Erste Group Bank Downgrades Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) to Hold

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) was downgraded by Erste Group Bank from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Wednesday.

Several other equities research analysts have also weighed in on CSCO. President Capital cut their target price on Cisco Systems from $90.00 to $88.00 in a research report on Wednesday, December 24th. Argus raised shares of Cisco Systems to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Cisco Systems from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 22nd. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Cisco Systems from $71.00 to $76.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Cisco Systems from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Cisco Systems has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $89.55.

Cisco Systems Price Performance

CSCO stock traded up $0.66 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $77.51. The stock had a trading volume of 1,701,505 shares, compared to its average volume of 23,694,852. Cisco Systems has a twelve month low of $52.11 and a twelve month high of $88.18. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $77.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $73.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $306.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.19, a PEG ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.87.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The network equipment provider reported $1.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.02. Cisco Systems had a return on equity of 27.88% and a net margin of 19.22%.The company had revenue of $15.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.11 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.94 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Cisco Systems will post 3.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Cisco Systems

In other news, insider Jeetendra I. Patel sold 11,248 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.00, for a total value of $854,848.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 262,776 shares in the company, valued at $19,970,976. This trade represents a 4.10% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Charles Robbins sold 19,545 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.00, for a total transaction of $1,485,420.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 671,095 shares in the company, valued at approximately $51,003,220. The trade was a 2.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 83,299 shares of company stock valued at $6,390,416. Corporate insiders own 0.01% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cisco Systems

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CSCO. Smithfield Trust Co grew its stake in shares of Cisco Systems by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 33,666 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $2,596,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares during the last quarter. Main Management ETF Advisors LLC increased its position in Cisco Systems by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Main Management ETF Advisors LLC now owns 12,528 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $965,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares during the period. Cairn Investment Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Cisco Systems by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Cairn Investment Group Inc. now owns 24,146 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $1,860,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. Juncture Wealth Strategies LLC boosted its stake in shares of Cisco Systems by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Juncture Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 15,042 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,159,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clearwater Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Cisco Systems by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Clearwater Capital Advisors LLC now owns 5,407 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $417,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 73.33% of the company’s stock.

Cisco Systems News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cisco and Qunnect demonstrated a working quantum network over real New York fiber — a technology milestone that reinforces Cisco’s position in next‑generation networking and could support long‑term subscription and services growth. Cisco and Qunnect build quantum network
• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on CSCO to $95 (from $90) and kept a Buy rating, citing stronger AI order momentum — this supports analyst-driven upside and gives investors a higher valuation anchor. UBS Lifts PT on Cisco Systems
• Positive Sentiment: Several Wall Street notes frame the recent pullback as a buying opportunity, with average targets implying roughly mid‑teens upside — this narrative can attract bargain‑seeking flows if earnings execution remains intact. Wall Street Sees 16% Upside in Cisco
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage examines Cisco’s AI partnerships and whether the company’s new AI initiatives are already priced in — this is important for medium‑term multiples but is mixed on immediate direction. Cisco’s New AI Push And Partnerships Weigh On Stock Valuation Story
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and outlets (Zacks, others) are flagging international revenue shifts and continued investor attention — useful context for guidance sensitivity but not an immediate trade trigger. Why Cisco International Revenue Trends Deserve Attention
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest notices in recent feeds look alarming but contain inconsistent/zero values (likely reporting errors) — can increase intraday volatility if traders react, despite unreliable data.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CEO Charles Robbins and SVP Jeetendra Patel reported sales of stock on Feb. 13 (multiple Form 4 filings), which traders may interpret as a near‑term negative signal even though insiders still hold large positions. Insider trades alert SEC Form 4 (Robbins)
• Negative Sentiment: Post‑earnings volatility: coverage highlights a ~9% recent selloff after results, which has increased short‑term selling pressure and valuation scrutiny. What’s next after post-earnings slide?

About Cisco Systems

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.