North Dakota State Investment Board Acquires 4,664 Shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO

North Dakota State Investment Board lifted its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) by 3.9% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 124,523 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,664 shares during the quarter. Cisco Systems comprises 0.5% of North Dakota State Investment Board’s holdings, making the stock its 29th largest position. North Dakota State Investment Board’s holdings in Cisco Systems were worth $13,402,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cozad Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in Cisco Systems by 0.3% in the first quarter. Cozad Asset Management Inc. now owns 26,203 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,033,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the period. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems by 3.9% during the 2nd quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,413 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $283,000 after buying an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Green Ridge Wealth Planning LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Green Ridge Wealth Planning LLC now owns 6,017 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $648,000 after buying an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. August Group Capital Ltd grew its position in shares of Cisco Systems by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. August Group Capital Ltd now owns 4,723 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $555,000 after buying an additional 91 shares during the period. Finally, Financial Insights Inc. grew its position in shares of Cisco Systems by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. Financial Insights Inc. now owns 6,220 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $483,000 after buying an additional 92 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.33% of the company’s stock.

Cisco Systems Stock Down 1.0%

CSCO stock opened at $110.29 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $110.14 and its 200 day simple moving average is $100.68. The company has a market cap of $434.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.93. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $70.54 and a fifty-two week high of $130.37.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 12th. The network equipment provider reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.99 earnings per share. The company’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. On average, research analysts expect that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 4.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cisco Systems Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 21st. Investors of record on Friday, October 2nd were issued a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 2nd. Cisco Systems’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 50.30%.

Cisco Systems News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cisco is emphasizing AI security and “quantum-safe” technology as enterprises build out AI infrastructure. The strategy could create additional demand for Cisco’s networking, cybersecurity and observability products. What Is Cisco Signaling With Its AI Security And Quantum Safe Push?
• Positive Sentiment: Cisco President and Chief Product Officer Jeetu Patel said AI-agent safety will be a major technology issue, highlighting security risks that could increase demand for Cisco’s security and infrastructure solutions. AI Agent Safety Will Be the Issue of Our Time
• Positive Sentiment: Cisco open-sourced Project Quarry, a tool designed to detect rogue AI agents. The initiative could strengthen Cisco’s credibility in securing enterprise AI deployments and support future software and security opportunities. Cisco Open Sources Project Quarry to Detect Rogue AI Agents
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst consensus price targets reportedly moved higher, while Cisco’s partner awards and channel activity point to continued customer and reseller engagement. Cisco Systems Consensus Price Target Rises
• Neutral Sentiment: NTT DATA’s global AI Factory expansion may broaden demand for secure networking and AI infrastructure, although the announcement does not identify a specific Cisco contract or near-term revenue contribution. NTT DATA Expands AI Factory Footprint
• Negative Sentiment: Exchange-traded funds were net sellers of Cisco, creating near-term technical pressure independent of the company’s operating outlook. ETFs Are Net Sellers of Cisco
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are questioning whether Cisco’s strong multi-year advance and AI-related optimism are fully supported by future cash flow. A relatively elevated valuation leaves less room for execution disappointments. Can Cisco Stay Cheap as AI Cash Flow Builds?

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on CSCO shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Cisco Systems in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $135.00 price objective for the company. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Cisco Systems from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, October 11th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Cisco Systems from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Sunday, August 16th. Finally, HSBC downgraded shares of Cisco Systems from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $137.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Cisco Systems presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $128.52.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Cisco Systems news, EVP Deborah L. Stahlkopf sold 6,487 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.53, for a total transaction of $723,495.11. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 167,116 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,638,447.48. The trade was a 3.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Charles Robbins sold 21,628 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.54, for a total transaction of $2,412,387.12. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 602,710 shares in the company, valued at approximately $67,226,273.40. The trade was a 3.46% 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. Insiders sold 44,869 shares of company stock worth $5,005,620 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.01% of the company’s stock.

About Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems, Inc is a global technology company that develops networking, cybersecurity, collaboration and observability solutions for businesses, government organizations and service providers. Its offerings include routers, switches, wireless networking equipment, data-center infrastructure, security software and services, as well as technologies that support cloud and hybrid IT environments.

The company also provides collaboration tools through its Webex portfolio, cloud-managed networking through Cisco Meraki and security and observability capabilities that include technologies from Splunk, which Cisco acquired in 2024.