Ascentis Independent Advisors Buys 26,551 Shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO

Key Points

• Ascentis Independent Advisors increased its Cisco stake by 83.3% in the first quarter, buying 26,551 shares and bringing its total holdings to 58,439 shares worth about $4.53 million.
• Several analysts turned more bullish on Cisco, including HSBC upgrading the stock to buy and Evercore raising its target to $150. The consensus rating remains Moderate Buy with an average target price of $123.14.
• Cisco reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.06 and revenue of $15.84 billion, while also lifting guidance for fiscal 2026. The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share.

Ascentis Independent Advisors increased its stake in shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO - Free Report) by 83.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 58,439 shares of the network equipment provider's stock after purchasing an additional 26,551 shares during the period. Ascentis Independent Advisors' holdings in Cisco Systems were worth $4,534,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Cisco Systems in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Cisco Systems in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Networth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems by 276.4% in the first quarter. Networth Advisors LLC now owns 335 shares of the network equipment provider's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares during the period. Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in shares of Cisco Systems in the first quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Jessup Wealth Management Inc bought a new stake in Cisco Systems during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.33% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Jeetendra I. Patel sold 7,169 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 directly owned 246,737 shares in the company, valued at $28,937,315.36. This represents a 2.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Deborah L. Stahlkopf sold 6,586 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.31, for a total transaction of $772,603.66. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 177,223 shares of the company's stock, valued at $20,790,030.13. The trade was a 3.58% 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 valued at $5,668,823 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.01% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on CSCO shares. HSBC upgraded Cisco Systems from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their target price for the stock from $77.00 to $137.00 in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Evercore lifted their price target on Cisco Systems from $110.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. New Street Research upped their price objective on shares of Cisco Systems from $82.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Cisco Systems from $95.00 to $96.00 in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, KeyCorp lifted their target price on shares of Cisco Systems from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned 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 Price Performance

CSCO opened at $112.69 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $444.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.59, a P/E/G ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 1.02. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a 12 month low of $65.75 and a 12 month high of $130.37. The business's 50-day moving average price is $112.59 and its 200-day moving average price is $90.82. The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40.

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

Cisco Systems Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, July 6th will be paid a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 6th. Cisco Systems's payout ratio is presently 54.55%.

Key Stories Impacting 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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