Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) Trading Up 2.3% - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• Shares rose 2.3% to $89.70 on Tuesday with trading volume about 19% below average; the consensus analyst view is a "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $89.81 and several firms at or above $95–$100.
• Cisco beat quarterly estimates (EPS $1.04 vs. $1.02; revenue $15.35B vs. $15.11B, +9.7% YoY) and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.42 (1.9% yield).
• Analysts tout Cisco as a momentum/AI and data‑center play but caution about margin pressure and macro risk; insiders have recently sold stock while institutional ownership remains high at 73.33%.

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO - Get Free Report) was up 2.3% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $89.80 and last traded at $89.70. Approximately 18,615,828 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 19% from the average daily volume of 22,892,791 shares. The stock had previously closed at $87.71.

Cisco Systems News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst writeups call CSCO a "momentum" stock, citing recent price strength, improving revenue and earnings beats that make it attractive to momentum investors. Cisco Systems (CSCO) is a Great Momentum Stock: Should You Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks similarly highlights CSCO as a momentum candidate, repeating the view that recent fundamental beats and AI/networking exposure support further upside. Cisco Systems (CSCO) is a Great Momentum Stock: Should You Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks' earnings‑beat screen flags Cisco as one of the tech names that could beat upcoming estimates, supporting short‑term upside expectations for the stock. These 2 Computer and Technology Stocks Could Beat Earnings: Why They Should Be on Your Radar
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage lists Cisco among top AI/data‑center plays (ranked in the top dozen), framing the stock as a value‑oriented way to play enterprise AI networking and security transitions. Is Cisco Systems (CSCO) One of the Best AI Data Center Stocks to Buy Right Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks' analyst blog highlights AI momentum, deal flow and cloud demand as positives for Cisco but also notes lingering margin pressures and macro uncertainty — a mixed view that supports the rally but tempers expectations. The Zacks Analyst Blog Broadcom, JPMorgan, Cisco, Preformed Line Products and CompX
• Neutral Sentiment: Roundups on analyst coverage and "top research reports" include Cisco, noting positive revenue trends and portfolio expansion but reminding investors that valuation and margin dynamics matter. Top Research Reports for Broadcom, JPMorgan & Cisco
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles examining Wall Street recommendations say the average broker view is bullish on CSCO; useful context but not a fresh catalyst by itself. Is Cisco (CSCO) a Buy as Wall Street Analysts Look Optimistic?
• Negative Sentiment: Feature quoting former CEO John Chambers warns the AI bubble is harder to navigate than prior tech cycles — a cautionary note that could increase volatility and investor risk‑aversion toward AI names including Cisco. Cisco’s John Chambers lived through the dot-com crash. He says the AI bubble is harder to navigate
• Neutral Sentiment: Market daily wrap mentions Cisco among movers in broader market coverage; helpful color but not a standalone driver. Stock Market Today: Dow Dips As Trump Says This On Iran; This Stock Clears Entry (Live Coverage)

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have issued reports on CSCO shares. HSBC boosted their price objective on shares of Cisco Systems from $74.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Rosenblatt Securities reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $100.00 price objective on shares of Cisco Systems in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Cisco Systems from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Evercore raised shares of Cisco Systems from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and upped their price target for the stock from $80.00 to $100.00 in a report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $89.81.

Cisco Systems Stock Performance

The stock's fifty day moving average price is $79.88 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $76.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.96. The company has a market cap of $354.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.47, a P/E/G ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 0.83.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The network equipment provider reported $1.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.02. Cisco Systems had a net margin of 19.22% and a return on equity of 27.88%. The company had revenue of $15.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.11 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.94 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 3.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Cisco Systems Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 22nd. Investors of record on Thursday, April 2nd will be paid a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 2nd. This is a positive change from Cisco Systems's previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. Cisco Systems's payout ratio is currently 58.95%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Jeetendra I. Patel sold 11,248 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.00, for a total value of $854,848.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 262,776 shares of the company's stock, valued at $19,970,976. This represents a 4.10% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Maria Victoria Wong sold 2,179 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.74, for a total transaction of $169,395.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 28,807 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,239,456.18. The trade was a 7.03% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 46,431 shares of company stock worth $3,574,820 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.01% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cisco Systems

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management acquired a new position in Cisco Systems in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Cisco Systems in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Cisco Systems in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Jessup Wealth Management Inc acquired a new position in Cisco Systems in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, EQ Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Cisco Systems in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Institutional investors own 73.33% of the company's stock.

Cisco Systems Company 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.

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