Sifting through countless of stocks in the Communications Equipment industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in Ciena Corporation or Viavi Solutions Inc. because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how Ciena Corporation and Viavi Solutions Inc. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About Ciena Corporation and Viavi Solutions Inc.

Ciena Corporation, a network technology company, provides hardware, software, and services for various network operators in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, Japan, and India. It operates through Networking Platforms, Platform Software and Services, Blue Planet Automation Software and Services, and Global Services segments. The Networking Platforms segment consists optical networking, routing, and switching products and services. This segment products include the 6500 Packet-Optical Platform, Waveserver modular interconnect system, the 6500 Reconfigurable Line System, and coherent pluggable transceivers; and the 3000 family of service delivery platforms and the 5000 family of service aggregation, as well as the 8100 Coherent Routing platforms and virtualization software. The Platform Software and Services segment offers navigator network control suite; and software subscription services, consulting, network migration and integration, installation and upgrade support services, and technical support solutions. The Blue Planet Automation Software and Services segment inventory management, orchestration, route optimization and analysis, and unified assurance and analytics software; and sells subscription, installation, support, consulting, and design services related to the Blue Planet automation platform. The Global Services segment provides services for advisory and enablement, implementation, and maintenance, support, and learning activities. Ciena Corporation was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Fulton, Maryland.

Viavi Solutions Inc. engages in the provision of test and measurement and optical technologies for military, aerospace, railway and first responder communications in the Americas, the Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The company operates in two segments, Network and Service Enablement (NSE) and Optical Security and Performance Products (OSP). The NSE segment provides integrated portfolio of test, monitoring, assurance, and resilient PNT solutions that enable and secure critical infrastructure. This segment also offers instruments, microprobes, and perpetual software licenses that support the development, production, maintenance, and optimization of network systems, as well as repair, calibration, extended warranty, software support, technical assistance, training, and consulting services. The OSP segment leverages its core optical coating technologies and volume manufacturing capability to design, manufacture, and sell technologies for the anti-counterfeiting, 3D sensing, government and aerospace, automotive, and industrial markets. The company was formerly known as JDS Uniphase Corporation. Viavi Solutions Inc. was founded in 1923 and is headquartered in Chandler, Arizona.

Latest Communications Equipment and Ciena Corporation, Viavi Solutions Inc. Stock News

As of October 9, 2026, Ciena Corporation had a $63.8 billion market capitalization, compared to the Communications Equipment median of $319.9 million. Ciena Corporation’s stock is up 92.3% in 2026, up 14.9% in the previous five trading days and up 181.71% in the past year.

Currently, Ciena Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 100.5. Ciena Corporation’s trailing 12-month revenue is $6.0 billion with a 10.9% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 37.0%. There are no analysts providing consensus earnings estimates for the current fiscal year. Ciena Corporation does not currently pay a dividend.

As of October 9, 2026, Viavi Solutions Inc. had a $11.2 billion market cap, putting it in the 79th percentile of all stocks. Viavi Solutions Inc.’s stock is up 155.1% in 2026, down 3.5% in the previous five trading days and up 254.6% in the past year.

Currently, Viavi Solutions Inc. does not have a price-earnings ratio. Viavi Solutions Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $1.5 billion with a -2.0% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 52.5%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $1.644 per share for the current fiscal year. Viavi Solutions Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.

How We Compare Ciena Corporation and Viavi Solutions Inc. Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at Ciena Corporation and Viavi Solutions Inc.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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Ciena Corporation and Viavi Solutions Inc. Growth Grades

Company	Ticker	Growth
Ciena Corporation	CIEN	C
Viavi Solutions Inc.	VIAV	C

The foundation of growth investing is seeking out stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth that is expected to continue into the future.

In order to compute the growth score and assign it a letter grade, the percentile ranks for each of three components‐consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations‐must be determined. These three rank figures are added together, and the sum is ranked against the entire stock universe to arrive at a company’s Growth Score to create an equal distribution of grades.

The companies in the bottom 20% of the stock universe receive Growth Grades of F, considered to be very weak, while those in the top 20% receive A grades, which are considered very strong.

Ciena Corporation has a Growth Score of 60, which is Average. Viavi Solutions Inc. has a Growth Score of 56, which is Average.

The Growth Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither Ciena Corporation or Viavi Solutions Inc. has a high enough Growth Grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors who are considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if Ciena Corporation or Viavi Solutions Inc. is the better investment when it comes to sustainable growth.

Ciena Corporation and Viavi Solutions Inc.’s Quality Grades

Company	Ticker	Quality
Ciena Corporation	CIEN	B
Viavi Solutions Inc.	VIAV	C

Like the Value Grade, AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the percentile rank of key metrics. Specifically, the Quality Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and the F-Score.

The score is variable, meaning it can consider all eight measures or, should any of the eight measures not be valid, the remaining measures that are valid. To be assigned a Quality Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) measure and corresponding ranking for at least four of the eight quality measures.

The Quality Score is used to assess the underlying “quality” of a particular stock. A higher-quality stock possesses traits associated with upside potential and reduced downside risk. Backtesting of the Quality Grade shows that stocks with higher grades, on average, outperformed stocks with lower grades over the period of 1998 through 2019.

Stocks receive better grades (higher scores) for having higher scores for the quality subcomponents and worse grades (lower scores) for lower scores for the subcomponents.

Ciena Corporation has a Quality Score of 75, which is Strong. Viavi Solutions Inc. has a Quality Score of 47, which is Average.

The Quality Grade Winner: Ciena Corporation

As you can clearly see from the Quality Grade breakdown above, Ciena Corporation has a better overall quality grade than Viavi Solutions Inc.. For investors who are looking for companies with higher quality than others in the same industry, Ciena Corporation could be a good stock to add to their portfolios. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Ciena Corporation and Viavi Solutions Inc.’s Momentum Grades

Company	Ticker	Momentum
Ciena Corporation	CIEN	A
Viavi Solutions Inc.	VIAV	A

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

Ciena Corporation has a Momentum Score of 96, which is Very Strong. Viavi Solutions Inc. has a Momentum Score of 98, which is Very Strong.

The Momentum Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!

Looking at the Momentum Grade breakdown above, both Ciena Corporation and Viavi Solutions Inc. have a grade of A. For those who focus solely on a company’s momentum, further research will need to be conducted into both companies to see if they fit your individual needs as an investor.

Other Ciena Corporation and Viavi Solutions Inc. Grades

In addition to Quality, Growth and Momentum, A+ Investor also provides grades for Value and Estimate Revisions.

Earnings estimate revisions scores take into account the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, surprises beget further surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection. Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether Ciena Corporation and Viavi Solutions Inc. pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, Ciena Corporation or Viavi Solutions Inc. Stock?

Overall, Ciena Corporation stock has a Growth Score of 60, Momentum Score of 96 and Quality Score of 75.

Viavi Solutions Inc. stock has a Growth Score of 56, Momentum Score of 98 and Quality Score of 47.

Comparing Ciena Corporation and Viavi Solutions Inc.’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.