Meridian Investment Counsel Inc. Purchases 8,501 Shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO

Meridian Investment Counsel Inc. boosted its position in Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) by 32.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 34,546 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,501 shares during the quarter. Meridian Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Cisco Systems were worth $2,680,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Cisco Systems during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management bought a new position in Cisco Systems during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Networth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Cisco Systems by 276.4% in the 1st quarter. Networth Advisors LLC now owns 335 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 246 shares in the last quarter. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in shares of Cisco Systems during the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Jessup Wealth Management Inc bought a new position in shares of Cisco Systems in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. 73.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on CSCO shares. Argus upped their price objective on shares of Cisco Systems from $100.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. UBS Group upped their target price on Cisco Systems from $95.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. HSBC upgraded Cisco Systems from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $77.00 to $137.00 in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Truist Financial started coverage on Cisco Systems in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $94.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Zacks Research raised Cisco Systems from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Cisco Systems has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $123.14.

Cisco Systems Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:CSCO opened at $112.69 on Monday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $112.59 and a 200-day moving average of $90.82. The company has a market capitalization of $444.16 billion, a PE ratio of 36.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.92. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a 52-week low of $65.75 and a 52-week high of $130.37.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 13th. The network equipment provider reported $1.06 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $15.84 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.56 billion. Cisco Systems had a return on equity of 28.44% and a net margin of 20.14%.Cisco Systems’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.96 EPS. Cisco Systems has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 1.160-1.180 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 4.270-4.290 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 3.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cisco Systems Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 6th. Cisco Systems’s payout ratio is 54.55%.

Insider Activity at Cisco Systems

In other news, EVP Deborah L. Stahlkopf sold 6,586 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.31, for a total value of $772,603.66. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 177,223 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,790,030.13. This represents a 3.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Jeetendra I. Patel sold 7,169 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.28, for a total transaction of $840,780.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 246,737 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $28,937,315.36. This trade represents a 2.82% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 47,650 shares of company stock valued at $5,668,823. Corporate insiders own 0.01% of the company’s stock.

More Cisco Systems News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cisco is being highlighted as a potential AI infrastructure winner after reporting record quarterly revenue, raising full-year guidance, and saying it expects about $9 billion in AI infrastructure orders from hyperscalers in FY26. Cisco’s Forecast Beats the Bearish Retail Crowd. Here’s the Target
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded Cisco from hold to strong-buy, reinforcing a more constructive analyst view on the stock. Zacks.com
• Positive Sentiment: Several market writeups continue to frame Cisco as a beneficiary of AI demand and a blue-chip pick for the second half of 2026, which may support investor sentiment. Dow Records Best 1H Performance Since 2021: 5 Top Picks for 2H 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: One article compared Cisco’s stock performance with the broader technology sector this year, suggesting investors are still evaluating whether CSCO is outperforming peers or simply benefiting from sector rotation. Are Computer and Technology Stocks Lagging Cisco Systems (CSCO) This Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Cisco also announced an AP Cybersecurity partnership with the College Board, a positive brand and education initiative, but one that is likely not a major near-term stock driver. Cisco Partners With College Board To Launch AP Cybersecurity and Expand Career-Connected Learning
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentators are warning that Cisco’s valuation looks stretched on cash flow terms, even if earnings multiples remain reasonable, which could limit upside after the recent rally. Cisco (CSCO) Stock Looks Stretched On Cash Flow Yet Reasonable On Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Another article explicitly said Cisco stock moved lower in the prior session, reflecting ongoing profit-taking and caution after a strong run-up. Cisco Systems (CSCO) Stock Moves -3.69%: What You Should Know
• Negative Sentiment: Recent “growth stock” pieces used Cisco as an example of what can go wrong when growth slows, adding a cautious narrative around the company’s long-term growth profile. 2 Growth Stocks with All-Star Potential and 1 Facing Challenges

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.