Ethic Inc. Acquires 20,450 Shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO

Ethic Inc. raised its stake in Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO - Free Report) by 4.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 503,919 shares of the network equipment provider's stock after acquiring an additional 20,450 shares during the quarter. Cisco Systems comprises approximately 0.6% of Ethic Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest holding. Ethic Inc.'s holdings in Cisco Systems were worth $38,817,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Ballentine Partners LLC lifted its position in Cisco Systems by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 85,916 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $6,618,000 after purchasing an additional 2,541 shares during the period. Lighthouse Financial Services Inc. ADV bought a new stake in shares of Cisco Systems in the 4th quarter valued at about $4,861,000. Merrithew & Thorsten Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Cisco Systems in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $103,000. Chesapeake Wealth Management boosted its stake in Cisco Systems by 11.0% during the 4th quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 23,489 shares of the network equipment provider's stock worth $1,809,000 after acquiring an additional 2,330 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Cisco Systems during the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.33% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on CSCO. 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. DZ Bank raised Cisco Systems to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Cisco Systems from $95.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $100.00 price target on shares of Cisco Systems in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on Cisco Systems from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Three 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 data from MarketBeat.com, Cisco Systems currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $90.29.

Cisco Systems Price Performance

NASDAQ CSCO opened at $96.57 on Friday. The firm's 50 day moving average is $82.32 and its 200-day moving average is $78.56. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The company has a market capitalization of $381.44 billion, a PE ratio of 33.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 0.92. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a 12-month low of $59.44 and a 12-month high of $97.02.

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

Cisco Systems Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 22nd. Investors of record on Thursday, April 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 2nd. This is a boost from Cisco Systems's previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. Cisco Systems's dividend payout ratio is currently 58.95%.

Key Stories Impacting 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

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Charles Robbins sold 19,545 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.00, for a total transaction of $1,485,420.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 671,095 shares in the company, valued at $51,003,220. This represents a 2.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Deborah L. Stahlkopf sold 7,981 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.50, for a total value of $634,489.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 187,097 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,874,211.50. The trade was a 4.09% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 46,431 shares of company stock valued at $3,574,820. Corporate insiders own 0.01% of the company's stock.

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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