Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO Position Reduced by Advisors Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Advisors Capital Management reduced its Cisco stake by 3.3% in the second quarter, selling 53,072 shares and retaining 1.56 million shares worth approximately $182.9 million. Institutional investors collectively own 73.33% of Cisco’s stock.
• Cisco delivered stronger-than-expected quarterly results, reporting $1.22 in EPS and $17.25 billion in revenue, up 17.6% year over year. AI infrastructure demand was a key growth driver, though concerns remain about margins and whether orders will translate into near-term earnings growth.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $129.43 versus the reported share price of $109.59. Cisco also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share, equivalent to a 1.5% yield.

Advisors Capital Management LLC lessened its stake in Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO - Free Report) by 3.3% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,557,150 shares of the network equipment provider's stock after selling 53,072 shares during the period. Cisco Systems comprises about 1.9% of Advisors Capital Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 7th largest holding. Advisors Capital Management LLC's holdings in Cisco Systems were worth $182,903,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of CSCO. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Cisco Systems in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management bought a new position in Cisco Systems in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Networth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in 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 in the last quarter. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in shares of Cisco Systems during the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Cisco Systems by 137.0% in the 1st quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 346 shares of the network equipment provider's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. 73.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Deborah L. Stahlkopf sold 6,487 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.53, for a total value of $723,495.11. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 167,116 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,638,447.48. The trade was a 3.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Jeetendra I. Patel sold 7,170 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.57, for a total transaction of $799,956.90. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 230,593 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,727,261.01. This trade represents a 3.02% 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 53,611 shares of company stock valued at $6,066,680 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.01% of the company's stock.

Cisco Systems Price Performance

Shares of CSCO opened at $109.59 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $431.94 billion, a PE ratio of 32.81, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $116.22 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $100.16. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a 1-year low of $66.13 and a 1-year high of $130.37.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The network equipment provider reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.17 by $0.05. Cisco Systems had a return on equity of 30.16% and a net margin of 20.95%.The business had revenue of $17.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.84 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.99 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 17.6% on a year-over-year basis. 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, equities analysts anticipate that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 4.09 EPS for the current year.

Cisco Systems Dividend Announcement

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

Cisco Systems News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI infrastructure demand remains a major growth catalyst. Cisco reported $4 billion in AI infrastructure orders during the quarter, helping drive record fiscal-year results. Product revenue increased 24% year over year, while total quarterly revenue rose 18% to $17.25 billion and adjusted earnings exceeded consensus estimates. Cisco Q4 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts see additional upside potential. Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating and a $150 price target, indicating confidence in Cisco’s AI networking opportunity, although execution on a key business issue will remain important. BofA makes bold call on Cisco stock after earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion into streaming infrastructure could broaden Cisco’s opportunity. Demand for low-latency live video, AI-enabled media workflows and expanded content-delivery capacity is highlighting Cisco’s networking equipment as a potential beneficiary. What Could Cisco Systems Gain From The Streaming Infrastructure Boom?
• Neutral Sentiment: An executive sold 5,832 shares worth approximately $650,000 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Because the sale represented only 4.35% of the executive’s holdings and was scheduled in advance, it may have limited fundamental significance. Cisco executive SEC filing
• Negative Sentiment: The market is concerned that strong AI orders may not fully translate into near-term earnings growth. Analysts cited margin pressure, softer recurring revenue growth and Cisco’s premium valuation as reasons to remain cautious, producing a “hold” view from some commentators despite the revenue beat. Cisco Drops 10% Post Q4 Earnings

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on CSCO shares. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Cisco Systems from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. KeyCorp upped their price target on Cisco Systems from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Freedom Capital upgraded Cisco Systems from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, August 16th. Bank of America boosted their target price on Cisco Systems from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Cisco Systems from $116.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Two 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $129.43.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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