Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO Position Reduced by Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA

Key Points

• Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA cut its Cisco stake by 13.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 126,986 shares and leaving it with 803,385 shares worth about $61.9 million.
• Cisco’s latest quarterly results topped expectations, with EPS of $1.04 versus $1.02 expected and revenue of $15.35 billion, up 9.7% year over year.
• The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.42 per share, while analysts remain broadly positive with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $90.29.

Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA trimmed its position in shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO - Free Report) by 13.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 803,385 shares of the network equipment provider's stock after selling 126,986 shares during the quarter. Cisco Systems makes up 3.6% of Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA's portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest holding. Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA's holdings in Cisco Systems were worth $61,887,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cairn Investment Group Inc. boosted its position in Cisco Systems by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Cairn Investment Group Inc. now owns 24,146 shares of the network equipment provider's stock worth $1,860,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Juncture Wealth Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Juncture Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 15,042 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $1,159,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. Northstar Advisory Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Northstar Advisory Group LLC now owns 8,203 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $632,000 after purchasing an additional 133 shares in the last quarter. Roman Butler Fullerton & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Roman Butler Fullerton & Co. now owns 15,917 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $1,183,000 after purchasing an additional 133 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MMA Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems by 2.3% in the fourth quarter. MMA Asset Management LLC now owns 6,167 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $475,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares in the last quarter. 73.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Cisco Systems Stock Performance

Shares of CSCO opened at $96.57 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.96. The company has a market capitalization of $381.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.88, a PEG ratio of 3.62 and a beta of 0.92. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $82.32 and its 200 day simple moving average is $78.56. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a 1 year low of $59.44 and a 1 year high of $97.02.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The network equipment provider reported $1.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $15.35 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.11 billion. Cisco Systems had a net margin of 19.22% and a return on equity of 27.88%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.94 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 3.42 EPS for the current year.

Cisco Systems Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 22nd. Investors of record on Thursday, April 2nd were given a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. This is a boost from Cisco Systems's previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 2nd. Cisco Systems's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 58.95%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have issued reports on CSCO. Evercore upped their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $100.00 price target on shares of Cisco Systems in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Citigroup upped their price objective on Cisco Systems from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. CICC Research upped their price objective on Cisco Systems from $84.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Cisco Systems from $95.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $90.29.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Charles Robbins sold 19,545 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.00, for a total transaction of $1,485,420.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 671,095 shares in the company, valued at approximately $51,003,220. This represents a 2.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Deborah L. Stahlkopf sold 7,981 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.50, for a total value of $634,489.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 187,097 shares in the company, valued at $14,874,211.50. This trade represents a 4.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 46,431 shares of company stock valued at $3,574,820 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.01% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Cisco Systems

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cisco is drawing heavier investor attention ahead of earnings, which can support trading volume and sentiment as traders position for a potential report-driven move. Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are continuing to frame Cisco’s investment case around its next quarterly results, with some views slightly improving fair value estimates, suggesting lingering confidence in the company’s fundamentals. How The Cisco Systems (CSCO) Investment Story Is Shifting As Analyst Views Diverge
• Neutral Sentiment: Cisco is set to participate in multiple upcoming financial-community events in May and June, which keeps management visible to investors but does not directly change the fundamentals. Cisco to Participate in May & June Events with the Financial Community
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street estimates for Cisco’s upcoming quarter are being closely dissected, but this is mainly an expectations check ahead of earnings rather than a new business catalyst. Unlocking Q3 Potential of Cisco (CSCO): Exploring Wall Street Estimates for Key Metrics
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage noted Cisco shares underperformed the broader market and dropped in the latest session, showing some near-term pressure before the company’s next earnings catalyst. Cisco Systems (CSCO) Stock Drops Despite Market Gains: Important Facts to Note

Cisco Systems 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.

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