First Trust Advisors LP Has $2 Billion Position in Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO

First Trust Advisors LP lowered its stake in shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) by 3.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 29,193,618 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,162,718 shares during the quarter. Cisco Systems comprises approximately 1.5% of First Trust Advisors LP’s holdings, making the stock its largest holding. First Trust Advisors LP owned 0.74% of Cisco Systems worth $1,997,427,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. HUB Investment Partners LLC grew its position in Cisco Systems by 77.0% in the 3rd quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 126,393 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $8,648,000 after purchasing an additional 54,983 shares during the last quarter. Intellus Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Cisco Systems by 3.5% during the third quarter. Intellus Advisors LLC now owns 8,457 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $579,000 after buying an additional 286 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Capital Group California Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Cisco Systems by 51.5% in the third quarter. Legacy Capital Group California Inc. now owns 23,299 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,594,000 after buying an additional 7,917 shares during the period. Modern Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Cisco Systems by 7.0% in the third quarter. Modern Wealth Management LLC now owns 103,021 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $7,049,000 after buying an additional 6,727 shares during the period. Finally, Ramirez Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Cisco Systems by 30.1% during the third quarter. Ramirez Asset Management Inc. now owns 38,249 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $2,617,000 after buying an additional 8,842 shares in the last quarter. 73.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other Cisco Systems news, SVP Maria Victoria Wong sold 2,179 shares of Cisco Systems stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.74, for a total transaction of $169,395.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 28,807 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,239,456.18. This trade represents a 7.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Michael D. Capellas sold 16,150 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.28, for a total transaction of $1,248,072.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 157,218 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,149,807.04. The trade was a 9.32% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 75,677 shares of company stock valued at $5,811,211. 0.01% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Cisco Systems News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Heavy AI order flow, stronger guidance and product momentum — Analysts and coverage pieces highlight Cisco’s growing AI infrastructure business (AI revenue > $2B in 2025) and FY26 targets for higher recognized revenue and orders, plus Silicon One/G300 chip traction and buybacks that support valuation upside. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Confirmed hyperscaler demand and partnerships — Reports note heavy AI orders, a new Cisco Secure AI Factory in Australia with NVIDIA and SharonAI, and guidance upgrades that validate near-term revenue drivers. These operational signals are the main fundamental reason some investors remain bullish. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend and income appeal — Multiple retirement/dividend-focused articles include NASDAQ dividend names and long-term “set it and forget it” recommendations, supporting demand from income-oriented holders if rates fall. That dynamic could help support the stock over time. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry positioning and market studies — Cisco is cited as a leader in email encryption and unified communications market reports, underscoring long-term TAM exposure but not an immediate catalyst. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management outreach — Cisco presented at the Morgan Stanley TMT conference; transcripts provide detail for investors but did not introduce a surprise that would flip sentiment. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Macro and geopolitical uncertainty / market rotation — Broader market factors (regional tensions, shifting bond yields/rate expectations, and profit-taking after YTD gains) are likely weighing on the stock today despite company positives; one article notes regional risks that could affect U.S. investment flows. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed commentary and historical caution — Some retail/advice pieces remind investors of past Cisco drawdowns and caution about growth re-rates; these narratives can pressure sentiment during short-term pullbacks. Read More.

Cisco Systems Stock Down 1.7%

NASDAQ CSCO opened at $78.64 on Friday. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a 1-year low of $52.11 and a 1-year high of $88.18. The company has a market capitalization of $310.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.59, a PEG ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.87. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $77.96 and its two-hundred day moving average is $74.09. 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 released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The network equipment provider reported $1.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 analyst estimates of $15.11 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.94 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 3.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cisco Systems Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 22nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 2nd will be given a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. This is a positive change 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 currently 57.54%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on the company. Wall Street Zen raised Cisco Systems from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 28th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Cisco Systems from $85.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 13th. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on Cisco Systems from $70.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Zacks Research raised Cisco Systems from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Cisco Systems to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $89.55.

Cisco Systems 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.