Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) vs Lam Research Corporation (LRCX)

Cisco Systems, Inc. is the world’s largest provider of networking equipment and ranks among the largest software companies globally. Its core businesses include networking hardware and software, where it holds leading market positions, as well as cybersecurity software such as firewalls. The company also offers collaboration solutions, including its Webex suite, and observability tools. Cisco primarily relies on third-party manufacturers and maintains a large sales and marketing organization of 25,000 employees across 90 countries. In total, the company employs about 80,000 people and markets its products worldwide.

Lam Research Corp is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of semiconductor wafer fabrication equipment. The company specializes in deposition and etch technologies, which involve building layers on a semiconductor wafer and selectively removing patterns from each layer. Lam holds the leading market share in etch and ranks a clear second in deposition. It has greater exposure to memory chipmakers, particularly in DRAM and NAND. Its major customers include some of the world’s largest semiconductor companies, such as TSMC, Samsung, Intel, and Micron.