth
57.1
$118.39 · $466.8B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
CheapestMSI35.0x
Fastest growthCSCO+11.8%
Strongest balance sheetCSCO0.62
Highest qualityMSI83 / 100
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Growth against the P/E multiple. Up and to the right is cheaper and faster — the quality-growth idea in one picture. Points beyond the axis are pinned to the edge and marked off-scale rather than allowed to compress everything else.
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
MSI
stronger →← stronger
CSCO
83
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
77
76
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
74
36
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
32
MSI is stronger on 3 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
MSI
CSCO
$2.7bB
FCF
$12.8bA-
+10.3%B
Rev
+11.8%B
3.58D
D/E
0.62C+
35.0xB
P/E
35.6xB
1.97C+
PEG
1.06B+
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
MSI
CSCO
48% above
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
115% above
~17%/yr
Growth the price impliesyr-1 FCF growth, fading to 4% · lower = less priced in
~26%/yr
-37%
1-yr DCF upside
-57%
-32%
5-yr DCF upside
-53%
-25%
10-yr DCF upside
-49%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
MSI
Why this score
Raising its dividend
Durable high returns
CSCO
Why this score
Durable high returns
The companies
MSIMotorola Solutions, Inc.
Communication Equipment · $444.18 · beta 0.89
Why now
Communication Equipment · market cap $73.5b. 10% off the 52-week high of $494.85. Revenue growing +10%, comfortably above the S&P median. 11 sell-side analysts publish a mean 1-yr target of $526.91 (implying +19% upside).
Moat
Net margin 17% beats the market median by a meaningful margin — the company is keeping more of every revenue dollar than the average S&P constituent. ROE 80% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. FCF converts 125% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash.
Risk
D/E 3.58 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Trailing P/E 35x sits well above the S&P median (~20x) — multiple compression is a real risk if revenue growth decelerates.
CSCOCisco Systems, Inc.
Communication Equipment · $118.39 · beta 0.98
Why now
Communication Equipment · market cap $466.8b. 9% off the 52-week high of $130.37. Revenue growing +12%, comfortably above the S&P median. 25 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $136.16 (implying +15% upside).
Moat
Net margin 21% sits well above the S&P median (~11%) — suggests structural pricing advantage or cost discipline competitors can't quickly close. ROE 27% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. FCF converts 96% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash.
Risk
Trailing P/E 36x sits well above the S&P median (~20x) — multiple compression is a real risk if revenue growth decelerates.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
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 MSI and CSCO diverge
On the headline score the gap is 3.8 points in favor of MSI. The widest single difference is Quality, where MSI leads by 5.6 points.
QualityMSI 82.8 · CSCO 77.2MSI +5.6
ValueMSI 36.0 · CSCO 32.5MSI +3.5
GrowthMSI 75.9 · CSCO 74.1level
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 MSI or CSCO the better stock?
MSI scores higher: MSI 60.9, CSCO 57.1 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 MSI and CSCO differ most?
The widest gap is quality, where MSI leads by 6 points on the 0–100 pillar scale. MSI also leads value, while growth is effectively level between them.
How are MSI and CSCO 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.