CienaCIEN +2.41%72 3-Year FCF Growth Rate is 0.00% as of Apr. 2026. GuruFocus rates CIEN with a GF Score™ of 72/100 and a GF Value™ of $96.34 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 4 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,483 Hardware companies, Ciena ranks worse than 67430.82% on this metric.
During the past 12 months, Ciena's average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate was 186.80% per year.
Please click Growth Rate Calculation Example (GuruFocus) to see how GuruFocus calculates Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT)'s revenue growth rate. You can apply the same method to get the average Free Cash Flow per Share growth rate.
During the past 13 years, the highest 3-Year average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate of Ciena was 432.80% per year. The lowest was -46.00% per year. And the median was 11.35% per year.
Free Cash Flow per Share is the amount of Free Cash Flow per outstanding share of the company's stock. Free Cash Flow is considered one of the most important parameters to measure a company's earnings power by value investors because it is not subject to estimates of Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization (DDA). However, when we look at the Free Cash Flow, we should look from a long term perspective, because any year's Free Cash Flow can be drastically affected by the spending on Property, Plant, & Equipment (PPE) of the business in that year. Over the long term, Free Cash Flow should give pretty good picture on the real earnings power of the company. It's used in the calculation of Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %.
Ciena 3-Year FCF Growth Rate Related Terms
CIEN vs MSI, LITE, HPE: 3-Year FCF Growth Rate Comparison
For the Communication Equipment subindustry, Ciena's 3-Year FCF Growth Rate, along with its competitors' market caps and 3-Year FCF Growth Rate data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Ciena 3-Year FCF Growth Rate vs Hardware Industry
For the Hardware industry and Technology sector, Ciena's 3-Year FCF Growth Rate distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Ciena's 3-Year FCF Growth Rate falls into.
This is the 3-year average growth rate of Free Cash Flow per Share. The growth rate is calculated using exponential compounding based on the latest four year annual data.
Please click Growth Rate Calculation Example (GuruFocus) to see how GuruFocus calculates Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT)'s revenue growth rate. You can apply the same method to get the average Free Cash Flow per Share growth rate.
Ciena (CIEN) has a 3-Year FCF Growth Rate of 0.00% as of Apr. 2026. 3-Year FCF Growth Rate is the 3-year average growth rate of Free Cash Flow per Share. View historical data for Ciena and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Ciena ranks #999999 out of 1483 companies in the Hardware industry.
Is Ciena's 3-Year FCF Growth Rate too high?
Ciena's current 3-Year FCF Growth Rate is 0.00%. Based on the distribution chart, Ciena ranks #999999 out of 1483 companies in the Hardware industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Ciena has a GF Score™ of 72/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Ciena's 3-Year FCF Growth Rate compare to MSI and LITE?
According to the Hardware industry distribution chart, Ciena ranks #999999 out of 1483 companies for 3-Year FCF Growth Rate. This places Ciena in the lower half of its industry. The industry median 3-Year FCF Growth Rate is 5.80. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good 3-Year FCF Growth Rate for a Hardware company?
The median 3-Year FCF Growth Rate among Hardware companies is 5.80, based on 1,483 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a 3-Year FCF Growth Rate significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, 3-Year FCF Growth Rate should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high 3-Year FCF Growth Rate mean?
A high 3-Year FCF Growth Rate can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. 3-Year FCF Growth Rate is the 3-year average growth rate of Free Cash Flow per Share. View historical data for Ciena and its competitors. For the Hardware industry, the median 3-Year FCF Growth Rate is 5.80 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Ciena's current 3-Year FCF Growth Rate is 0.00%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Ciena stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Ciena (CIEN) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $96.34, compared to a current price of $470.93 — trading 388.8% above its estimated fair value. The current 3-Year FCF Growth Rate is 0.00%. Ciena's overall GF Score™ is 72/100 with 4 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is 3-Year FCF Growth Rate calculated?
3-Year FCF Growth Rate is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Ciena (CIEN), the current 3-Year FCF Growth Rate is 0.00% as of Apr. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Ciena (CIEN) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Ciena stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $470.93 is trading 388.8% above its estimated GF Value™ of $96.34.
GuruFocus considers Ciena to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for CIEN:
3-Year FCF Growth Rate: 0.00%
GF Value™: $96.34 vs. price of $470.93 (388.8% above fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the CIEN stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Ciena is a leader in high-speed optical connectivity, providing systems, components, and automation software for telecom providers and enterprises, such as data centers, to enable long-distance connectivity. The company operates through four primary business segments: networking platforms, platform software and services, Blue Planet automation software, and global services. While telecom carriers remain important customers, cloud providers and hyperscalers now drive a significant portion of the business. To meet the demands of AI data centers, customers are adopting Ciena's WaveLogic 6 platform, the first to support 1.6 terabits-per-second capacity.
72GF Score
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