31,948 Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO Shares Sold by Sterling Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Sterling Capital Management cut its Cisco position by 67.9%, selling 31,948 shares and retaining 15,095 shares valued at approximately $1.63 million. Institutional investors collectively own 73.33% of Cisco.
• Cisco recently exceeded earnings expectations, reporting $1.22 in EPS and $17.25 billion in revenue, up 17.6% year over year. The company issued fiscal 2027 EPS guidance of $5.05–$5.11 and pays a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $128.52 versus the reported share price of $110.24. Cisco is also pursuing AI-related growth through expanded partner initiatives and Cisco IQ adoption.

Sterling Capital Management LLC lowered its position in Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO - Free Report) by 67.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 15,095 shares of the network equipment provider's stock after selling 31,948 shares during the quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC's holdings in Cisco Systems were worth $1,625,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. James Investment Research Inc. boosted its holdings in Cisco Systems by 3.7% in the third quarter. James Investment Research Inc. now owns 23,662 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $2,547,000 after purchasing an additional 846 shares during the last quarter. TSA Wealth Managment LLC increased its holdings in Cisco Systems by 5.4% during the 3rd quarter. TSA Wealth Managment LLC now owns 2,432 shares of the network equipment provider's stock worth $262,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Atlatl Advisers LLC increased its holdings in Cisco Systems by 477.6% during the 3rd quarter. Atlatl Advisers LLC now owns 17,445 shares of the network equipment provider's stock worth $1,878,000 after purchasing an additional 14,425 shares during the last quarter. XXI Wealth LLC increased its holdings in Cisco Systems by 6.7% during the 3rd quarter. XXI Wealth LLC now owns 19,736 shares of the network equipment provider's stock worth $2,124,000 after purchasing an additional 1,240 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BIP Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of Cisco Systems by 21.9% in the 3rd quarter. BIP Wealth LLC now owns 29,946 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $3,223,000 after purchasing an additional 5,386 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.33% of the company's stock.

Cisco Systems Stock Up 3.5%

Shares of Cisco Systems stock opened at $110.24 on Tuesday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $110.23 and a 200 day moving average price of $100.14. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $70.43 and a fifty-two week high of $130.37. The firm has a market cap of $434.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.01, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The network equipment provider reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.17 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $17.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.84 billion. Cisco Systems had a return on equity of 30.16% and a net margin of 20.95%. Cisco Systems's quarterly revenue was up 17.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.99 EPS. 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, sell-side analysts forecast that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 4.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cisco Systems Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 2nd. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. Cisco Systems's payout ratio is presently 50.30%.

Cisco Systems News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI-focused partner strategy: At Cisco Partner Summit, the company introduced updates to its Cisco 360 partner program, including ecosystem deal registration, new incentives, AI-enabled tools, and broader availability of Cisco IQ. The initiatives are designed to help partners capture increased enterprise spending on AI-ready networking and could support future revenue growth. Cisco Expands Partner Opportunity with New Cisco 360 Program Updates, High Yield Customer Experience Offerings, and AI-Ready Innovations
• Positive Sentiment: Expanded Cisco IQ adoption: Presidio is integrating Cisco IQ with its Presidio Advisor platform, combining Cisco’s AI-powered operational intelligence with multi-vendor lifecycle management. The agreement may increase the visibility and commercial reach of Cisco IQ while reinforcing Cisco’s position in proactive IT management and security. Presidio Integrates Cisco IQ with Presidio Advisor
• Positive Sentiment: Fundamental and analyst support: Wall Street’s generally bullish view, along with Cisco’s latest earnings beat, 17.6% revenue growth, and raised fiscal-year outlook, continues to attract investor attention. Is It Worth Investing in Cisco Based on Wall Street’s Bullish Views?
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading considerations: Technical coverage describes a rebound but highlights resistance ahead. Cisco’s shares trade well above their 200-day moving average, while a P/E near 33 may make investors more sensitive to execution and forward-growth expectations. Cisco Bounces Back: Can It Break Through Resistance?
• Neutral Sentiment: A report showing zero short interest offers no meaningful bearish or short-covering signal and appears inconsistent with the claim of a large increase in short interest.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Oliver Tuszik sold 680 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.18, for a total value of $74,922.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 163,337 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,996,470.66. This trade represents a 0.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing 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, EVP Thimaya K. Subaiya sold 312 shares of Cisco Systems stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.18, for a total transaction of $34,376.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 127,661 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,065,688.98. This trade represents a 0.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 44,869 shares of company stock valued at $5,005,620 over the last quarter. 0.01% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on CSCO shares. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on shares of Cisco Systems in a research report on Wednesday, September 30th. They set a "market perform" rating and a $110.00 price target for the company. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Cisco Systems from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Cisco Systems in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $135.00 price target on the stock. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Cisco Systems from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities raised their price objective on shares of Cisco Systems from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $128.52.

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.

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