Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO - Get Free Report) issued an update on its fourth quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 1.160-1.180 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 1.040. The company issued revenue guidance of $16.7 billion-$16.9 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $15.8 billion. Cisco Systems also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 4.270-4.290 EPS.
Cisco Systems Trading Up 2.6%
Shares of CSCO traded up $2.58 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $101.87. 34,208,050 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 22,356,156. Cisco Systems has a twelve month low of $60.85 and a twelve month high of $102.01. The stock has a market cap of $402.38 billion, a PE ratio of 35.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.70 and a beta of 0.92. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $83.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $79.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.
Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 13th. The network equipment provider reported $1.06 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.04 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $15.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.56 billion. Cisco Systems had a net margin of 19.22% and a return on equity of 27.88%. 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, analysts anticipate that Cisco Systems will post 3.42 earnings per share for the current year.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of brokerages recently weighed in on CSCO. Truist Financial began coverage on shares of Cisco Systems in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $94.00 price objective for the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Cisco Systems from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 14th. Argus upgraded shares of Cisco Systems to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Cisco Systems to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $90.29.
Get Our Latest Stock Report on Cisco Systems
Insider Buying and Selling
In other Cisco Systems news, CEO Charles Robbins sold 19,545 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.00, for a total transaction of $1,485,420.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 671,095 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $51,003,220. This trade represents a 2.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Deborah L. Stahlkopf sold 7,981 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.50, for a total value of $634,489.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 187,097 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,874,211.50. The trade was a 4.09% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 46,431 shares of company stock valued at $3,574,820 over the last ninety days. 0.01% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
More Cisco Systems News
Here are the key news stories impacting Cisco Systems this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Wall Street commentary ahead of earnings has been upbeat, with analysts pointing to strong AI networking demand, robust product orders, and hyperscaler momentum as potential drivers of double-digit revenue growth. The Zacks Analyst Blog Cisco, Arista Networks, Dell and Hewlett
- Positive Sentiment: Cisco joined a multi-company AI data center alliance aimed at setting open standards for optical connectivity, a move that reinforces its role in the fast-growing AI infrastructure buildout. Cisco Joins AI Data Center Alliance As Stock Trades Above Targets
- Positive Sentiment: Investor optimism is also being supported by expectations that Cisco will post another quarter of earnings and revenue growth, with analysts looking for EPS of about $1.03-$1.04 and revenue around $15.56 billion. Cisco Gears Up For Q3 Print; Here Are The Recent Forecast Changes From Wall Street's Most Accurate Analysts
- Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer said Cisco’s data center business looks bright, adding to the upbeat pre-earnings narrative around the company’s growth in networking and AI-related infrastructure. Jim Cramer on Cisco: “The Future Is Bright for the Data Center Part of the Business”
- Neutral Sentiment: Several previews note that Cisco is heading into earnings after a strong rally and at or near record highs, so results and guidance may need to be solid to justify the recent valuation expansion. Cisco Q3 Preview: Stock Hits New Highs, Expert Asks 'Can It Return To Those Parabolic '90s Like Returns?'
- Neutral Sentiment: Traders are expecting a sizable post-earnings move, which suggests the stock could stay volatile around the report even if the long-term outlook remains constructive. How Much Is Cisco Stock Expected to Move After Earnings This Week?
Institutional Trading of Cisco Systems
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. State Street Corp raised its position in Cisco Systems by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 195,521,161 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $15,060,995,000 after purchasing an additional 1,057,962 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its position in Cisco Systems by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 75,326,258 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $5,802,382,000 after purchasing an additional 206,352 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in Cisco Systems by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 52,148,049 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $4,016,964,000 after purchasing an additional 1,096,794 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp raised its position in Cisco Systems by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 48,498,612 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $3,318,275,000 after purchasing an additional 1,631,703 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised 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 valued at $2,256,144,000 after purchasing an additional 14,874,407 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.33% of the company's stock.
About Cisco Systems
(
Get Free Report)
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.
Further Reading
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