Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO Stock: Sowell Financial Services LLC Lowers Holdings

Sowell Financial Services LLC lessened its holdings in Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) by 11.5% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 104,880 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock after selling 13,663 shares during the period. Sowell Financial Services LLC’s holdings in Cisco Systems were worth $11,288,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Cisco Systems in the second quarter valued at $42,129,647,000. State Street Corp increased its stake in Cisco Systems by 7.0% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 207,106,569 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $25,278,492,000 after buying an additional 13,512,872 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in Cisco Systems during the 2nd quarter worth about $5,892,379,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its position in Cisco Systems by 2.7% during the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 43,450,141 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $5,103,654,000 after buying an additional 1,143,106 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in shares of Cisco Systems during the 2nd quarter worth about $4,714,574,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.33% of the company’s stock.

Cisco Systems Stock Performance

Shares of CSCO stock opened at $106.71 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $420.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.79. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $110.78 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $109.50. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a one year low of $69.85 and a one year high of $130.37.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 12th. The network equipment provider reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.17 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $17.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.84 billion. Cisco Systems had a net margin of 20.95% and a return on equity of 30.16%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 17.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.99 EPS. Cisco Systems has set its FY 2027 guidance at 5.050-5.110 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 1.320-1.340 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 4.42 EPS for the current year.

Cisco Systems Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 21st. Investors of record on Friday, October 2nd will be paid a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 2nd. Cisco Systems’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.30%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on CSCO shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Cisco Systems from $130.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on Cisco Systems from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Freedom Capital upgraded Cisco Systems from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Sunday, August 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Cisco Systems in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. They set a “buy” rating and a $135.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Zacks Research raised Cisco Systems from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $128.52.

Insider Buying and Selling at Cisco Systems

In related news, CEO Charles Robbins sold 21,628 shares of Cisco Systems stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.54, for a total transaction of $2,412,387.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 602,710 shares in the company, valued at approximately $67,226,273.40. This trade represents a 3.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Jeetendra Patel sold 7,170 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.57, for a total value of $799,956.90. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 230,593 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,727,261.01. This trade represents a 3.02% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 44,869 shares of company stock valued at $5,005,620 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.01% of the company’s stock.

Cisco Systems News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: New AI networking platforms strengthen Cisco’s growth story. Cisco introduced 51.2-terabit and 102.4-terabit networking systems powered by its Silicon One chips, along with 1.6T optical modules and liquid-cooling technology for high-density data centers. Its collaboration with NVIDIA, TE Connectivity and Amphenol on next-generation optical connectivity could help Cisco capture more spending from the expanding AI infrastructure buildout. Cisco Systems Unveiled 102.4T AI Networking Platforms
• Positive Sentiment: AI demand is supporting an optimistic earnings setup. A preview article cited Cisco’s guidance for approximately 21% year-over-year revenue growth and 33% EPS growth, alongside recent revenue and earnings beats. Agentic AI adoption and infrastructure contracts, including international opportunities such as Bell Canada, are viewed as longer-term catalysts. Cisco Earnings Preview
• Positive Sentiment: Industry commentary supports continued AI capital spending. Strategist Tom Lee argued that the AI investment cycle may have substantial room to run, with networking, power, cooling and security among the beneficiaries. This reinforces the bullish case that Cisco’s AI order momentum could develop into a broader networking supercycle. Tom Lee on AI Stocks and Cisco
• Positive Sentiment: Splunk’s observability research highlights a potential software opportunity. Cisco reported that enterprises are struggling to monitor AI agents and control rising telemetry and AI costs. Growing demand for observability, security and operational predictability could support cross-selling through Cisco’s Splunk business. Splunk State of Observability 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: World Wide Technology’s new Cisco Secure AI Infrastructure specialization adds partner validation, but the direct near-term revenue impact is unclear. World Wide Technology Achieves Cisco Specialization
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and margin risks remain important headwinds. One analyst downgraded Cisco to Hold after a substantial year-to-date rally, arguing that the shares are near fair value and that hardware mix could pressure gross margins. Elevated price-to-sales levels may also reduce the stock’s sensitivity to positive AI news. Cisco Valuation and Technical Support

Cisco Systems Profile

Cisco Systems, Inc is a global technology company that develops networking, cybersecurity, collaboration and observability solutions for businesses, government organizations and service providers. Its offerings include routers, switches, wireless networking equipment, data-center infrastructure, security software and services, as well as technologies that support cloud and hybrid IT environments.

The company also provides collaboration tools through its Webex portfolio, cloud-managed networking through Cisco Meraki and security and observability capabilities that include technologies from Splunk, which Cisco acquired in 2024.