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

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-four ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $86.8095.

A number of research analysts have weighed in on CSCO shares. President Capital reduced their target price on Cisco Systems from $90.00 to $88.00 in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Cisco Systems from $71.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, November 13th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $83.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, November 13th. Argus upped their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $80.00 to $100.00 in a report on Thursday, November 13th. Finally, Melius Research increased their price objective on Cisco Systems from $84.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th.

Insider Activity at Cisco Systems

In related news, Director Michael D. Capellas sold 16,150 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.28, for a total value of $1,248,072.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 157,218 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,149,807.04. This represents a 9.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Charles Robbins sold 281,860 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.35, for a total transaction of $22,083,731.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 820,887 shares in the company, valued at $64,316,496.45. This represents a 25.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 1,044,865 shares of company stock valued at $81,397,635 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.01% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Cisco Systems

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Bare Financial Services Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems by 531.0% in the 2nd quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 366 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 308 shares in the last quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Cisco Systems in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in Cisco Systems during the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Board of the Pension Protection Fund bought a new position in Cisco Systems during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Cisco Systems by 96.2% during the third quarter. Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 408 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. 73.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Cisco Systems Stock Up 3.2%

CSCO opened at $77.01 on Tuesday. Cisco Systems has a 12 month low of $52.11 and a 12 month high of $80.82. The company has a market cap of $304.27 billion, a PE ratio of 28.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The company has a 50 day moving average of $76.60 and a 200 day moving average of $71.84.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, November 12th. The network equipment provider reported $1.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 return on equity of 27.29% and a net margin of 18.38%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $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, sell-side analysts expect that Cisco Systems will post 3.04 EPS for the current year.

Cisco Systems Dividend Announcement

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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Cisco Systems’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 61.65%.

Key Cisco Systems News

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

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.