Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO Shares Bought by QRG Capital Management Inc.

QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) by 8.4% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 726,999 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 56,088 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Cisco Systems were worth $86,704,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in CSCO. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in Cisco Systems during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Networth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Cisco Systems by 276.4% in the first quarter. Networth Advisors LLC now owns 335 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 246 shares in the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Cisco Systems by 137.0% during the first quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 346 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in shares of Cisco Systems during the first quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Principia Wealth Advisory LLC increased its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems by 43.7% during the second quarter. Principia Wealth Advisory LLC now owns 398 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 121 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.33% of the company’s stock.

Cisco Systems Stock Performance

Shares of CSCO stock traded down $0.01 on Wednesday, hitting $106.43. The company had a trading volume of 17,629,853 shares, compared to its average volume of 22,757,455. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a twelve month low of $66.81 and a twelve month high of $130.37. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The firm has a market cap of $419.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $112.66 and a 200-day moving average price of $104.97.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The network equipment provider reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.17 by $0.05. Cisco Systems had a return on equity of 30.16% and a net margin of 20.95%.The firm had revenue of $17.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.84 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.99 earnings per share. Cisco Systems’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Cisco Systems has set its FY 2027 guidance at 5.050-5.110 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 1.320-1.340 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 4.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cisco Systems Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 21st. Investors of record on Friday, October 2nd will be paid a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 2nd. Cisco Systems’s payout ratio is currently 50.30%.

Insider Transactions at Cisco Systems

In related news, EVP Thimaya Subaiya sold 5,832 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.47, for a total transaction of $650,093.04. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 128,382 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,310,741.54. This represents a 4.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Jeetendra Patel sold 7,170 shares of Cisco Systems stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.57, for a total transaction of $799,956.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 230,593 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $25,727,261.01. The trade was a 3.02% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 44,869 shares of company stock worth $5,005,620. Insiders own 0.01% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Cisco Systems

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators continue to view Cisco as an AI-infrastructure beneficiary because data centers require high-speed switches, networking equipment and data-movement capabilities. Cisco’s established networking position and data-center exposure could provide a moat as AI deployments expand. CSCO Still Has Niche in AI Trade: Kim Forrest Sees Data & Data Centers as Moat
• Positive Sentiment: Cisco released research indicating that enterprises are rapidly moving toward “AgenticOps,” or AI-driven network operations. The findings suggest a growing need for tools that automate increasingly complex network monitoring and alert management, potentially supporting demand for Cisco’s software and services. Cisco AI Research: AgenticOps Scaling Quickly in the Enterprise
• Positive Sentiment: Cisco announced a collaboration with Infleqtion to develop distributed quantum-networking technologies, including quantum memory-to-optical transduction and a prototype Universal Quantum Switch. The initiative strengthens Cisco’s technology positioning, although its financial contribution remains longer term. Cisco Unveils Quantum Networking Push With New Distributed Systems Collaboration
• Neutral Sentiment: A Zscaler-versus-Cisco comparison emphasized Cisco’s combination of cybersecurity growth, AI-infrastructure momentum and cash generation, along with a lower price-to-sales valuation than Zscaler. The comparison is supportive but does not represent a new company catalyst. Zscaler vs. Cisco: Which Cybersecurity Stock Is the Better Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: Piper Sandler lowered its Cisco price target to $125 from $132 and retained a Neutral rating. Analyst James Fish cited expectations for a lower valuation multiple and fears that growth could be peaking, prompting investors to reassess Cisco’s premium after its strong run. Cisco stock sinks after Piper Sandler cuts price target on growth concerns
• Negative Sentiment: Recent executive stock sales and broad profit-taking appear to have intensified the selling pressure. Available reports characterized the move as sentiment- and valuation-driven rather than a response to a new earnings miss or guidance reduction.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CSCO has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of Cisco Systems in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. They set a “buy” rating and a $135.00 target price on the stock. Rosenblatt Securities boosted their price objective on shares of Cisco Systems from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Freedom Capital raised Cisco Systems from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, August 16th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Cisco Systems in a research note on Wednesday, August 26th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Cisco Systems from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $129.36.

About Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems, Inc is a global technology company that provides networking, cybersecurity, collaboration, observability and other information technology solutions. Its offerings include routers, switches, wireless networking equipment, data center infrastructure, security platforms, unified communications tools and software designed to help organizations connect, manage and protect their digital environments.

Cisco serves businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, telecommunications providers and other organizations worldwide.