Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) has earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-four research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $89.55.

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Cisco Systems from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Cisco Systems from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. President Capital decreased their price objective on shares of Cisco Systems from $90.00 to $88.00 in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Cisco Systems from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, CICC Research upped their target price on shares of Cisco Systems from $84.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th.

Cisco Systems Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of CSCO opened at $79.27 on Wednesday. Cisco Systems has a one year low of $52.11 and a one year high of $88.18. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $78.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $74.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.96. The company has a market capitalization of $313.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.81, a P/E/G ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 0.87.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The network equipment provider reported $1.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 the consensus estimate of $15.11 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.94 EPS. Cisco Systems’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Cisco Systems will post 3.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cisco Systems Increases Dividend

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

Insider Activity at Cisco Systems

In related news, Director Kristina M. Johnson sold 13,481 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.13, for a total transaction of $1,039,789.53. Following the sale, the director directly owned 61,630 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,753,521.90. This represents a 17.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Michael D. Capellas sold 16,150 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.28, for a total value of $1,248,072.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 157,218 shares in the company, valued at $12,149,807.04. This trade represents a 9.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 75,799 shares of company stock worth $5,815,306 over the last quarter. 0.01% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Cisco Systems

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Cisco Systems during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Cisco Systems in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Bare Financial Services Inc lifted its holdings in Cisco Systems by 531.0% in the second quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 366 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 308 shares during the last quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Cisco Systems in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Finally, Jessup Wealth Management Inc bought a new position in shares of Cisco Systems during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 73.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Cisco Systems News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cisco reports large AI infrastructure orders from webscale customers and continued subscription momentum (subscriptions ~51% of sales in the quarter), signaling higher-margin recurring revenue and direct AI-driven demand for its networking and security stack. How Cisco’s AI Infrastructure Orders and NVIDIA Alliance Could Shape Cisco Systems (CSCO) Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Cisco expanded its Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA to simplify secure AI deployment from data centers to edge sites — a strategic partnership that ties Cisco networking/security products to NVIDIA’s AI stack and could accelerate customer deployments and systems sales. Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA Makes AI Easier to Deploy and Secure, Anywhere Organizations Need It
• Positive Sentiment: Billionaire investor Ken Fisher’s fund continues to hold Cisco and highlighted it among notable moves for 2026 — a vote of confidence from a long-term institutional holder that can support sentiment and liquidity. Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO): Billionaire Ken Fisher Reignites Interest in Long-Term Holding
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple media/analyst notes (Zacks, Yahoo Finance) are amplifying the NVIDIA partnership and AI orders, which helps visibility but may already be priced in by short-term traders. CSCO Taps NVIDIA to Drive Secure AI at the Edge: More Upside Ahead?
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry moves — NVIDIA’s new Vera CPU and surging optical peer Ciena — underscore strong AI/optical demand but also intensifying competition and sector rotation that could influence networking/optical pricing and investment. NVIDIA Launches Vera CPU, Purpose-Built for Agentic AI Ciena Surges 73% in 3 Months: Should Investors Still Buy the Stock?

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.