Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) Stock Price Up 2.5% After Analyst Upgrade

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)’s stock price shot up 2.5% during trading on Friday after HSBC raised their price target on the stock from $74.00 to $77.00. HSBC currently has a hold rating on the stock. Cisco Systems traded as high as $77.30 and last traded at $76.85. 42,852,289 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 76% from the average session volume of 24,388,771 shares. The stock had previously closed at $75.00.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the company. Zacks Research raised Cisco Systems from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Cisco Systems from $85.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of Cisco Systems from $100.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Cisco Systems in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Cisco Systems from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Cisco Systems has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $97.19.

Insider Activity

In other Cisco Systems 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 transaction, the director owned 61,630 shares in the company, 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Thimaya K. Subaiya sold 1,745 shares of Cisco Systems stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.46, for a total value of $138,657.70. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 176,319 shares in the company, valued at $14,010,307.74. This represents a 0.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 507,122 shares of company stock worth $39,545,816. 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: Cisco’s AI momentum: management said hyperscalers placed about $2.1B of AI‑infrastructure orders and the company unveiled the Silicon One G300 chip aimed at large AI clusters — this supports durable demand for Cisco’s high‑end networking gear. Cisco Q2 press release (AI orders & guidance) Silicon One G300 announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Q2 beat + raised full‑year revenue/EPS ranges: Cisco topped revenue and non‑GAAP EPS estimates and lifted FY26 guidance, which supports upside if AI demand sustains. Cisco Q2 press release
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst backing: multiple firms raised targets and reiterated buys (examples: CICC to $96, UBS/ Citigroup/others lifted targets), adding fresh buy‑side catalyst and headline support for the rally. CICC price‑target raise
• Positive Sentiment: Capital returns: Cisco raised the quarterly dividend and continues buybacks, which helps base valuation support and total‑return appeal for income/ value investors. Dividend & buyback disclosure
• Neutral Sentiment: Long‑term bull narratives: market commentary argues Cisco could see much larger multi‑year gains if AI refresh cycles and share‑buybacks compound — high upside is discussed but speculative. MarketBeat long‑term bullish piece
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure from memory costs: investors punished the stock after management warned that rising memory prices are pressuring gross margins — that narrative caused a sharp selloff despite the beat. CNBC: memory prices pressure margins
• Negative Sentiment: Free cash flow and higher capex: FCF declined year‑over‑year as Cisco ramps capex and AI investments — this weakens near‑term cash generation and is a watch item for valuation and buyback sustainability. Barchart: lower free cash flow analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance/expectations mismatch: although FY guidance was raised, some investors viewed near‑term margins and the qualitative tone as “mediocre,” prompting volatility after earnings. MarketWatch: investor reaction to earnings

Institutional Trading of Cisco Systems

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CSCO. Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Cisco Systems during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Cisco Systems in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Bare Financial Services Inc grew its stake in shares of 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 purchased a new position in shares of Cisco Systems in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Finally, Jessup Wealth Management Inc bought a new position in Cisco Systems in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. 73.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Cisco Systems Stock Up 2.5%

The company’s 50-day moving average is $77.86 and its 200 day moving average is $73.00. The company has a market capitalization of $303.64 billion, a PE ratio of 26.97, a P/E/G ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 0.93.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) last issued its earnings results 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 net margin of 19.22% and a return on equity of 28.06%. The business had revenue of $15.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.11 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.94 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 3.04 EPS for the current year.

Cisco Systems Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 22nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 2nd will be issued a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 2nd. This is a positive change from Cisco Systems’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. Cisco Systems’s dividend payout ratio is 61.65%.

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.