Arista Networks, Inc. (ANET)
Arista Networks builds the high-speed networking equipment that acts as the digital nervous system for massive data centres and cloud computing giants.
Is Arista Networks, Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: Arista Networks builds the high-speed networking equipment that acts as the digital nervous system for massive data centres and cloud computing giants.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only; any dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
Arista becomes the standard for all AI data centres
Technological obsolescence or major market saturation
What does Arista Networks, Inc. do?
Arista makes the sophisticated switches and software that allow computers in giant data centres to talk to each other at lightning speed. Earnings flow from selling this hardware alongside software subscriptions to big tech companies and cloud providers. Everything hinges on how much these big customers continue to spend on building out their artificial intelligence infrastructure.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on momentum and quality, and weakest on value.
- !Pays no dividend - the whole return rides on the share price
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 35% over the year
- ✓Very profitable - turns about 38% of sales into profit
- !High P/E of 59 - big growth is already priced in
- ✓Strong return on shareholder money (ROE 32%)
- Quality screens high (83/100)
- Growth screens high (74/100)
- Momentum screens high (85/100)
- Strong profit margins compared to many hardware peers
- Essential role in the rapidly growing AI infrastructure market
- Value screens low (12/100)
- Income screens low (16/100)
- The share price is more volatile than the average market index
- Potential for big tech customers to develop their own internal networking solutions
- Supply chain disruptions affecting hardware delivery
What do Arista Networks, Inc.'s numbers mean?
How much money does Arista Networks, Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does Arista Networks, Inc. pay a dividend?
No - Arista Networks, Inc. doesn't currently pay a dividend, so the whole return would rest on the share price. Plenty of growing companies reinvest their profits instead of paying them out - neither approach is better or worse, they're just different.
When does Arista Networks, Inc. report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Arista Networks, Inc. is next scheduled to report on about 2026-08-04 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-05 | $0.81 | $0.87 | Beat +8% |
| 2026-02-12 | $0.76 | $0.82 | Beat +8% |
| 2025-11-04 | $0.71 | $0.75 | Beat +5% |
| 2025-08-05 | $0.65 | $0.73 | Beat +12% |
| 2025-05-06 | $0.59 | $0.65 | Beat +10% |
| 2025-02-18 | $0.57 | $0.65 | Beat +14% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Arista Networks, Inc. came in ahead of what analysts expected 6 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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Hewlett Packard EnterpriseWhat are the scenarios for Arista Networks, Inc.?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of Arista Networks, Inc.?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Strong profit margins compared to many hardware peers
- Essential role in the rapidly growing AI infrastructure market
- High return on equity showing efficient use of capital
- High valuation multiples suggest investors have priced in a lot of success
- No dividend payments for those looking for regular income
- Heavy reliance on a small number of very large cloud customers
- The share price is more volatile than the average market index
- Potential for big tech customers to develop their own internal networking solutions
- Supply chain disruptions affecting hardware delivery
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A significant and sustained drop in cloud computing capital expenditure
- A major competitor launching a product that makes Arista's technology redundant
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-01 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.