Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO Stock Sold by VestGen Advisors LLC

Key Points

• VestGen Advisors cut its Cisco position by 23.7% in the third quarter, selling 15,490 shares and retaining 50,001 shares valued at approximately $5.38 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 73.33% of Cisco stock.
• Cisco reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with revenue rising 17.6% year over year to $17.25 billion and EPS of $1.22 versus the $1.17 consensus estimate. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share, representing a 1.5% yield.
• Analyst sentiment remains moderately bullish, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $128.52, although some firms downgraded the stock or lowered targets. Cisco’s AI-security strategy supports growth prospects, while insider and ETF selling and valuation concerns pose near-term risks.

VestGen Advisors LLC decreased its position in Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO - Free Report) by 23.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 50,001 shares of the network equipment provider's stock after selling 15,490 shares during the period. VestGen Advisors LLC's holdings in Cisco Systems were worth $5,382,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Financial Insights Inc. increased its stake in Cisco Systems by 7.7% during the 3rd quarter. Financial Insights Inc. now owns 8,035 shares of the network equipment provider's stock worth $865,000 after purchasing an additional 576 shares in the last quarter. Conning Inc. raised its holdings in Cisco Systems by 21.2% during the 3rd quarter. Conning Inc. now owns 374,359 shares of the network equipment provider's stock worth $40,292,000 after buying an additional 65,355 shares during the period. Victory Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in Cisco Systems by 22.3% in the third quarter. Victory Financial Group LLC now owns 12,222 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $1,316,000 after buying an additional 2,232 shares in the last quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR boosted its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems by 5.0% in the third quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR now owns 177,594 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $19,114,000 after buying an additional 8,418 shares during the period. Finally, John Boyer Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Cisco Systems in the third quarter valued at approximately $59,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.33% of the company's stock.

Key Cisco Systems News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cisco is emphasizing AI security and “quantum-safe” technology as enterprises build out AI infrastructure. The strategy could create additional demand for Cisco’s networking, cybersecurity and observability products. What Is Cisco Signaling With Its AI Security And Quantum Safe Push?
• Positive Sentiment: Cisco President and Chief Product Officer Jeetu Patel said AI-agent safety will be a major technology issue, highlighting security risks that could increase demand for Cisco’s security and infrastructure solutions. AI Agent Safety Will Be the Issue of Our Time
• Positive Sentiment: Cisco open-sourced Project Quarry, a tool designed to detect rogue AI agents. The initiative could strengthen Cisco’s credibility in securing enterprise AI deployments and support future software and security opportunities. Cisco Open Sources Project Quarry to Detect Rogue AI Agents
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst consensus price targets reportedly moved higher, while Cisco’s partner awards and channel activity point to continued customer and reseller engagement. Cisco Systems Consensus Price Target Rises
• Neutral Sentiment: NTT DATA’s global AI Factory expansion may broaden demand for secure networking and AI infrastructure, although the announcement does not identify a specific Cisco contract or near-term revenue contribution. NTT DATA Expands AI Factory Footprint
• Negative Sentiment: Exchange-traded funds were net sellers of Cisco, creating near-term technical pressure independent of the company’s operating outlook. ETFs Are Net Sellers of Cisco
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are questioning whether Cisco’s strong multi-year advance and AI-related optimism are fully supported by future cash flow. A relatively elevated valuation leaves less room for execution disappointments. Can Cisco Stay Cheap as AI Cash Flow Builds?

Insider Activity

In other Cisco Systems news, CEO Charles Robbins sold 21,628 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.54, for a total transaction of $2,412,387.12. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 602,710 shares of the company's stock, valued at $67,226,273.40. The trade was a 3.46% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Thimaya Subaiya sold 312 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.18, for a total transaction of $34,376.16. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 127,661 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,065,688.98. This represents a 0.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 44,869 shares of company stock worth $5,005,620. 0.01% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Cisco Systems Price Performance

Shares of CSCO opened at $110.29 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $434.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.02, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.99. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a twelve month low of $70.54 and a twelve month high of $130.37. The company has a 50 day moving average of $110.14 and a 200-day moving average of $100.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 12th. The network equipment provider reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.17 by $0.05. Cisco Systems had a net margin of 20.95% and a return on equity of 30.16%. The business had revenue of $17.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.84 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.99 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 17.6% on a year-over-year basis. 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. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 4.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cisco Systems Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 2nd were paid a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 2nd. Cisco Systems's payout ratio is presently 50.30%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CSCO has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on shares of Cisco Systems in a report on Wednesday, September 30th. They set a "market perform" rating and a $110.00 price objective on the stock. HSBC cut Cisco Systems from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $137.00 to $120.00 in a report on Friday, August 14th. KeyCorp lifted 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. Piper Sandler cut 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. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Cisco Systems in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $128.52.

About Cisco Systems

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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