Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Zacks Research

Posted by Patrick Bannon on Jan 28th, 2026

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO – Free Report) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on CSCO. CICC Research upped their target price on Cisco Systems from $78.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Rosenblatt Securities raised their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $87.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Erste Group Bank raised Cisco Systems from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Cisco Systems from $80.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Finally, Evercore ISI upgraded Cisco Systems from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $80.00 to $100.00 in a research note on Monday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Cisco Systems presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $86.81.

Check Out Our Latest Report on Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of CSCO stock traded down $0.22 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $78.46. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 5,050,652 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,873,709. Cisco Systems has a 52 week low of $52.11 and a 52 week high of $80.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 0.93. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $76.63 and its 200-day simple moving average is $71.92. The company has a market cap of $309.99 billion, a PE ratio of 29.48, a P/E/G ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.87.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, November 12th. The network equipment provider reported $1.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.02. Cisco Systems had a net margin of 18.38% and a return on equity of 27.29%. The company had revenue of $14.88 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.77 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.91 EPS. Cisco Systems’s quarterly revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Cisco Systems has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.080-4.140 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.010-1.030 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Cisco Systems will post 3.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cisco Systems Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 2nd were given a dividend of $0.41 per share. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 2nd. Cisco Systems’s dividend payout ratio is currently 61.65%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Charles Robbins sold 281,860 shares of Cisco Systems stock in a transaction on Monday, November 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.35, for a total value of $22,083,731.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 820,887 shares in the company, valued at approximately $64,316,496.45. The trade was a 25.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Deborah L. Stahlkopf sold 164,584 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.85, for a total transaction of $12,812,864.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 196,738 shares in the company, valued at $15,316,053.30. This trade represents a 45.55% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 1,044,865 shares of company stock valued at $81,397,635. 0.01% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cisco Systems

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Cisco Systems during the 2nd quarter valued at $3,816,825,000. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main lifted its position in Cisco Systems by 413.3% in the 2nd quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 22,393,371 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $1,553,645,000 after buying an additional 18,030,441 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in Cisco Systems by 46.2% in the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 40,836,858 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $2,833,261,000 after buying an additional 12,904,969 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in shares of Cisco Systems by 110.2% during the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 18,406,442 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $1,259,369,000 after acquiring an additional 9,648,265 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems by 6,778.2% during the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,810,012 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $472,479,000 after purchasing an additional 6,711,004 shares during the last quarter. 73.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Cisco Systems News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Cisco Systems this week:

Positive Sentiment: Evercore ISI upgraded Cisco to “Outperform,” a high-profile upgrade that typically drives buying interest in large-cap tech names. Evercore ISI Upgrades Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) to “Outperform”
Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research moved CSCO from “hold” to “strong-buy,” adding to the surge of bullish analyst signals that can push institutional flows. Zacks.com
Positive Sentiment: News reports show CSCO trading up after the upgrades (articles noting a ~3.2% intraday advance), indicating the upgrades had an immediate market impact. Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) Trading Up 3.2% Following Analyst Upgrade
Positive Sentiment: Several pieces note price-target revisions and renewed analyst bullishness, which can support a higher valuation multiple (PE ~29.5 by recent data). Why Cisco Systems (CSCO) Price Target Revision Is Rewriting The Story Around The Stock
Neutral Sentiment: Georgetown’s Wi‑Fi 7 overhaul with Cisco highlights a tangible commercial win in campus AI networking — positive for product adoption but not a material revenue driver yet. Does Georgetown’s Wi‑Fi 7 Overhaul With Cisco (CSCO) Redefine Its Campus AI Networking Edge?
Neutral Sentiment: Analysts’ consensus remains mildly positive (“Moderate Buy”), reflecting mixed views despite recent upgrades — consensus can limit volatility but also cap upside. Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts
Negative Sentiment: CEO Chuck Robbins warned investors to expect “AI carnage” as winners and losers emerge when AI investment cycles reset — comments that increase uncertainty around near-term demand for some product categories. Cisco Boss Robbins Warns Investors of “AI Carnage” Ahead as Winners and Losers Emerge
Negative Sentiment: A Forbes piece argues it may be time to sell CSCO, reflecting a bearish narrative that could weigh on sentiment if it gains traction with retail/institutional investors. Is It Time To Sell Cisco Stock?

About Cisco Systems

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Cisco Systems, Inc is a global technology company that designs, manufactures and sells networking hardware, software and telecommunications equipment. Its core business focuses on enabling enterprise and service-provider networks through products such as routers, switches, network security appliances and wireless systems. Over time Cisco has broadened its portfolio to emphasize software-defined networking, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure and edge computing solutions that help organizations build and manage modern IT environments.

In addition to hardware, Cisco offers a growing range of software platforms and subscription services for network management, security, analytics and collaboration.