How Can I Beat the S&P 500? What the Evidence Says
The honest answer to the most asked question in investing: how many people beat the index, why it is so hard, why investors trail even their own funds, and how daily market context fits in.
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CIEN Stock vs the S&P 500: Returns, Risk and Crash History
Ciena Corporation, technology (market value $32.7 billion), an S&P 500 member: how it compared with the S&P 500, how it behaved in every crash since 2008, its risk‑adjusted returns and what analysts said. Returns to Oct 30, 2026; analyst data as of Nov 9, 2026.
Key takeaways
- CIEN returned +490.8% over the 5 years to Oct 30, 2026 versus +75.9% for the S&P 500: it beat the index.
- Its 5-year Sharpe ratio was 0.86 against 0.58 for the S&P 500.
- Its deepest crisis drawdown was −89.5% in the global financial crisis (2007–09) (S&P 500: −56.5%).
- Five‑year volatility was 54.2% and beta 1.32.
- 18 analysts rated it in the past year; 78% of their latest calls were Buy.
- CIEN beat earnings estimates in 10 of its last 12 reports; the stock moved 11.1% on average, up or down, around each report.
What do the best‑ranked analysts on CIEN say now? See it in Exent Gems →
In this article
- Did CIEN beat the S&P 500?
- What Wall Street analysts say about CIEN
- CIEN returns by year vs the S&P 500
- CIEN risk-adjusted returns: Sharpe, Sortino and volatility
- How CIEN behaved in past crashes
- What moves with CIEN, and what doesn’t
- Latest CIEN upgrades, downgrades and price‑target changes
- Do analysts get CIEN right?
- How CIEN moves after earnings
- Where CIEN’s revenue comes from
- Members of Congress who traded CIEN
- Are CIEN insiders buying or selling?
- How much of CIEN is sold short?
- How many institutions own CIEN?
- Is CIEN diluting shareholders?
- CIEN financial health scores
- What CIEN talks about on earnings calls
- Which ETFs hold CIEN?
- How much is CIEN’s CEO paid?
- The right benchmark for CIEN
- Other technology stocks
- Data and methodology
Did CIEN beat the S&P 500?
Over the 5 years to Oct 30, 2026, Ciena Corporation (CIEN) returned +490.8% including dividends, versus +75.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY). It beat the index by 414.9 percentage points, or +42.7% a year against +12.0%.
| Period | CIEN | S&P 500 | CIEN per year | S&P 500 per year | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | +68.9% | +12.0% | +68.9% | +12.0% | Beat |
| 3 years | +660.0% | +87.4% | +96.6% | +23.3% | Beat |
| 5 years | +490.8% | +75.9% | +42.7% | +12.0% | Beat |
| 10 years | +1,555% | +316.3% | +32.4% | +15.3% | Beat |
- 1 year
- CIEN
- +68.9%
- S&P 500
- +12.0%
- CIEN per year
- +68.9%
- S&P 500 per year
- +12.0%
- Result
- Beat
- 3 years
- CIEN
- +660.0%
- S&P 500
- +87.4%
- CIEN per year
- +96.6%
- S&P 500 per year
- +23.3%
- Result
- Beat
- 5 years
- CIEN
- +490.8%
- S&P 500
- +75.9%
- CIEN per year
- +42.7%
- S&P 500 per year
- +12.0%
- Result
- Beat
- 10 years
- CIEN
- +1,555%
- S&P 500
- +316.3%
- CIEN per year
- +32.4%
- S&P 500 per year
- +15.3%
- Result
- Beat
Total return with dividends reinvested, from month-end prices to Oct 30, 2026. Beating the index on raw return is only half the story: the next section adjusts for the risk taken. See also how to beat the S&P 500.
CIEN is in the S&P 500 (members as of Oct 20, 2026); the list shows every member’s return against the index.
What Wall Street analysts say about CIEN
In the 12 months to 30 days ago, 18 analysts published 208 ratings on CIEN. Their latest calls were 78% Buy, 22% Hold and 0% Sell. 13 of them rank 4★ or higher in Exent’s analyst scoring, which is based on each analyst’s past price‑target hit rate and returns.
The consensus 12‑month price target was $507.42 (range $347.00–$615.00), +86.5% from the last price. Remember that the average analyst’s target is hit only about half the time: how accurate are price targets?
| Top‑ranked analyst covering | Firm | Stars | Price‑target hit rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| ??? | ??? | 5.0★ | 63.0% |
| ??? | ??? | 5.0★ | 56.1% |
| ??? | ??? | 5.0★ | 69.3% |
| ??? | ??? | 5.0★ | 58.7% |
| ??? | ??? | 5.0★ | 70.9% |
Other analysts covering CIEN: George Notter · Michael Genovese · Dave Kang · Tal Liani · Meta Marshall · Sean O'Loughlin
Ratings are shown with a 30‑day delay. Who the top‑ranked analysts on CIEN are, their live calls and the median target of only the top‑rated analysts are in Exent Gems.
The average analyst’s target is reached about 53.1% of the time; Exent Gems is built on the top 50 of Exent’s ranking,where some reached 90% or more over the last two years. Unlock the top 50 analysts.
CIEN returns by year vs the S&P 500
CIEN beat the S&P 500 in 5 of the 9 full calendar years shown.
| Year | CIEN | S&P 500 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to Oct 30, 2026) | +37.1% | +11.7% | +25.4% |
| 2025 | +175.8% | +17.7% | +158.1% |
| 2024 | +88.4% | +24.9% | +63.5% |
| 2023 | −11.7% | +26.2% | −37.9% |
| 2022 | −33.8% | −18.2% | −15.6% |
| 2021 | +45.6% | +28.7% | +16.9% |
| 2020 | +23.8% | +18.3% | +5.5% |
| 2019 | +25.9% | +31.2% | −5.3% |
| 2018 | +62.0% | −4.6% | +66.6% |
| 2017 | −14.3% | +21.7% | −36.0% |
CIEN risk-adjusted returns: Sharpe, Sortino and volatility
Over 5 years, CIEN had a Sharpe ratio of 0.86 against 0.58 for the S&P 500, so it earned more return per unit of risk than the index. Its annualized volatility was 52.4% and its beta 1.32: it tended to move about 1.3× as much as the market.
| Metric | CIEN | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Annual return | +42.7% | +12.0% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 52.4% | 15.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.86 | 0.58 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.73 | 0.91 |
| Max drawdown (month-end) | −47.5% | −23.9% |
| Beta to the S&P 500 | 1.32 | 1.00 |
How CIEN behaved in past crashes
CIEN’s deepest fall in the crises below was −89.5% in the global financial crisis (2007–09), against −56.5% for the S&P 500. The last column turns that into money: what a $100,000 position would have lost from peak to trough.
| Crisis | CIEN | S&P 500 | Loss on $100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global financial crisis (2007–09) | −89.5% | −56.5% | −$89,550 |
| 2018 trade-war selloff | −11.8% | −20.2% | −$11,780 |
| COVID crash (Feb–Mar 2020) | −22.4% | −34.1% | −$22,420 |
| 2022 inflation bear market | −49.4% | −25.4% | −$49,390 |
| 2025 tariff selloff | −38.5% | −19.0% | −$38,540 |
| Window | CIEN max drawdown |
|---|---|
| Last 1 year | −63.2% |
| Last 3 years | −63.2% |
| Last 5 years | −63.2% |
| Last 10 years | −49.5% |
Peak‑to‑trough declines from daily prices inside each crisis window. A crash replay does not predict the next crisis; it shows how much room a holding needs. Run the same replay on a whole portfolio with the crash test.
What moves with CIEN, and what doesn’t
Correlation runs from −1 (moves opposite) to +1 (moves in lockstep). Over the last 60 months of monthly returns, CIEN’s correlation with the S&P 500 was 0.39, with the Nasdaq‑100 0.42, with long Treasuries (TLT) 0.20 and with gold (GLD) 0.22.
Adding a 5% CIEN position to an S&P 500 portfolio would have moved its 5‑year volatility from 15.5% to 15.9%.
| Least correlated large caps | Correlation | Most correlated large caps | Correlation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MRSH | −0.17 | WDC | 0.56 |
| COP | −0.15 | GLW | 0.50 |
| PGR | −0.13 | VRT | 0.49 |
| XOM | −0.11 | AVGO | 0.48 |
| PM | −0.11 | MRVL | 0.46 |
Holdings that are highly correlated behave like one position in a selloff. See how to find hidden overlap.
Latest CIEN upgrades, downgrades and price‑target changes
| Date | Rating and target | Analyst |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 30 | New coverage Buy | Daniel Zhu |
| Sep 29 | New coverage Buy | Daniel Zhu |
| Sep 17 | Target raised Buy | Tim Savageaux |
| Sep 17 | Target raised Buy | Tim Long |
| Sep 17 | Target raised Hold | Meta Marshall |
Named analysts’ rating and price‑target changes on CIEN in the 5 weeks to Oct 12, 2026, shown 30 days after publication (the free analysts’ calls 3 days after). The top‑ranked analysts’ calls are in Exent Gems. See all of the latest analyst upgrades and downgrades.
Do analysts get CIEN right?
Of the 397 analyst price targets on CIEN set from 2019 until a year ago, 72.0% were reached within 12 months (data to Oct 20, 2026), 3.4 points above the 68.6% hit rate of the median stock in Exent’s study of 794 stocks. Targets that were reached took a median of 66 days. The median target sat 17.6% above the share price on the day it was set.
72.0%of targets reached within 12 monthsMedian stock: 68.6%
66 daysmedian time to reach a target
| After | Calls | Move on the call | 3 months vs S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upgrades of CIEN | 20 | +3.8% | +11.8% |
| Upgrades, all stocks | 11,514 | +2.5% | +3.4% |
| Downgrades of CIEN | 18 | −0.9% | +26.1% |
| Downgrades, all stocks | 10,700 | −3.0% | −1.6% |
The move on the call runs from the close before the rating change to the close after it; the last column is the stock’s return minus the S&P 500’s over the next three months. Averages of rating changes on CIEN through Sep 15, 2026; analysts are not named here. Do analyst upgrades move stocks?
How CIEN moves after earnings
CIEN beat the consensus earnings‑per‑share estimate in 10 of its last 12 quarterly reports, through the one on Sep 3, 2026, and the revenue estimate in 12 of 12. From the close before each report to the close after it, the stock moved 11.1% on average, up or down, against 6.8% for the average report across the 1,002 US stocks Exent tracks. It rose after 3 of the 12 reports. In 8 of the 10 beats the stock still fell.
10/12earnings beats
±11.1%average move per report
3/12reports followed by a rise
| Report | EPS vs estimate | Revenue vs estimate | Stock move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 3, 2026 | $2.11 vs $1.73 | +2.1% | −9.4% |
| Jun 4, 2026 | $1.64 vs $1.46 | +4.4% | −21.3% |
| Mar 5, 2026 | $1.35 vs $1.17 | +2.0% | −14.4% |
| Dec 11, 2025 | $0.91 vs $0.78 | +4.7% | −1.5% |
| Sep 4, 2025 | $0.67 vs $0.53 | +3.8% | +23.1% |
| Jun 5, 2025 | $0.42 vs $0.52 | +3.0% | −13.3% |
| Mar 11, 2025 | $0.64 vs $0.41 | +1.9% | +1.3% |
| Dec 12, 2024 | $0.54 vs $0.66 | +1.9% | +22.6% |
Reported earnings per share against the consensus estimate, revenue surprise in percent, and the stock’s price change over the two sessions around the report. How stocks move after earnings
Where CIEN’s revenue comes from
In fiscal 2024 (the year to Nov 2, 2024), CIEN’s largest reported region was North America, with 73.5% of its $4.0 billion revenue. By region: North America 73.5%; Emea 16.2%; Asia Pacific 10.3%.
By business, the largest segment was Networking Platforms Segment, with 75.8% of $4.0 billion revenue (−12.9% on the year before).
| Segment | Revenue | Share | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Networking Platforms Segment | $3.0 billion | 75.8% | −12.9% |
| Global Services | $537.2 million | 13.4% | +3.3% |
| Platform Software and Services Segment | $358.1 million | 8.9% | +17.8% |
| Blue Planet Automation Software and Services Segment | $77.6 million | 1.9% | +12.2% |
From CIEN’s annual filings; segment growth compares fiscal 2024 with the year before. Regions are as each company reports them, so one company’s “Asia Pacific” is not another’s. China counts the regions a company reports as China, Greater China or Hong Kong; a separately reported Taiwan is not counted. Which S&P 500 companies depend most on China?
Members of Congress who traded CIEN
As of Oct 20, 2026, 8 members of Congress had disclosed 21 trades in CIEN (11 buys and 10 sales) in STOCK Act disclosures filed with the House and Senate. The latest public trade is dated May 29, 2026.
| Trade date | Member | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 29, 2026 | Gilbert Cisneros | Buy | $1,001–$15,000 |
| May 14, 2026 | Gilbert Cisneros | Buy | $1,001–$15,000 |
| Mar 30, 2026 | Alan Armstrong | Buy | $1,001–$15,000 |
| Mar 27, 2026 | Alan Armstrong | Buy | $1,001–$15,000 |
| Oct 31, 2025 | Lisa McClain | Sale | $1,001–$15,000 |
| Oct 30, 2025 | Lisa McClain | Sale | $1,001–$15,000 |
| Oct 30, 2025 | Lisa McClain | Buy | $1,001–$15,000 |
| Oct 15, 2025 | Lisa McClain | Sale | $1,001–$15,000 |
| Jun 17, 2025 | Lisa McClain | Buy | $1,001–$15,000 |
| Sep 4, 2024 | John James | Sale | $1,001–$15,000 |
Amounts are the ranges members report, not exact values. The STOCK Act gives members up to 45 days to disclose a trade, so trades appear weeks after they are made. See every member’s disclosed trades
2 trades in CIEN disclosed in the last 30 days are in Exent Radar.
Are CIEN insiders buying or selling?
In the 12 months to Oct 20, 2026, CIEN insiders made no open‑market purchases and 90 sales worth $101.4 million, according to SEC Form 4 filings. The last open‑market purchase on record was on Oct 13, 2014.
After the 1 insider purchase of $10,000 or more since 2012, CIEN beat the S&P 500 by an average of 44.2 percentage points over the next 12 months; every one was followed by a beat (a small sample). Across all 17,865 insider purchases in Exent’s study, the average was +17.2% and the median +1.0% against the index.
| Date | Insider | Role | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 2014 | Moylan James E Jr | SVP Finance, CFO | $71,550 |
| Dec 23, 2009 | Rowny Michael J | Director | $1,098 |
| Dec 22, 2009 | Rowny Michael J | Director | $25,992 |
| May 26, 2004 | Davis Don H Jr | Director | $33,300 |
| May 26, 2004 | Obrien Judith M | Director | $20,411 |
The table lists the latest open‑market purchases on record, leaving out the last 30 days. The chart counts Form 4 purchases and sales by calendar quarter. Purchases are open‑market buys; sales include planned sales under 10b5‑1 trading plans. Do insider buys beat the market?
How much of CIEN is sold short?
As of the Sep 30, 2026 settlement date, 2.74% of CIEN’s float was sold short: 3.9 million shares, or 1.4 days of average trading volume to cover. A year earlier (Oct 15, 2025) it was 3.14%. The median across the 997 US stocks Exent tracks was 4.77%, so CIEN is less heavily shorted than most.
From FINRA short‑interest reports, filed twice a month; the bars show the short share of the float at each month‑end. Days to cover divides the shares short by the average daily volume. The most shorted stocks
How many institutions own CIEN?
At the end of Q2 2026 (Jun 30, 2026), 1,292 institutions reported holding CIEN in 13F filings, up 163 from the quarter before and up from 595 a year earlier. Their reported holdings add up to 94.2% of CIEN’s shares. In the quarter 736 institutions added to their positions and 396 cut them.
1,29213F holders
268new positions
117positions closed
94.2%of shares held by 13F filers
Investment managers with over $100 million in US equities file 13F reports within 45 days of each quarter end, so this is the latest complete quarter. Holdings can add up to more than 100% when shares are lent and counted twice. Which stocks institutions are buying and selling
Is CIEN diluting shareholders?
CIEN’s diluted share count fell 6.9% over the five fiscal years to fiscal 2025 and fell 0.5% in fiscal 2025 alone. Each share now owns a larger slice of the company. The median change across the 1,005 US stocks Exent tracks was −0.1%.
Stock‑based compensation was $184.5 million in fiscal 2025, 3.9% of revenue. CIEN spent $334.5 million buying back shares, a buyback yield of 0.68% of its market value; stock pay equaled 55.2% of the buybacks.
−0.5%share count, 1 year
−6.9%share count, 5 years
3.9%stock pay as % of revenue
0.68%buyback yield
Weighted‑average diluted shares from CIEN’s annual income statements; stock‑based compensation and buybacks from its cash‑flow statement. Stock dilution and stock‑based compensation, explained
CIEN financial health scores
In Exent’s Oct 20, 2026 snapshot, CIEN’s Altman Z‑score was 7.14, in the safe zone (where 465 of the 794 non‑financial US stocks Exent tracks sit). Its Piotroski F‑score was 8 out of 9; 20% of scored stocks reach 8 or more.
7.14Altman Z‑score: safe zone
8/9Piotroski F‑score
The Altman Z‑score combines five balance‑sheet and earnings ratios into one bankruptcy‑risk score: below 1.81 is the distress zone, 1.81–2.99 grey, above 2.99 safe. It is not meaningful for banks, insurers and REITs. The Piotroski F‑score counts nine yes/no tests of profitability, leverage and efficiency; 8–9 is strong, 0–2 weak. Both come from the latest annual statements. Which stocks have the highest bankruptcy risk?
What CIEN talks about on earnings calls
On its latest earnings call (Sep 3, 2026), CIEN’s executives and analysts mentioned AI 15 times, against 8 on the call before (Jun 4, 2026); the average across 455 S&P 500 calls that quarter was 12.9. After AI, the most mentioned topic was data centers (32).
| Mentions | Sep ’26 | Jun ’26 | Mar ’26 | Dec ’25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI | 15 | 8 | 13 | 24 |
| AI agents | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Data centers | 32 | 15 | 24 | 34 |
| Tariffs | 9 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| China | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Recession | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- AI
- Sep ’26
- 15
- Jun ’26
- 8
- Mar ’26
- 13
- Dec ’25
- 24
- AI agents
- Sep ’26
- 1
- Jun ’26
- 1
- Mar ’26
- 0
- Dec ’25
- 0
- Data centers
- Sep ’26
- 32
- Jun ’26
- 15
- Mar ’26
- 24
- Dec ’25
- 34
- Tariffs
- Sep ’26
- 9
- Jun ’26
- 0
- Mar ’26
- 4
- Dec ’25
- 2
- China
- Sep ’26
- 0
- Jun ’26
- 0
- Mar ’26
- 0
- Dec ’25
- 0
- Recession
- Sep ’26
- 0
- Jun ’26
- 0
- Mar ’26
- 0
- Dec ’25
- 0
Word counts in the full transcript of each call, prepared remarks and Q&A, newest first. “AI” also counts generative AI and large language models; “AI agents” counts agentic AI. Which companies talk most about AI?
Which ETFs hold CIEN?
As of Oct 20, 2026, 57 of the 304 ETFs Exent tracks held CIEN. Its largest weight is in FDN (First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund), at 1.68% of the fund.
| ETF | Fund | Weight of CIEN |
|---|---|---|
| FDN | First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund | 1.68% |
| VOT | Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Index Fund | 1.18% |
| VO | Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.49% |
| SPHQ | Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF | 0.49% |
| SPMO | Invesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF | 0.46% |
| MTUM | iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF | 0.41% |
| JQUA | JPMorgan U.S. Quality Factor ETF | 0.32% |
| XLK | State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.29% |
Owning several of these funds stacks the same position. How much do VOO, QQQ and VTI overlap?
How much is CIEN’s CEO paid?
Gary B. Smith, CIEN’s President and CEO, received total pay of $18.5 million for fiscal 2025, up 31.6% from $14.1 million for fiscal 2024, according to the company’s proxy statement filed with the SEC on Feb 12, 2026. 79% of it came as stock and option awards, valued when they were granted rather than when they pay out. The median CEO pay across the 378 S&P 500 companies Exent tracks was $17.2 million.
| Pay component | Amount | Share of total |
|---|---|---|
| Salary | $1.1 million | 5.8% |
| Stock and option awards | $14.6 million | 79.0% |
| Incentive plan (cash) | $2.8 million | 15.1% |
| Other | $12,858 | 0.1% |
| Other top executives | Role | Total pay, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Marc D. Graff | SVP and CFO | $13.0 million |
| Jason M. Phipps | SVP, Global Customer Engagement | $5.2 million |
| David M. Rothenstein | SVP, Chief Strategy Officer and Secretary | $4.2 million |
| Dino DiPerna | SVP, Global R&D | $3.8 million |
Figures from the summary compensation table of the proxy statement; awards count at their grant‑date value, so one large multi‑year grant can make a single year stand out. CEO pay across the S&P 500
The right benchmark for CIEN
Exent matches every holding to the index with the most similar risk. For CIEN that is QQQ (the Nasdaq‑100). Comparing a holding with an index that carries very different risk makes good results look bad and risky ones look clever. Read why the S&P 500 is the wrong benchmark for most portfolios.
Other technology stocks
| Ticker | Name | 5‑year return | Volatility (5y) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAPL | Apple Inc. | +135.9% | 28.0% |
| NVDA | NVIDIA Corporation | +704.3% | 51.1% |
| MSFT | Microsoft Corporation | +64.0% | 26.5% |
| AVGO | Broadcom Inc. | +570.0% | 44.7% |
| MU | Micron Technology, Inc. | +1,211% | 51.9% |
| AMD | Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. | +319.9% | 58.3% |
| PLTR | Palantir Technologies Inc. | +611.4% | 64.4% |
| ORCL | Oracle Corporation | +45.7% | 40.4% |
Data and methodology
Returns are total returns from month‑end adjusted closing prices (dividends reinvested) through Oct 30, 2026. Crisis drawdowns and trailing maximum drawdowns use daily prices. Analyst coverage counts ratings published in the last 12 months, shown with a 30‑day delay. Full method: Exent methodology.
Company data as of Oct 20, 2026. The move around an earnings report runs from the close before it to the close after it; a price target counts as hit when the stock closed at or beyond it within 12 months (Exent analyst data). Revenue by region and segment, share counts and executive pay come from company filings; insider trades from SEC Form 4, short interest from FINRA, institutional ownership from 13F filings, Congress trades from STOCK Act disclosures filed with the House and Senate, federal contracts from USAspending.gov. Filings from the last 30 days are shown as counts only.
Past performance does not guarantee future results. Historical figures are calculated by Exent from market data and are for education only; they are not investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security.
Check CIEN with Exent Gems
Wall Street’s average CIEN price target is 86.5% above the latest share price. See what the best‑ranked analysts on CIEN say now in Exent Gems.
- Exent ranks Wall Street analysts by their past price‑target hit rate and returns, and keeps the best‑ranked few.
- Gems shows who the top‑ranked analysts covering CIEN are, their live calls and the median target of only the top‑rated analysts.
- Gems flags the stocks where several top‑ranked analysts agree: a starting point for your own research, not a promise.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. CIEN returned +1,555% (+32.4% a year) over the 10 years to Oct 30, 2026, versus +316.3% (+15.3% a year) for the S&P 500, including dividends.
Yes. As of Oct 20, 2026, CIEN (Ciena Corporation) is one of the 503 stocks in the S&P 500.
CIEN fell −89.5% from peak to trough during the global financial crisis (2007–09), versus −56.5% for the S&P 500.
CIEN fell −22.4% from peak to trough during the covid crash (feb–mar 2020), versus −34.1% for the S&P 500.
CIEN fell −49.4% from peak to trough during the 2022 inflation bear market, versus −25.4% for the S&P 500.
Over the 5 years to Oct 30, 2026, CIEN’s Sharpe ratio was 0.86 and its Sortino ratio 1.73, versus 0.58 and 0.91 for the S&P 500.
CIEN’s 5‑year annualized volatility was 54.2%, higher than the S&P 500’s 17.0%, with a beta of 1.32.
Among large US stocks, the lowest correlations with CIEN over the last 60 months were MRSH (−0.17), COP (−0.15), PGR (−0.13). Its correlation with long Treasuries (TLT) was 0.20 and with gold (GLD) 0.22.
CIEN beat the consensus earnings-per-share estimate in 10 of its last 12 quarterly reports through Sep 3, 2026, and the revenue estimate in 12 of 12. The stock moved 11.1% on average, up or down, from the close before each report to the close after it.
Gary B. Smith, CIEN’s President and CEO, received $18.5 million in total pay for fiscal 2025, including a $1.1 million salary and $14.6 million in stock and option awards valued at grant, according to the proxy statement filed with the SEC on Feb 12, 2026. The median S&P 500 CEO received $17.2 million.
Yes. As of Oct 20, 2026, 8 members of Congress had disclosed 21 trades in CIEN (11 buys and 10 sales) in STOCK Act disclosures filed with the House and Senate.
As of the Sep 30, 2026 settlement date, 2.74% of CIEN’s float was sold short (3.9 million shares, 1.4 days to cover), according to FINRA short-interest reports. A year earlier it was 3.14%.
No. CIEN’s diluted share count fell 6.9% over the five fiscal years to fiscal 2025 and fell 0.5% in the latest year. Stock-based compensation was 3.9% of revenue, and buybacks totaled $334.5 million.
What do the best‑ranked analysts say on CIEN now?
Exent ranks Wall Street analysts by their track record. Gems shows who the top‑ranked analysts on CIEN are, their latest calls and the stocks where several of them agree.
See this week’s GemsLimited offer$1.95 for full access· full access
Educational content, not investment advice. Examples are illustrative; past performance does not guarantee future results.