Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO Stock Position Cut by Willis Investment Counsel

Key Points

• Willis Investment Counsel cut its Cisco position by 17.4% in the third quarter, selling 153,539 shares and retaining 730,663 shares valued at approximately $78.6 million. Institutional investors still own 73.33% of Cisco’s outstanding stock.
• Cisco reported quarterly revenue of $17.25 billion and EPS of $1.22, beating analyst estimates, while revenue increased 17.6% year over year. The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share, representing a 1.6% annualized yield.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus on CSCO, with an average price target of $128.52 versus a recent share price of $106.39. Price targets range from $125 to $150, although some analysts have cited valuation and margin concerns.

Willis Investment Counsel reduced its position in shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO - Free Report) by 17.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 730,663 shares of the network equipment provider's stock after selling 153,539 shares during the quarter. Cisco Systems accounts for about 3.4% of Willis Investment Counsel's investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest holding. Willis Investment Counsel's holdings in Cisco Systems were worth $78,641,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Cisco Systems during the second quarter valued at approximately $42,129,647,000. State Street Corp lifted its position in Cisco Systems by 7.0% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 207,106,569 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $25,278,492,000 after acquiring an additional 13,512,872 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in Cisco Systems in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $5,892,379,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its stake in Cisco Systems by 2.7% during the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 43,450,141 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $5,103,654,000 after purchasing an additional 1,143,106 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in Cisco Systems during the 2nd quarter valued at $4,714,574,000. 73.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Cisco Systems Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:CSCO traded down $0.11 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $106.39. 4,218,543 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 22,150,180. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $111.06 and a 200-day moving average price of $109.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $419.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.79. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a 1 year low of $69.85 and a 1 year high of $130.37.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The network equipment provider reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 the consensus estimate of $16.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.99 EPS. The business's revenue was up 17.6% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. Equities analysts expect that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 4.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Cisco Systems Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 21st. Investors of record on Friday, October 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 2nd. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. Cisco Systems's dividend payout ratio is presently 50.30%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CSCO has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Truist Financial lifted their target price on Cisco Systems from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on Cisco Systems from $132.00 to $125.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Cisco Systems from $130.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. KeyCorp boosted their price target on Cisco Systems from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Freedom Capital raised shares of Cisco Systems from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, August 16th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $128.52.

Trending Headlines about Cisco Systems

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cisco introduced AI networking platforms based on its Silicon One P200, G300 and G302 chips, including 102.4-terabit systems, 1.6T optical modules and liquid-cooling capabilities. Its collaboration with NVIDIA, TE Connectivity and Amphenol on next-generation optical technology reinforces Cisco’s position in expanding AI data-center infrastructure. Cisco AI networking platforms article
• Positive Sentiment: An earnings preview highlighted management’s guidance for approximately 21% year-over-year revenue growth and 33% EPS growth, along with Cisco’s history of exceeding estimates. Agentic AI adoption and infrastructure contracts, including a Bell Canada deal, could support the company’s growth outlook. Cisco earnings preview
• Positive Sentiment: New Splunk research positions observability as an important solution to rising AI-agent costs and reliability risks. Nearly nine in 10 respondents view AI monitoring as a priority, potentially creating additional demand for Cisco’s security and observability products. Splunk State of Observability 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: World Wide Technology earned Cisco’s Secure AI Infrastructure Specialization, strengthening Cisco’s partner ecosystem and channel reach, although the announcement did not disclose a specific revenue commitment. World Wide Technology Cisco specialization
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary argues the AI infrastructure buildout may be in its early stages, with networking, power and cooling among the beneficiaries. Cisco is viewed as a potential beneficiary if enterprise AI spending continues, but the thesis depends on sustained order growth and profitability. Tom Lee Cisco AI commentary
• Negative Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha analysis downgraded Cisco to Hold after a roughly 46% year-to-date rally, saying the shares are near fair value. Hardware mix could pressure gross margins, while elevated valuation multiples reduce the margin of safety. Cisco valuation and downgrade analysis

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Jeetendra I. Patel sold 7,170 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 represents a 3.02% decrease in their position. 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, EVP Deborah L. Stahlkopf sold 6,487 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.53, for a total value of $723,495.11. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 167,116 shares of the company's stock, valued at $18,638,447.48. The trade was a 3.74% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 44,869 shares of company stock valued at $5,005,620 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.01% of the company's stock.

Cisco Systems Company Profile

Cisco Systems, Inc is a global technology company that develops networking, cybersecurity, collaboration and observability solutions for businesses, government organizations and service providers. Its offerings include routers, switches, wireless networking equipment, data-center infrastructure, security software and services, as well as technologies that support cloud and hybrid IT environments.

The company also provides collaboration tools through its Webex portfolio, cloud-managed networking through Cisco Meraki and security and observability capabilities that include technologies from Splunk, which Cisco acquired in 2024.

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