Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) Shares Up 3.2% After Analyst Upgrade

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) shares rose 3.2% during mid-day trading on Monday after Evercore ISI upgraded the stock from an in-line rating to an outperform rating. Evercore ISI now has a $100.00 price target on the stock, up from their previous price target of $80.00. Cisco Systems traded as high as $77.42 and last traded at $77.01. Approximately 24,567,544 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 31% from the average daily volume of 18,691,336 shares. The stock had previously closed at $74.59.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Rosenblatt Securities boosted their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $87.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on Cisco Systems from $70.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Barclays upped their price target on Cisco Systems from $71.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Citic Securities lifted their price objective on Cisco Systems from $75.00 to $90.00 in a research note on Monday, November 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Cisco Systems from $83.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $86.81.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Kristina M. Johnson sold 13,481 shares of Cisco Systems stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.13, for a total value of $1,039,789.53. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 61,630 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,753,521.90. This trade represents a 17.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Charles Robbins sold 116,734 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.30, for a total transaction of $9,023,538.20. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 704,153 shares in the company, valued at $54,431,026.90. The trade was a 14.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 1,044,865 shares of company stock worth $81,397,635 over the last ninety days. Company 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: Evercore ISI upgraded Cisco from “in‑line” to “outperform” and raised its price target to $100, citing better revenue/profit visibility and AI opportunity — a direct catalyst for the stock’s move. Evercore ISI Group upgrades Cisco Systems (CSCO)
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple analysts have lifted targets and reiterated buys after Cisco’s outlook and AI revenue potential were highlighted; these revisions increase investor expectations for upside versus prior estimates. Cisco Systems Trending as Analysts Lift Targets
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage notes point to Cisco’s above‑consensus profit and revenue outlook as a substantive driver for upgrades — signaling the company’s results/guidance are increasingly convincing analysts. Cisco upgraded on above consensus profit, revenue outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Cisco launched the “Cisco 360” partner program to accelerate customer AI outcomes and make it easier for partners to deploy AI‑ready data centers and secure architectures — this supports revenue growth from the AI transition. Cisco Launches New Cisco 360 Partner Program, Built with Partners for the AI Era
• Neutral Sentiment: Cisco released research on how AI is driving privacy and governance spending — supportive for long‑term TAM but not an immediate revenue guarantee. Investors should watch execution and timing of AI monetization. AI Fuels Surge in Data Privacy Investments and Redefines Governance, Cisco Reports
• Neutral Sentiment: Background pieces note the stock has had short‑term pullbacks even as the 12‑month performance is strong; this means analyst upgrades may fuel further upside but also increase sensitivity to near‑term execution and valuation. Cisco (CSCO) Stock: Why This Tech Bargain Just Got Upgraded

Institutional Trading of Cisco Systems

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in shares of Cisco Systems by 49.5% during the 4th 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 during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in Cisco Systems by 37.0% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 9,156 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $542,000 after purchasing an additional 2,474 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its position in Cisco Systems by 7.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 10,178 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $706,000 after acquiring an additional 712 shares during the period. ORG Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems by 21.1% in the second quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 2,050 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $142,000 after purchasing an additional 357 shares during the period. Finally, Moody Lynn & Lieberson LLC raised its position in Cisco Systems by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. Moody Lynn & Lieberson LLC now owns 36,993 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $2,567,000 after buying an additional 282 shares during the last quarter. 73.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Cisco Systems Stock Up 3.2%

The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $76.60 and its 200-day moving average is $71.84. The stock has a market capitalization of $304.27 billion, a PE ratio of 28.95, a PEG ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.87.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 12th. The network equipment provider reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $14.88 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.77 billion. Cisco Systems had a net margin of 18.38% and a return on equity of 27.29%. The firm’s revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.91 earnings per share. 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. On average, equities research analysts predict that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 3.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Cisco Systems Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 2nd were issued a $0.41 dividend. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend 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 61.65%.

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.