Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO Shares Sold by HighTower Advisors LLC

Key Points

• HighTower Advisors LLC trimmed its Cisco stake by 0.7% in the fourth quarter, selling 41,467 shares and ending with 5.64 million shares valued at about $434.6 million.
• Several other institutional investors, including Vanguard, Invesco, Northern Trust, Franklin Resources and Legal & General, also adjusted positions, and institutions overall now own 73.33% of Cisco shares.
• Cisco beat earnings and revenue estimates in its latest quarter, reported 12% year-over-year revenue growth, and raised guidance; analysts have also been lifting price targets, with consensus now at a Moderate Buy and an average target of $115.86.

HighTower Advisors LLC lessened its stake in Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO - Free Report) by 0.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,642,401 shares of the network equipment provider's stock after selling 41,467 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC owned about 0.14% of Cisco Systems worth $434,634,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Cisco Systems by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 398,943,293 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $30,730,602,000 after buying an additional 4,049,893 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in shares of Cisco Systems by 10.5% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 53,612,720 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $3,668,182,000 after acquiring an additional 5,081,469 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in shares of Cisco Systems by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 48,498,612 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $3,318,275,000 after purchasing an additional 1,631,703 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in Cisco Systems by 4.4% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 42,641,483 shares of the network equipment provider's stock worth $2,917,530,000 after purchasing an additional 1,804,625 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc boosted its position in Cisco Systems by 7.2% during the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 37,674,954 shares of the network equipment provider's stock worth $2,577,720,000 after purchasing an additional 2,535,716 shares in the last quarter. 73.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently commented on CSCO. DZ Bank upgraded Cisco Systems to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Erste Group Bank cut shares of Cisco Systems from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Citic Securities increased their price objective on shares of Cisco Systems from $90.00 to $130.00 in a report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $95.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on Cisco Systems from $95.00 to $114.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $115.86.

Cisco Systems Stock Up 0.6%

CSCO stock opened at $118.88 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $86.18 and a two-hundred day moving average of $80.33. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a 12 month low of $62.30 and a 12 month high of $119.39. The company has a market cap of $469.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.60, a PEG ratio of 3.61 and a beta of 0.92.

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, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.56 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.96 earnings per share. The business's revenue 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. As a group, analysts forecast that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 3.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cisco Systems Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, July 6th will be issued a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 6th. Cisco Systems's payout ratio is 54.55%.

Cisco Systems News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cisco reported Q1 revenue of $15.84 billion, up 12% year over year, with EPS of $1.06 beating estimates; management also issued stronger-than-expected next-quarter guidance, reinforcing confidence in growth momentum. Why Cisco (CSCO) Stock Is Up Today
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are becoming more constructive on Cisco’s AI networking opportunity, with coverage highlighting hyperscaler demand, networking modernization, and Cisco’s role as a key AI infrastructure provider. CSCO Q1 Deep Dive: AI Demand and Networking Modernization Drive Double-Digit Growth
• Positive Sentiment: CICC Research raised its price target on Cisco to $125 from $96 and kept an outperform rating, signaling more upside after the post-earnings rally. MarketScreener
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary from investors and media emphasized that Cisco’s recent run may be justified by improving sales and earnings trends, especially as AI reshapes the networking market. Jim Cramer Says “This Time, Cisco Deserved the Run”
• Neutral Sentiment: Cisco presented at the J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Communications Conference, keeping investor focus on management’s execution and outlook after earnings. Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) Presents at J.P. Morgan 54th Annual Global Technology, Media and Communications Conference Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Some coverage noted that Cisco’s free cash flow and margins were lower than last year, which could temper enthusiasm if investors focus more on profitability quality than top-line growth. Cisco Systems Reported Lower FCF and Margins - Has CSCO Stock Peaked?
• Negative Sentiment: Cisco is also undergoing a major restructuring with nearly 4,000 job cuts, which may raise concerns about disruption even though management says the move is about reallocating resources toward AI, security, silicon, and optics. Cisco Lays Off 4,000 Employees In AI Overhaul, CFO Mark Patterson Says Move Not 'Savings' Driven But About 'Realigning' Resources

Insider Activity at Cisco Systems

In related news, EVP Thimaya K. Subaiya sold 1,744 shares of Cisco Systems stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.07, for a total value of $134,410.08. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 156,693 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,076,329.51. This trade represents a 1.10% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Oliver Tuszik sold 3,132 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.74, for a total value of $249,745.68. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 188,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,040,000.62. The trade was a 1.63% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 15,587 shares of company stock valued at $1,230,765 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.01% of the company's stock.

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.

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