Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) Upgraded at Truist Financial

Truist Financial upgraded shares of Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) to a strong-buy rating in a research report released on Monday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Evercore raised shares of Cisco Systems from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $80.00 to $100.00 in a research report on Monday, January 26th. BNP Paribas Exane raised their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $86.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $100.00 price objective on shares of Cisco Systems in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. President Capital cut their target price on Cisco Systems from $90.00 to $88.00 in a research report on Wednesday, December 24th. Finally, HSBC raised their target price on Cisco Systems from $74.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Cisco Systems presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $89.76.

Cisco Systems Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:CSCO opened at $77.93 on Monday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $79.18 and its 200 day moving average is $75.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.85. Cisco Systems has a 1 year low of $52.11 and a 1 year high of $88.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $307.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.34, a P/E/G ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.83.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The network equipment provider reported $1.04 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $15.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.11 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.94 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Cisco Systems will post 3.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cisco Systems Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 22nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 2nd will be paid a $0.42 dividend. 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Cisco Systems’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 57.54%.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Jeetendra I. Patel sold 11,248 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.00, for a total transaction of $854,848.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 262,776 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,970,976. This trade represents a 4.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Oliver Tuszik sold 3,132 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.74, for a total transaction of $249,745.68. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 188,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,040,000.62. The trade was a 1.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 46,431 shares of company stock valued at $3,574,820 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.01% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Cisco Systems

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Marquette Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Cisco Systems during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Cisco Systems during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Cisco Systems during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Cisco Systems by 96.2% during the third quarter. Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 408 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Jessup Wealth Management Inc purchased a new position in Cisco Systems in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Hedge funds and other 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: Cisco reported stronger-than-expected Q2 results and said AI infrastructure orders have surged; management guided FY revenue to $61.2–$61.7B, reinforcing revenue momentum and the company’s AI networking story. CSCO Stock Slipped ~4% This Week Even as AI Infrastructure Orders Surged
• Positive Sentiment: Truist initiated coverage with a “buy/strong-buy” view and a $94 price target, signaling analyst confidence that Cisco can capture more AI‑driven networking spend. Truist Securities initiates coverage of Cisco Systems (CSCO) with buy recommendation
• Positive Sentiment: Cisco signed an MOU with Atom Computing to explore quantum networking links, extending its AI/infra narrative into emerging quantum/distributed compute networking — a longer‑term strategic positive. Is Cisco’s Quantum Networking Push With Atom Computing Reshaping Its AI Infrastructure Story (CSCO)?
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and ratings pages (e.g., Barron’s) are being updated as analysts reassess Cisco amid recent results and macro volatility — watch for changes in consensus estimates. Cisco Systems Inc. (Research Ratings)
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor pieces debating whether the recent pullback is a buying opportunity or a pause in the rally — useful for positioning but not news-driven catalysts. Is It Too Late To Consider Cisco Systems (CSCO)?
• Negative Sentiment: Reports of a cyberattack tied to a recent Trivy breach briefly rattled the stock — even contained incidents can raise short‑term risk perception for a network‑security vendor. Cisco Stock (CSCO) Wobbles after Reports of Cyberattack Linked to Recent Trivy Breach
• Negative Sentiment: Heightened Middle‑East geopolitical tensions and threats from Iran to Western tech firms have pressured indexes and risk appetite, contributing to Cisco’s recent weekly pullback. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Threatens to Strike U.S. Companies in Mideast
• Negative Sentiment: Despite positive fundamental developments, shares slipped ~4–5% over the past week — likely profit‑taking and macro/sector rotation outweighing company‑specific tailwinds in the near term. CSCO Stock Slipped ~4% This Week Even as AI Infrastructure Orders Surged

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.