Fifth Third Bancorp Boosts Stake in Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO

Key Points

• Fifth Third Bancorp increased its Cisco stake by 71.4% in the first quarter, buying 1.6 million additional shares and bringing its holdings to 3.84 million shares valued at about $297.6 million.
• Cisco has been getting a wave of positive catalysts, including recognition as an AI infrastructure leader, inclusion in cloud/AI growth themes, a $230 million Army-related role, and a new AP Cybersecurity course partnership with the College Board.
• The company recently beat earnings and revenue expectations, raised guidance for fiscal 2026, and pays a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share, while analysts currently view the stock as a “Moderate Buy” with an average target price of $123.14.

Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its holdings in Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO - Free Report) by 71.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,835,824 shares of the network equipment provider's stock after purchasing an additional 1,598,159 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp owned about 0.10% of Cisco Systems worth $297,622,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Cisco Systems during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Cisco Systems in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Networth Advisors LLC raised its position in Cisco Systems by 276.4% during the first quarter. Networth Advisors LLC now owns 335 shares of the network equipment provider's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 246 shares during the period. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Cisco Systems by 137.0% during the first quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 346 shares of the network equipment provider's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in shares of Cisco Systems in the first quarter valued at about $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.33% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Cisco Systems

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cisco was highlighted as an AI infrastructure leader, with its networking, optics, Splunk, and hyperscaler exposure seen as key drivers of stronger long-term demand. Cisco, IBD Stock Of The Day, Went From Slow-Growth Tech Icon To AI Infrastructure Leader
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks included CSCO among cloud computing stocks positioned to benefit from AI-driven data-center growth in the second half of 2026, supporting the stock’s bull case. 5 Cloud Computing Stocks to Buy for 2H 2026 as Digital Demand Soars
• Positive Sentiment: Cisco landed a $230 million Army-related role, adding another sign of demand for its networking and security offerings. Cisco (CSCO) Lands $230 Million Army Role And Backs AP Cybersecurity Course
• Positive Sentiment: Cisco also partnered with the College Board to launch a new AP Cybersecurity course, which could help strengthen its long-term brand in cybersecurity education and talent development. Cisco (CSCO) Partners With College Board to Launch AP Cybersecurity Course
• Neutral Sentiment: A data-center infrastructure market report named Cisco among industry participants benefiting from AI adoption and cloud expansion, but this was more of an industry overview than a company-specific catalyst. Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) Software Market Report Published; Profiles Schneider Electric, Vertiv, IBM, Cisco, HPE & 10 Others
• Neutral Sentiment: One note said short interest in Cisco increased in July, but the figures reported zero shares on both dates, so it does not appear to be a meaningful trading signal.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CSCO has been the subject of a number of research reports. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of Cisco Systems from $86.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. BNP Paribas Exane lifted their price objective on Cisco Systems from $87.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. UBS Group increased their target price on Cisco Systems from $95.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Cisco Systems from $95.00 to $96.00 in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Argus lifted their price target on Cisco Systems from $100.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Cisco Systems currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $123.14.

Cisco Systems Price Performance

NASDAQ CSCO traded up $3.00 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $121.31. 26,175,468 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 23,114,244. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a 52-week low of $65.75 and a 52-week high of $130.37. The company has a market capitalization of $478.14 billion, a PE ratio of 39.39, a PEG ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.92 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The firm's 50-day moving average is $115.32 and its 200-day moving average is $92.08.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 13th. The network equipment provider reported $1.06 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.03 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $15.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.56 billion. Cisco Systems had a net margin of 20.14% and a return on equity of 28.44%. The business's revenue was up 12.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.96 EPS. Cisco Systems has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 1.160-1.180 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 4.270-4.290 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 3.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cisco Systems Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 22nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 6th. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. Cisco Systems's payout ratio is 54.55%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Deborah L. Stahlkopf sold 6,586 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.31, for a total transaction of $772,603.66. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 177,223 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $20,790,030.13. The trade was a 3.58% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Oliver Tuszik sold 2,607 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.12, for a total transaction of $315,759.84. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 172,727 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $20,920,694.24. The trade was a 1.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 47,650 shares of company stock worth $5,668,823 over the last quarter. 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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