Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) Trading Up 1.9% – Time to Buy?

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)’s share price shot up 1.9% on Friday . The stock traded as high as $120.79 and last traded at $120.41. 22,159,468 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 5% from the average session volume of 23,433,922 shares. The stock had previously closed at $118.20.

Key Cisco Systems News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cisco is being viewed as an AI networking winner, with multiple reports citing surging hyperscaler orders and stronger campus upgrade activity that could support revenue growth and the company’s AI outlook. Cisco Gains From AI Networking Boom : More Upside Ahead?
• Positive Sentiment: Another bullish article said Cisco has climbed sharply over the past month because investors are rewarding its exposure to AI networking demand, even though margin pressure remains a concern. Cisco Rises 33% in a Month: Here’s Why You Should Buy the Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage also emphasized Cisco’s strong recent financial results, pointing to solid top- and bottom-line growth that reinforces its role as a core tech holding for long-term investors. Impressive Financial Results Assert Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) as a Top Tech Stock in Ken Fisher’s Portfolio
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street commentary remained broadly constructive, with articles noting bullish analyst views on Cisco, but these pieces did not add a new catalyst beyond reinforcing existing optimism. Should You Invest in Cisco (CSCO) Based on Bullish Wall Street Views?
• Neutral Sentiment: Cisco was also mentioned as part of a broader AI optics alliance focused on standardizing optical connectivity for AI infrastructure, which supports the company’s strategic positioning but is not a direct company-specific development. 3M Joins AI Optics Alliance As Shares Screen Undervalued
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider selling by a Cisco executive could create some caution, even though it is not necessarily a sign of deteriorating fundamentals. Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) EVP Sells $772,603.66 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Another report flagged additional insider selling, which may weigh on sentiment at the margin after the stock’s recent strong run. Insider Selling: Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) Insider Sells $840,780.32 in Stock

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on CSCO. DZ Bank raised shares of Cisco Systems to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. BNP Paribas Exane boosted their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $87.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Cisco Systems from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 14th. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $95.00 to $114.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Evercore boosted their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $110.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Cisco Systems has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $118.14.

Cisco Systems Trading Up 1.9%

The stock has a market capitalization of $474.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.09, a P/E/G ratio of 3.47 and a beta of 0.92. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $88.49 and its 200 day moving average price is $81.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.92 and a quick ratio of 0.81.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 13th. The network equipment provider reported $1.06 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $15.84 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.56 billion. Cisco Systems had a net margin of 20.14% and a return on equity of 28.44%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.96 earnings per share. Cisco Systems has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 1.160-1.180 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 4.270-4.290 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 3.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cisco Systems Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 6th. Cisco Systems’s dividend payout ratio is 54.55%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Thimaya K. Subaiya sold 1,744 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.07, for a total transaction of $134,410.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 156,693 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,076,329.51. This represents a 1.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Oliver Tuszik sold 3,132 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.74, for a total transaction of $249,745.68. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 188,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,040,000.62. This trade represents a 1.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 32,103 shares of company stock valued at $3,160,587. 0.01% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cisco Systems

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CSCO. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in Cisco Systems by 49.5% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 74,187 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $4,392,000 after buying an additional 24,562 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in Cisco Systems by 37.0% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 9,156 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $542,000 after buying an additional 2,474 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in Cisco Systems by 7.5% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 10,178 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $706,000 after buying an additional 712 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its stake in Cisco Systems by 3.9% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 13,974 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $969,000 after buying an additional 519 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP raised its stake in Cisco Systems by 118.1% in the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 90,650 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $6,289,000 after buying an additional 590,650 shares in the last quarter. 73.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.