Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) Downgraded by Erste Group Bank to “Hold”

Erste Group Bank cut shares of Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report published on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat.com reports.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. KeyCorp boosted their price target on Cisco Systems from $77.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Cisco Systems in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. BNP Paribas Exane increased their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $86.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Cisco Systems from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $100.00 target price on shares of Cisco Systems in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $89.55.

Cisco Systems Stock Performance

Shares of CSCO opened at $78.18 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $308.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.43, a PEG ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.87. Cisco Systems has a 12 month low of $52.11 and a 12 month high of $88.18. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $77.70 and a 200 day simple moving average of $73.30. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The network equipment provider reported $1.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $15.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.11 billion. Cisco Systems had a net margin of 19.22% and a return on equity of 27.88%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.94 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Cisco Systems will post 3.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cisco Systems Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 22nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. This is a boost from Cisco Systems’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. Cisco Systems’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 57.54%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Charles Robbins sold 19,545 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.00, for a total transaction of $1,485,420.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 671,095 shares in the company, valued at approximately $51,003,220. This trade represents a 2.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Kristina M. Johnson sold 13,481 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.13, for a total value of $1,039,789.53. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 61,630 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,753,521.90. This trade represents a 17.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 83,299 shares of company stock valued at $6,390,416 in the last ninety days. 0.01% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Cisco Systems

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Cisco Systems by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 398,943,293 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $30,730,602,000 after buying an additional 4,049,893 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Cisco Systems by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 195,521,161 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $15,060,995,000 after acquiring an additional 1,057,962 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 99,252,395 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $6,864,058,000 after purchasing an additional 1,157,704 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley increased its position in shares of Cisco Systems by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 75,326,258 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $5,802,382,000 after purchasing an additional 206,352 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in Cisco Systems in the fourth quarter valued at about $4,473,272,000. Institutional investors own 73.33% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Cisco Systems

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target to $95 and reiterated a Buy, citing stronger AI order momentum that supports Cisco’s revenue outlook. UBS Lifts PT on Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results beat consensus (EPS $1.04 vs $1.02; revenue $15.35B vs $15.11B; revenue +9.7% YoY), giving fundamental support to the recovery narrative. CSCO Earnings & Data
• Positive Sentiment: Cisco announced a working quantum network with Qunnect between Brooklyn and Manhattan — a technology proof point that bolsters Cisco’s innovation story in networking and future services. Cisco and Qunnect build quantum network
• Neutral Sentiment: Broad Wall Street commentary highlights an average analyst target near $88.8 (~mid‑teens upside from recent levels), framing the pullback as a potential buying opportunity rather than a structural problem. Wall Street Sees 16% Upside in Cisco (CSCO)
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector coverage (Zacks) notes macro/margin headwinds but also AI tailwinds; useful context but not an immediate catalyst. 3 Stocks to Consider From a Troubled Networking Industry
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst and sentiment risks: Erste Group recently downgraded CSCO from Buy to Hold, and several commentaries raise valuation concerns tied to Cisco’s AI investments and the Splunk acquisition. Finviz (analyst note) Cisco’s New AI Push And Partnerships Weigh On Stock Valuation Story
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CEO Charles Robbins and other insiders sold shares mid‑February (SEC filings), which can add short‑term selling pressure and signal liquidity needs. Cisco Insider Selling Alerts
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage and data show a sharp, short‑term post‑earnings slide (~9–11% in recent sessions) and headline pieces questioning margins and the Splunk integration — the main near‑term negative catalysts for volatility. How Low Can Cisco Stock Go? What’s next for Cisco after its post-earnings stock slide?

Cisco Systems Company Profile

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.