Baird Financial Group Inc. Has $341.16 Million Position in Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO

Key Points

• Baird Financial Group increased its Cisco stake by 3.7% in the second quarter, bringing its holdings to 2.79 million shares valued at approximately $341.2 million. Institutional investors collectively own 73.33% of Cisco.
• Cisco reported strong quarterly results, with revenue up 17.6% year over year to $17.25 billion and adjusted EPS of $1.22, beating estimates. The company guided fiscal 2027 EPS to $5.05–$5.11, supported by demand for AI-related networking infrastructure.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with Cisco carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and a $129.68 average price target. However, component shortages could constrain campus-switch sales, while the stock’s valuation remains relatively elevated at roughly 33 times forward earnings.

Baird Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO - Free Report) by 3.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,787,122 shares of the network equipment provider's stock after buying an additional 98,533 shares during the quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.07% of Cisco Systems worth $341,163,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in shares of Cisco Systems by 49.5% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 74,187 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $4,392,000 after buying an additional 24,562 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Cisco Systems by 37.0% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 9,156 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $542,000 after purchasing an additional 2,474 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in Cisco Systems by 7.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 10,178 shares of the network equipment provider's stock worth $706,000 after purchasing an additional 712 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its holdings in Cisco Systems by 3.9% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 13,974 shares of the network equipment provider's stock worth $969,000 after buying an additional 519 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP raised its holdings in Cisco Systems by 118.1% during the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 90,650 shares of the network equipment provider's stock worth $6,289,000 after buying an additional 590,650 shares during the period. 73.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Cisco Systems News

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI-related networking demand remains a key potential catalyst. Commentary comparing today’s AI buildout with the internet boom argues that current spending is supported by real infrastructure investment, which could benefit Cisco’s data-center networking and software businesses. Why Today's AI Boom Differs From the Internet Bubble
• Positive Sentiment: Industry data showed campus-switch average selling prices increased 19% in the second quarter of 2026, helping the market return to revenue growth. Higher pricing and continued demand could support Cisco’s sales and margins, although shortages also limited product availability. Market Prices Skyrocket, Driving Campus Switch Market to Growth in 2Q 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Cisco’s recent results provide a favorable fundamental backdrop: revenue rose 17.6% year over year to $17.25 billion, and adjusted earnings of $1.22 per share exceeded estimates. The company also issued fiscal 2027 earnings guidance of $5.05 to $5.11 per share.
• Neutral Sentiment: At the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference, Cisco presented its latest business and technology outlook. The transcript keeps attention on the company’s AI, networking and recurring-revenue strategy, but the supplied report does not identify a major new announcement likely to materially change estimates. Cisco Systems Presents at Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Repeated “buy now” coverage from Zacks reflects increased investor interest, rather than a new corporate catalyst. Cisco’s roughly 33 forward-looking earnings multiple makes continued growth execution important for further upside. Is Trending Stock Cisco Systems a Buy Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Component shortages are limiting campus-switch supply even as prices rise. A similar decline in Ciena shares highlights investor concern that supply constraints could delay industry growth or pressure customer spending, creating a near-term risk for Cisco’s networking outlook. Ciena Stock Down 14% in the Past Month

Insider Activity

In other Cisco Systems news, EVP Thimaya Subaiya sold 7,127 shares of Cisco Systems stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.91, for a total value of $854,598.57. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 140,857 shares of the company's stock, valued at $16,890,162.87. The trade was a 4.82% 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, EVP Deborah Stahlkopf sold 6,487 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.53, for a total value of $723,495.11. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 167,116 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,638,447.48. This trade represents a 3.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 53,611 shares of company stock worth $6,066,680. 0.01% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Cisco Systems Stock Performance

NASDAQ:CSCO opened at $109.17 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $113.93 and a 200 day simple moving average of $102.82. The stock has a market cap of $430.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.69, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.00. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a 1-year low of $66.13 and a 1-year high of $130.37. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 12th. The network equipment provider reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.17 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $17.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.84 billion. Cisco Systems had a return on equity of 30.16% and a net margin of 20.95%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 17.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $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. Research analysts anticipate that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 4.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Cisco Systems Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 21st. Investors of record on Friday, October 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 2nd. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. Cisco Systems's dividend payout ratio is currently 50.30%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CSCO has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Piper Sandler upped their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $86.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of Cisco Systems from $116.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Cisco Systems from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. KeyCorp increased their target price on Cisco Systems from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Cisco Systems in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $135.00 price target on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Cisco Systems currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $129.68.

Cisco Systems Company Profile

Cisco Systems, Inc is a global technology company that provides networking, cybersecurity, collaboration, observability and other information technology solutions. Its offerings include routers, switches, wireless networking equipment, data center infrastructure, security platforms, unified communications tools and software designed to help organizations connect, manage and protect their digital environments.

Cisco serves businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, telecommunications providers and other organizations worldwide.

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