WallStSmart

Arista Networks (ANET)vsInternational Business Machines (IBM)

VS

Smart Verdict

WallStSmart Research — data-driven comparison

International Business Machines generates 650% more annual revenue ($67.53B vs $9.01B). ANET leads profitability with a 39.0% profit margin vs 15.7%. ANET appears more attractively valued with a PEG of 1.85. IBM earns a higher WallStSmart Score of 70/100 (B-).

ANET

Strong Buy

69

out of 100

Grade: B-

Growth: 8.7Profit: 9.5Value: 7.3Quality: 7.3
Piotroski: 2/9Altman Z: 3.53

IBM

Strong Buy

70

out of 100

Grade: B-

Growth: 6.7Profit: 8.0Value: 10.0Quality: 4.0
Piotroski: 3/9Altman Z: 2.29
IV

Intrinsic Value Comparison

Multi-model valuation · Graham Formula

ANETSignificantly Overvalued (-28.9%)

Margin of Safety

-28.9%

Fair Value

$103.11

Current Price

$131.22

$28.11 premium

UndervaluedFair: $103.11Overvalued
IBMUndervalued (+53.7%)

Margin of Safety

+53.7%

Fair Value

$521.82

Current Price

$241.77

$280.05 discount

UndervaluedFair: $521.82Overvalued

Key Strengths & Concerns

Side-by-side fundamental analysis

Key Strengths

ANET6 strengths · Avg: 9.5/10
Return on EquityProfitability
31.4%10/10

Every $100 of equity generates 31 in profit

Profit MarginProfitability
39.0%10/10

Keeps 39 of every $100 in revenue as profit

Operating MarginProfitability
41.5%10/10

Strong operational efficiency at 41.5%

Altman Z-ScoreHealth
3.5310/10

Safe zone — low bankruptcy risk

Market CapQuality
$165.24B9/10

Large-cap with strong market position

Revenue GrowthGrowth
28.9%8/10

Revenue surging 28.9% year-over-year

IBM5 strengths · Avg: 9.2/10
Market CapQuality
$226.88B10/10

Mega-cap, among the largest globally

Return on EquityProfitability
35.2%10/10

Every $100 of equity generates 35 in profit

EPS GrowthGrowth
89.9%10/10

Earnings expanding 89.9% YoY

Operating MarginProfitability
24.8%8/10

Strong operational efficiency at 24.8%

Free Cash FlowQuality
$3.13B8/10

Generating 3.1B in free cash flow

Areas to Watch

ANET4 concerns · Avg: 3.3/10
PEG RatioValuation
1.854/10

Expensive relative to growth rate

Price/BookValuation
13.3x4/10

Trading at 13.3x book value

Piotroski F-ScoreQuality
2/93/10

Weak financial health signals

P/E RatioValuation
47.5x2/10

Premium valuation, high expectations priced in

IBM3 concerns · Avg: 2.7/10
PEG RatioValuation
2.264/10

Expensive relative to growth rate

Piotroski F-ScoreQuality
3/93/10

Weak financial health signals

Debt/EquityHealth
2.061/10

Elevated debt levels

Comparative Analysis Report

WallStSmart Research

Bull Case : ANET

The strongest argument for ANET centers on Return on Equity, Profit Margin, Operating Margin. Profitability is solid with margins at 39.0% and operating margin at 41.5%. Revenue growth of 28.9% demonstrates continued momentum.

Bull Case : IBM

The strongest argument for IBM centers on Market Cap, Return on Equity, EPS Growth. Profitability is solid with margins at 15.7% and operating margin at 24.8%. Revenue growth of 12.2% demonstrates continued momentum.

Bear Case : ANET

The primary concerns for ANET are PEG Ratio, Price/Book, Piotroski F-Score. A P/E of 47.5x leaves little room for execution misses.

Bear Case : IBM

The primary concerns for IBM are PEG Ratio, Piotroski F-Score, Debt/Equity. Debt-to-equity of 2.06 is elevated, increasing financial risk.

Key Dynamics to Monitor

ANET profiles as a growth stock while IBM is a mature play — different risk/reward profiles.

ANET carries more volatility with a beta of 1.46 — expect wider price swings.

ANET is growing revenue faster at 28.9% — sustainability is the question.

IBM generates stronger free cash flow (3.1B), providing more financial flexibility.

Bottom Line

IBM scores higher overall (70/100 vs 69/100), backed by strong 15.7% margins and 12.2% revenue growth. Both earn "Strong Buy" and "Strong Buy" ratings respectively — the choice depends on your investment horizon and risk tolerance.

This analysis is generated from publicly available financial data. Not financial advice.

Arista Networks

TECHNOLOGY · COMPUTER HARDWARE · USA

Arista Networks (formerly Arastra) is an American computer networking company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. The company designs and sells multilayer network switches to deliver software-defined networking (SDN) solutions for large datacenter, cloud computing, high-performance computing, and high-frequency trading environments.

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International Business Machines

TECHNOLOGY · INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES · USA

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, with operations in over 170 countries. The company began in 1911, founded in Endicott, New York, as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) and was renamed International Business Machines in 1924. IBM is incorporated in New York. IBM produces and sells computer hardware, middleware and software, and provides hosting and consulting services in areas ranging from mainframe computers to nanotechnology. IBM is also a major research organization, holding the record for most annual U.S. patents generated by a business (as of 2020) for 28 consecutive years. Inventions by IBM include the automated teller machine (ATM), the floppy disk, the hard disk drive, the magnetic stripe card, the relational database, the SQL programming language, the UPC barcode, and dynamic random-access memory (DRAM). The IBM mainframe, exemplified by the System/360, was the dominant computing platform during the 1960s and 1970s.

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