Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Cisco Systems was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from hold to buy, adding to a more constructive analyst outlook on the stock.
• The company recently beat earnings expectations, reporting $1.06 EPS on $15.84 billion in revenue, while also raising guidance for fiscal 2026.
• Cisco has been benefiting from AI infrastructure demand, with commentary highlighting expected hyperscaler orders and broader bullish sentiment despite some concerns about valuation after the stock’s strong rally.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report issued on Saturday.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on CSCO. Truist Financial assumed coverage on shares of Cisco Systems in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. They set a "buy" rating and a $94.00 price objective for the company. New Street Research upped their target price on shares of Cisco Systems from $82.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Cisco Systems from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Citic Securities lifted their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $90.00 to $130.00 in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Cisco Systems from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $123.14.

Cisco Systems Stock Performance

Shares of Cisco Systems stock opened at $112.69 on Friday. The stock's fifty day moving average is $112.59 and its two-hundred day moving average is $90.73. The company has a market capitalization of $444.16 billion, a PE ratio of 36.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. Cisco Systems has a 52 week low of $65.75 and a 52 week high of $130.37.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 13th. The network equipment provider reported $1.06 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $15.84 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.56 billion. Cisco Systems had a return on equity of 28.44% and a net margin of 20.14%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.96 earnings per share. 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. As a group, analysts expect that Cisco Systems will post 3.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Cisco Systems

In other Cisco Systems news, EVP Deborah L. Stahlkopf sold 6,586 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.31, for a total transaction of $772,603.66. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 177,223 shares in the company, valued at $20,790,030.13. This represents a 3.58% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Jeetendra I. Patel sold 7,169 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.28, for a total transaction of $840,780.32. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 246,737 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $28,937,315.36. This represents a 2.82% 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 47,650 shares of company stock worth $5,668,823 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.01% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cisco Systems

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of CSCO. World Investment Advisors grew its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems by 15.4% in the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 198,549 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $13,905,000 after purchasing an additional 26,455 shares in the last quarter. WCG Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Cisco Systems by 101.8% during the 4th quarter. WCG Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 107,306 shares of the network equipment provider's stock worth $8,266,000 after buying an additional 54,141 shares in the last quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. boosted its position in Cisco Systems by 47.1% in the 4th quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 200,341 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $15,432,000 after buying an additional 64,144 shares during the period. Truist Financial Corp boosted its position in Cisco Systems by 6.8% in the 4th quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 4,311,098 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $332,084,000 after buying an additional 275,456 shares during the period. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Cisco Systems by 3.2% in the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,873,274 shares of the network equipment provider's stock worth $375,388,000 after acquiring an additional 151,395 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 73.33% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Cisco Systems

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cisco is being highlighted as a potential AI infrastructure winner after reporting record quarterly revenue, raising full-year guidance, and saying it expects about $9 billion in AI infrastructure orders from hyperscalers in FY26. Cisco’s Forecast Beats the Bearish Retail Crowd. Here’s the Target
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded Cisco from hold to strong-buy, reinforcing a more constructive analyst view on the stock. Zacks.com
• Positive Sentiment: Several market writeups continue to frame Cisco as a beneficiary of AI demand and a blue-chip pick for the second half of 2026, which may support investor sentiment. Dow Records Best 1H Performance Since 2021: 5 Top Picks for 2H 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: One article compared Cisco’s stock performance with the broader technology sector this year, suggesting investors are still evaluating whether CSCO is outperforming peers or simply benefiting from sector rotation. Are Computer and Technology Stocks Lagging Cisco Systems (CSCO) This Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Cisco also announced an AP Cybersecurity partnership with the College Board, a positive brand and education initiative, but one that is likely not a major near-term stock driver. Cisco Partners With College Board To Launch AP Cybersecurity and Expand Career-Connected Learning
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentators are warning that Cisco’s valuation looks stretched on cash flow terms, even if earnings multiples remain reasonable, which could limit upside after the recent rally. Cisco (CSCO) Stock Looks Stretched On Cash Flow Yet Reasonable On Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Another article explicitly said Cisco stock moved lower in the prior session, reflecting ongoing profit-taking and caution after a strong run-up. Cisco Systems (CSCO) Stock Moves -3.69%: What You Should Know
• Negative Sentiment: Recent “growth stock” pieces used Cisco as an example of what can go wrong when growth slows, adding a cautious narrative around the company’s long-term growth profile. 2 Growth Stocks with All-Star Potential and 1 Facing Challenges

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.

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