Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO Stock Holdings Lifted by Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd

Key Points

• Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd increased its Cisco stake by 13.3% in the fourth quarter, buying 196,178 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 1,674,758 shares worth about $129 million.
• Cisco continues to attract heavy institutional investor interest, with major holders like Vanguard, Invesco, and Northern Trust also adding to positions; institutions now own 73.33% of the stock.
• The company has seen generally positive analyst and financial results, including a recent earnings beat and a modest dividend increase to $0.42 per share, while analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $90.29.

Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd lifted its holdings in Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO - Free Report) by 13.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,674,758 shares of the network equipment provider's stock after buying an additional 196,178 shares during the quarter. Cisco Systems makes up 0.7% of Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd's portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest position. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd's holdings in Cisco Systems were worth $129,007,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of CSCO. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Cisco Systems by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 398,943,293 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $30,730,602,000 after purchasing an additional 4,049,893 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in Cisco Systems by 10.5% in 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 purchasing an additional 5,081,469 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its position in 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 during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position 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 valued at $2,917,530,000 after purchasing an additional 1,804,625 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc lifted its position in Cisco Systems by 7.2% in the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 37,674,954 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $2,577,720,000 after purchasing an additional 2,535,716 shares during the last quarter. 73.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about 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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on CSCO shares. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $100.00 price objective on shares of Cisco Systems in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. CICC Research lifted their price objective on shares of Cisco Systems from $84.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Cisco Systems from $95.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. HSBC lifted their price objective on shares of Cisco Systems from $74.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Cisco Systems from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 14th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Cisco Systems has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $90.29.

Cisco Systems Price Performance

CSCO stock opened at $96.57 on Monday. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a 52 week low of $59.44 and a 52 week high of $97.02. The company has a market capitalization of $381.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.62 and a beta of 0.92. The firm's 50-day moving average is $82.32 and its two-hundred day moving average is $78.56. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The network equipment provider reported $1.04 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.02. Cisco Systems had a net margin of 19.22% and a return on equity of 27.88%. The company had revenue of $15.35 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.11 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.94 EPS. Cisco Systems's revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 3.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cisco Systems Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 22nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 2nd were given a dividend of $0.42 per share. This is a positive change from Cisco Systems's previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. Cisco Systems's payout ratio is presently 58.95%.

Insider Activity at Cisco Systems

In other news, CEO Charles Robbins sold 19,545 shares of Cisco Systems stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.00, for a total value of $1,485,420.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 671,095 shares of the company's stock, valued at $51,003,220. The trade was a 2.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Oliver Tuszik sold 3,132 shares of Cisco Systems stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.74, for a total transaction of $249,745.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 188,613 shares in the company, valued at $15,040,000.62. This represents a 1.63% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 46,431 shares of company stock worth $3,574,820 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.01% of the company's stock.

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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