Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) vs Mastercard Incorporated (MA) Stock Comparison

Compare Stocks › CSCO vs MA

CSCO

Cisco Systems, Inc.

$78.51

Mastercard Incorporated

$491.14

Rewards

CSCO

★Cisco Systems, Inc. has maintained ROIC above 10% for 4 consecutive years, suggesting solid business economics.
★Gross margin of 64.8% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
★Cisco Systems, Inc. scores 79/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with reinvestment efficiency as the strongest competitive dimension.

★Mastercard Incorporated has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
★Gross margin of 100.0% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
★Mastercard Incorporated scores 99/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with roic consistency as the strongest competitive dimension.

Risks

CSCO

⚠Trailing P/E of 28.2x is 32% above the historical average of 21.4x — the stock trades at a premium to its own history.
⚠7 insider sales totaling $3.5M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.

⚠High leverage (2.56x debt/equity) combined with thin interest coverage (-1.0x) poses financial risk.
⚠Insiders have sold $4.5M worth of stock in the past 3 months — significant insider liquidation.

Key Valuation Metrics

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CSCO

Valuation

$13.29B

Free Cash Flow

$16.27B

4.28%

FCF Yield

3.71%

28.24

Trailing P/E

29.77

17.39

Forward P/E

21.70

Quality & Moat

14.60%

ROIC

54.23%

21.90%

ROE

193.24%

64.81%

Gross Margin

100.00%

0.91

PEG Ratio

1.23

Balance Sheet Safety

0.67

Debt / Equity

2.56

N/A

Interest Coverage

N/A

0.98

Net Debt / EBITDA

0.43

2.14%

Dividend Yield

0.71%

CSCO: 6Ties: 1MA: 5

CSCOMA

Historical Fundamentals

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CSCO

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

$1 Retained Earnings Test

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CSCO

$7.81

created per $1 retained over 3 years

Exceptional Value Creator

Σ Retained

$13.99B

Δ Market Cap

+$109.24B

Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

$5.62

created per $1 retained over 3 years

Exceptional Value Creator

Σ Retained

$31.68B

Δ Market Cap

+$177.96B

Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis

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CSCO

44.5% Overvalued

Price is 44.5% above estimated fair value

Current Price: $78.51

Strongly undervalued

Undervalued

Fairly valued

Overvalued

Strongly overvalued

Fair Value: $54.34

Strongly undervalued

Undervalued

Fairly valued

Overvalued

Strongly overvalued

12.0% Margin of Safety

Price is 12.0% below estimated fair value

Current Price: $491.14

Strongly undervalued

Undervalued

Fairly valued

Overvalued

Strongly overvalued

Fair Value: $558.06

Strongly undervalued

Undervalued

Fairly valued

Overvalued

Strongly overvalued

Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

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CSCO

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $79?

+14.1%

Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth

Standard FCF implies +10.5%

The market implies +14.1% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.

Standard FCF implies a demanding +10.5%, reflecting heavy growth investment.

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $491?

+13.2%

Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth

Standard FCF implies +12.0%

The market implies +13.2% Owner Earnings growth, roughly in line with history — reasonably priced.

Standard FCF implies +12.0%, reflecting ongoing growth investment.

Economic Moat Score

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CSCO

79/100

Wide Moat

70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. Reinvestment Efficiency is the standout factor.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.

99/100

Wide Moat

70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. ROIC Consistency is the standout factor.

Forensic Accounting

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CSCO

-2.61

Unlikely Manipulator

Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

-2.53

Unlikely Manipulator

Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Ownership Breakdown

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CSCO

Insiders 0.1%Institutions 82.0%Retail & Other 17.9%

No. of Institutional Holders4,670

High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

Insiders 0.5%Institutions 91.1%Retail & Other 8.3%

No. of Institutional Holders4,864

High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

Insider Buying Activity

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CSCO

Buys (3M)

Buys (12M)

No open market insider purchases found.

Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises

Buys (3M)

Buys (12M)

No open market insider purchases found.

Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises

Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.

Insider Selling Activity

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CSCO

Sells (3M)

Sells (12M)

Total value (12M): $103.59M

SUBAIYA THIMAYA K

Officer

$134,410

@ $77.07 · 2026-03-12

WONG MARIA VICTORIA

Officer

$42,725

@ $77.54 · 2026-03-11

WONG MARIA VICTORIA

Officer

$169,395

@ $77.74 · 2026-02-24

SUBAIYA THIMAYA K

Officer

$804,268

@ $78.60 · 2026-02-19

WONG MARIA VICTORIA

Officer

$3,786

@ $74.24 · 2026-02-13

PATEL JEETENDRA I

President

$854,853

@ $76.00 · 2026-02-13

ROBBINS CHARLES H

Chief Executive Officer

$1.49M

@ $76.00 · 2026-02-13

CAPELLAS MICHAEL D

Director

$2.08M

@ $77.22 · 2025-12-19

JOHNSON KRISTINA MARY

Director

$1.04M

@ $77.13 · 2025-12-18

SUBAIYA THIMAYA K

Officer

$138,658

@ $79.46 · 2025-12-12

WONG MARIA VICTORIA

Officer

$34,381

@ $80.33 · 2025-12-11

WONG MARIA VICTORIA

Officer

$748,586

@ $76.38 · 2025-11-24

TUSZIK OLIVER

Officer

$1.06M

@ $79.21 · 2025-11-20

SUBAIYA THIMAYA K

Officer

$4.39M

@ $78.33 · 2025-11-19

PATTERSON MARK

Chief Financial Officer

$5.33M

@ $77.30 · 2025-11-18

ROBBINS CHARLES H

Chief Executive Officer

$46.97M

@ $77.97 · 2025-11-18

TUSZIK OLIVER

Officer

$416,508

@ $76.56 · 2025-11-17

STAHLKOPF DEBORAH L

Officer

$12.82M

@ $77.85 · 2025-11-17

PATEL JEETENDRA I

President

$12.76M

@ $77.86 · 2025-11-14

TUSZIK OLIVER

Officer

$1.19M

@ $67.95 · 2025-09-19

SUBAIYA THIMAYA K

Officer

$116,464

@ $66.78 · 2025-09-12

STAHLKOPF DEBORAH L

Officer

$185,054

@ $68.08 · 2025-09-11

WONG MARIA VICTORIA

Officer

$29,211

@ $68.25 · 2025-09-11

WONG MARIA VICTORIA

Officer

$212,739

@ $67.28 · 2025-08-25

SUBAIYA THIMAYA K

Officer

$502,022

@ $66.84 · 2025-08-20

PATTERSON MARK

Chief Financial Officer

$484,294

@ $66.98 · 2025-08-19

STAHLKOPF DEBORAH L

Officer

$651,568

@ $66.60 · 2025-08-15

WONG MARIA VICTORIA

Officer

$32,590

@ $68.61 · 2025-08-15

PATEL JEETENDRA I

President

$603,437

@ $66.60 · 2025-08-15

ROBBINS CHARLES H

Chief Executive Officer

$2.04M

@ $66.63 · 2025-08-15

SUBAIYA THIMAYA K

Officer

$571,867

@ $65.54 · 2025-06-17

HERREN RICHARD SCOTT

Chief Financial Officer

$1.03M

@ $65.52 · 2025-06-17

STAHLKOPF DEBORAH L

Officer

$172,710

@ $64.04 · 2025-06-12

PATEL JEETENDRA I

President

$57,779

@ $64.27 · 2025-06-12

WONG MARIA VICTORIA

Officer

$48,821

@ $64.07 · 2025-06-11

ROBBINS CHARLES H

Chief Executive Officer

$1.92M

@ $64.61 · 2025-06-05

TUSZIK OLIVER

Officer

$952,947

@ $63.53 · 2025-05-28

WONG MARIA VICTORIA

Officer

$265,781

@ $63.51 · 2025-05-28

STAHLKOPF DEBORAH L

Officer

$612,301

@ $63.50 · 2025-05-16

PATEL JEETENDRA I

President

$637,205

@ $63.97 · 2025-05-16

WONG MARIA VICTORIA

Officer

$46,474

@ $60.99 · 2025-03-12

SUBAIYA THIMAYA K

Officer

$125,344

@ $60.70 · 2025-03-12

STAHLKOPF DEBORAH L

Officer

$173,393

@ $60.71 · 2025-03-12

WONG MARIA VICTORIA

Officer

$222,901

@ $63.96 · 2025-02-26

STAHLKOPF DEBORAH L

Officer

$760,031

@ $64.37 · 2025-02-21

SUBAIYA THIMAYA K

Officer

$578,958

@ $64.52 · 2025-02-20

ROBBINS CHARLES H

Chief Executive Officer

$2.06M

@ $64.41 · 2025-02-14

HERREN RICHARD SCOTT

Chief Financial Officer

$1.28M

@ $64.41 · 2025-02-14

SUBAIYA THIMAYA K

Officer

$180,058

@ $59.19 · 2024-12-12

STAHLKOPF DEBORAH L

Officer

$157,507

@ $59.21 · 2024-12-12

WONG MARIA VICTORIA

Officer

$34,392

@ $58.69 · 2024-12-12

JOHNSON KRISTINA MARY

Director

$449,025

@ $59.87 · 2024-12-06

WONG MARIA VICTORIA

Officer

$291,542

@ $59.73 · 2024-11-27

SUBAIYA THIMAYA K

Officer

$1.21M

@ $57.07 · 2024-11-20

STAHLKOPF DEBORAH L

Officer

$3.34M

@ $57.49 · 2024-11-15

ROBBINS CHARLES H

Chief Executive Officer

$9.87M

@ $57.49 · 2024-11-15

HERREN RICHARD SCOTT

Chief Financial Officer

$4.96M

@ $57.49 · 2024-11-15

SUBAIYA THIMAYA K

Officer

$64,966

@ $48.92 · 2024-09-12

STAHLKOPF DEBORAH L

Officer

$129,335

@ $48.95 · 2024-09-12

WONG MARIA VICTORIA

Officer

$31,319

@ $49.09 · 2024-09-12

WONG MARIA VICTORIA

Officer

$170,166

@ $50.36 · 2024-08-28

SUBAIYA THIMAYA K

Officer

$416,248

@ $50.33 · 2024-08-21

HERREN RICHARD SCOTT

Chief Financial Officer

$1.12M

@ $50.00 · 2024-08-20

STAHLKOPF DEBORAH L

Officer

$368,699

@ $49.41 · 2024-08-16

ROBBINS CHARLES H

Chief Executive Officer

$1.34M

@ $49.45 · 2024-08-16

SUBAIYA THIMAYA K

Officer

$629,767

@ $45.32 · 2024-06-14

STAHLKOPF DEBORAH L

Officer

$118,759

@ $45.35 · 2024-06-13

WONG MARIA VICTORIA

Officer

$34,610

@ $45.42 · 2024-06-13

WONG MARIA VICTORIA

Officer

$155,016

@ $45.89 · 2024-05-29

ROBBINS CHARLES H

Chief Executive Officer

$1.21M

@ $46.10 · 2024-05-29

STAHLKOPF DEBORAH L

Officer

$386,701

@ $48.24 · 2024-05-17

Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives

Sells (3M)

Sells (12M)

Total value (12M): $64.44M

LING HAI

Officer

$4.48M

@ $499.20 · 2026-02-24

SACHIN J. MEHRA

Chief Financial Officer

$10.20M

@ $591.00 · 2025-09-02

LING HAI

Officer

$2.69M

@ $600.00 · 2025-08-22

SACHIN J. MEHRA

Chief Financial Officer

$10.46M

@ $586.89 · 2025-08-19

SACHIN J. MEHRA

Chief Financial Officer

$3.83M

@ $566.46 · 2025-08-05

GENACHOWSKI JULIUS

Director

$178,049

@ $570.67 · 2025-07-07

KIRKPATRICK LINDA PISTECCHIA

Officer

$536,480

@ $560.00 · 2025-06-30

SESHADRI RAJEEV

Officer

$601,447

@ $546.77 · 2025-06-27

GENACHOWSKI JULIUS

Director

$173,910

@ $561.00 · 2025-06-24

KIRKPATRICK LINDA PISTECCHIA

Officer

$536,480

@ $560.00 · 2025-06-24

SESHADRI RAJEEV

Officer

$508,474

@ $535.80 · 2025-06-20

VOSBURG CRAIG

Officer

$5.02M

@ $532.97 · 2025-06-20

SESHADRI RAJEEV

Officer

$1.76M

@ $561.78 · 2025-06-16

KIRKPATRICK LINDA PISTECCHIA

Officer

$549,373

@ $572.86 · 2025-06-13

VOSBURG CRAIG

Officer

$5.55M

@ $588.18 · 2025-06-12

VOSBURG CRAIG

Officer

$8.22M

@ $585.05 · 2025-06-05

ARKELL SANDRA A

Officer

$218,223

@ $577.31 · 2025-05-15

ARKELL SANDRA A

Officer

$257,535

@ $572.30 · 2025-05-12

MIEBACH MICHAEL

Chief Executive Officer

$8.68M

@ $550.16 · 2025-03-26

MCLAUGHLIN EDWARD GRUNDE

Officer

$3.81M

@ $534.68 · 2025-03-19

VOSBURG CRAIG

Officer

$6.12M

@ $556.14 · 2025-03-05

MIEBACH MICHAEL

Chief Executive Officer

$9.78M

@ $553.76 · 2025-03-05

VOSBURG CRAIG

Officer

$6.19M

@ $562.72 · 2025-02-26

MCLAUGHLIN EDWARD GRUNDE

Officer

$6.18M

@ $564.99 · 2025-02-18

VOSBURG CRAIG

Officer

$7.97M

@ $565.00 · 2025-02-18

MIEBACH MICHAEL

Chief Executive Officer

$10.17M

@ $564.95 · 2025-02-18

SACHIN J. MEHRA

Chief Financial Officer

$2.36M

@ $500.44 · 2024-11-01

MADABHUSHI VENKATA RAJAMANNAR

Officer

$2.30M

@ $491.03 · 2024-09-27

MADABHUSHI VENKATA RAJAMANNAR

Officer

$2.29M

@ $489.86 · 2024-09-20

ARKELL SANDRA A

Officer

$550,000

@ $500.00 · 2024-09-17

MADABHUSHI VENKATA RAJAMANNAR

Officer

$2.31M

@ $493.10 · 2024-09-13

ARKELL SANDRA A

Officer

$528,000

@ $480.00 · 2024-08-29

MASTERCARD FOUNDATION ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$42.19M

@ $468.80 · 2024-08-22

MASTERCARD FOUNDATION ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$42.03M

@ $467.02 · 2024-08-21

LING HAI

Officer

$1.36M

@ $470.00 · 2024-08-16

SACHIN J. MEHRA

Chief Financial Officer

$3.16M

@ $470.00 · 2024-08-16

SACHIN J. MEHRA

Chief Financial Officer

$6.11M

@ $455.00 · 2024-08-05

LING HAI

Officer

$1.35M

@ $465.46 · 2024-08-01

ARKELL SANDRA A

Officer

$512,006

@ $465.46 · 2024-08-01

VOSBURG CRAIG

Officer

$4.07M

@ $451.06 · 2024-06-20

MURPHY TIMOTHY H

Officer

$2.34M

@ $446.24 · 2024-06-17

MASTERCARD FOUNDATION ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$47.72M

@ $445.98 · 2024-06-17

MASTERCARD FOUNDATION ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$49.51M

@ $442.03 · 2024-06-13

SESHADRI RAJEEV

Officer

$3.11M

@ $449.66 · 2024-06-12

MASTERCARD FOUNDATION ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION

Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security

$50.61M

@ $447.85 · 2024-06-10

SESHADRI RAJEEV

Officer

$3.71M

@ $443.93 · 2024-06-05

VOSBURG CRAIG

Officer

$4.04M

@ $447.28 · 2024-06-05

MURPHY TIMOTHY H

Officer

$2.31M

@ $441.57 · 2024-06-03

Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives

Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.

🎭 Mr. Market's Mood

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CSCO

😐Neutral(54/100)

"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

😐Neutral(42/100)

"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"

Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

⚖️ Buffett Signal

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CSCO

⚪Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (54)

⚪Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (42)

View CSCO Full Analysis View MA Full Analysis