Conning Inc. Acquires 65,355 Shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO

Key Points

• Conning Inc. increased its Cisco stake by 21.2% in the third quarter, acquiring 65,355 additional shares for a total of 374,359 shares valued at approximately $40.3 million. Institutional investors collectively own 73.33% of Cisco.
• Cisco reported quarterly earnings of $1.22 per share on $17.25 billion in revenue, exceeding analyst estimates, while revenue grew 17.6% year over year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share, representing a 1.5% annualized yield.
• Analyst sentiment remains generally positive, with Cisco holding a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $128.52, though insider selling and valuation concerns could create near-term pressure.

Conning Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO - Free Report) by 21.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 374,359 shares of the network equipment provider's stock after purchasing an additional 65,355 shares during the period. Cisco Systems comprises approximately 1.2% of Conning Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. Conning Inc.'s holdings in Cisco Systems were worth $40,292,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC increased its position in Cisco Systems by 142.5% during the third quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 257 shares of the network equipment provider's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. Kings Path Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Cisco Systems in the third quarter worth $31,000. Blueline Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Cisco Systems in the third quarter valued at $32,000. GK Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Cisco Systems in the third quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Cisco Systems by 137.0% in the first quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 346 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. 73.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Cisco Systems

In other news, EVP Deborah L. Stahlkopf sold 6,487 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.53, for a total transaction of $723,495.11. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 167,116 shares in the company, valued at $18,638,447.48. This represents a 3.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Jeetendra I. Patel sold 7,170 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owned 230,593 shares in the company, valued at $25,727,261.01. This represents a 3.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 worth $5,005,620 in the last quarter. 0.01% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Cisco Systems Trading Down 1.0%

Shares of CSCO opened at $110.29 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $110.14 and a two-hundred day moving average of $100.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.93. The company has a market capitalization of $434.83 billion, a PE ratio of 33.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.99. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $70.54 and a fifty-two week high of $130.37.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The network equipment provider reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.17 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $17.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.84 billion. Cisco Systems had a return on equity of 30.16% and a net margin of 20.95%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 17.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.99 EPS. 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, analysts forecast that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 4.42 EPS for the current 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 2nd. Cisco Systems's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.30%.

Trending Headlines about Cisco Systems

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?

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CSCO has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group increased their price objective on Cisco Systems from $132.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Cisco Systems from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, October 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on shares of Cisco Systems in a report on Wednesday, September 30th. They issued a "market perform" rating and a $110.00 target price on the stock. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Cisco Systems from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Sunday, August 16th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of Cisco Systems in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. They set a "buy" rating and a $135.00 price target on the stock. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Cisco Systems currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $128.52.

Cisco Systems 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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