Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO Stake Lessened by Korea Investment CORP

Key Points

• Korea Investment CORP trimmed its Cisco stake by 1.7% in Q3, selling 52,208 shares and ending the quarter with 2,965,661 shares (~0.08%) worth about $202.9 million.
• Insider selling has been notable: Directors Michael D. Capellas and Kristina M. Johnson sold 16,150 and 13,481 shares respectively on Dec. 18, and insiders have sold 75,677 shares (~$5.81M) in the last 90 days, leaving insiders with just 0.01% ownership.
• Company outlook remains constructive — Cisco beat quarterly estimates (EPS $1.04 vs $1.02; revenue $15.35B, +9.7% YoY), raised its quarterly dividend to $0.42 (2.1% yield), and carries a consensus "Moderate Buy" from analysts with an average price target of $89.55 amid multiple upgrades.

Korea Investment CORP trimmed its stake in shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO - Free Report) by 1.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,965,661 shares of the network equipment provider's stock after selling 52,208 shares during the quarter. Korea Investment CORP owned approximately 0.08% of Cisco Systems worth $202,911,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bare Financial Services Inc raised its stake in shares of Cisco Systems by 531.0% in the 2nd quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 366 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 308 shares in the last quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Cisco Systems in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in Cisco Systems in the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Cisco Systems by 96.2% during the third quarter. Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 408 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Cisco Systems by 115.7% in the 3rd quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 468 shares of the network equipment provider's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 251 shares in the last quarter. 73.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Cisco Systems

In other news, Director Michael D. Capellas sold 16,150 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.28, for a total transaction of $1,248,072.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 157,218 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,149,807.04. The trade was a 9.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Kristina M. Johnson sold 13,481 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.13, for a total value of $1,039,789.53. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 61,630 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,753,521.90. This trade represents a 17.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 75,677 shares of company stock valued at $5,811,211. 0.01% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. DZ Bank upgraded Cisco Systems to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. HSBC increased their target price on shares of Cisco Systems from $74.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. BNP Paribas Exane raised their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $86.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Cisco Systems from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Cisco Systems from $82.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Cisco Systems presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $89.55.

Key Stories Impacting Cisco Systems

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

• Positive Sentiment: Heavy AI order flow, stronger guidance and product momentum — Analysts and coverage pieces highlight Cisco’s growing AI infrastructure business (AI revenue > $2B in 2025) and FY26 targets for higher recognized revenue and orders, plus Silicon One/G300 chip traction and buybacks that support valuation upside. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Confirmed hyperscaler demand and partnerships — Reports note heavy AI orders, a new Cisco Secure AI Factory in Australia with NVIDIA and SharonAI, and guidance upgrades that validate near-term revenue drivers. These operational signals are the main fundamental reason some investors remain bullish. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend and income appeal — Multiple retirement/dividend-focused articles include NASDAQ dividend names and long-term “set it and forget it” recommendations, supporting demand from income-oriented holders if rates fall. That dynamic could help support the stock over time. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry positioning and market studies — Cisco is cited as a leader in email encryption and unified communications market reports, underscoring long-term TAM exposure but not an immediate catalyst. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management outreach — Cisco presented at the Morgan Stanley TMT conference; transcripts provide detail for investors but did not introduce a surprise that would flip sentiment. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Macro and geopolitical uncertainty / market rotation — Broader market factors (regional tensions, shifting bond yields/rate expectations, and profit-taking after YTD gains) are likely weighing on the stock today despite company positives; one article notes regional risks that could affect U.S. investment flows. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed commentary and historical caution — Some retail/advice pieces remind investors of past Cisco drawdowns and caution about growth re-rates; these narratives can pressure sentiment during short-term pullbacks. Read More.

Cisco Systems Stock Performance

Shares of CSCO opened at $78.64 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $77.96 and a 200-day moving average of $74.14. The company has a market cap of $310.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.96. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a 1 year low of $52.11 and a 1 year high of $88.18.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The network equipment provider reported $1.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $15.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.11 billion. Cisco Systems had a net margin of 19.22% and a return on equity of 27.88%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.94 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 3.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Cisco Systems Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 22nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. This is a boost from Cisco Systems's previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 2nd. Cisco Systems's dividend payout ratio is presently 57.54%.

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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