Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) Stock Price Up 3.4% – Time to Buy?

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) traded up 3.4% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $118.60 and last traded at $118.20. 22,616,853 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 4% from the average session volume of 23,446,787 shares. The stock had previously closed at $114.35.

Cisco Systems News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cisco is being viewed as an AI networking winner, with multiple reports citing surging hyperscaler orders and stronger campus upgrade activity that could support revenue growth and the company’s AI outlook. Cisco Gains From AI Networking Boom : More Upside Ahead?
• Positive Sentiment: Another bullish article said Cisco has climbed sharply over the past month because investors are rewarding its exposure to AI networking demand, even though margin pressure remains a concern. Cisco Rises 33% in a Month: Here’s Why You Should Buy the Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage also emphasized Cisco’s strong recent financial results, pointing to solid top- and bottom-line growth that reinforces its role as a core tech holding for long-term investors. Impressive Financial Results Assert Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) as a Top Tech Stock in Ken Fisher’s Portfolio
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street commentary remained broadly constructive, with articles noting bullish analyst views on Cisco, but these pieces did not add a new catalyst beyond reinforcing existing optimism. Should You Invest in Cisco (CSCO) Based on Bullish Wall Street Views?
• Neutral Sentiment: Cisco was also mentioned as part of a broader AI optics alliance focused on standardizing optical connectivity for AI infrastructure, which supports the company’s strategic positioning but is not a direct company-specific development. 3M Joins AI Optics Alliance As Shares Screen Undervalued
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider selling by a Cisco executive could create some caution, even though it is not necessarily a sign of deteriorating fundamentals. Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) EVP Sells $772,603.66 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Another report flagged additional insider selling, which may weigh on sentiment at the margin after the stock’s recent strong run. Insider Selling: Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) Insider Sells $840,780.32 in Stock

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on CSCO. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Cisco Systems from $95.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Cisco Systems from $95.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Argus upped their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $100.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Cisco Systems from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Cisco Systems from $91.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Cisco Systems has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $118.14.

Cisco Systems Price Performance

The business’s 50-day moving average price is $89.34 and its 200 day moving average price is $81.52. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The company has a market capitalization of $474.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 0.92.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 13th. The network equipment provider reported $1.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $15.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.56 billion. Cisco Systems had a net margin of 20.14% and a return on equity of 28.44%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company 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. Analysts anticipate that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 3.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cisco Systems Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, July 6th will be given a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 6th. Cisco Systems’s payout ratio is presently 54.55%.

Insider Transactions at Cisco Systems

In related news, EVP Oliver Tuszik sold 2,761 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.61, for a total value of $316,438.21. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 180,877 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,730,312.97. This represents a 1.50% 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. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, SVP Maria Victoria Wong sold 551 shares of Cisco Systems stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.54, for a total transaction of $42,724.54. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 27,957 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,167,785.78. The trade was a 1.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 32,103 shares of company stock worth $3,160,587. 0.01% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Cisco Systems

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Cisco Systems in the 4th quarter worth about $4,473,272,000. Auto Owners Insurance Co raised its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems by 8,718.3% during the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 51,952,421 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $400,190,000 after buying an additional 51,363,281 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its position in Cisco Systems by 103.2% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 29,289,151 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $2,256,144,000 after buying an additional 14,874,407 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its position in Cisco Systems by 110.2% during the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 18,406,442 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,259,369,000 after acquiring an additional 9,648,265 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in shares of Cisco Systems by 18.0% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 50,320,905 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $3,876,219,000 after acquiring an additional 7,679,422 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.33% of the company’s stock.

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.