Howland Capital Management LLC Buys 11,765 Shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO

Key Points

• Howland Capital Management LLC increased its Cisco stake by 32.6% in the fourth quarter, adding 11,765 shares and bringing its total holdings to 47,822 shares worth about $3.68 million.
• Several analysts turned more positive on Cisco, with firms like Morgan Stanley, UBS, and Citic Securities raising price targets; the stock now carries a consensus Moderate Buy rating and an average target price of $120.64.
• Cisco reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, including earnings of $1.06 per share and revenue of $15.84 billion, and also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share payable July 22.

Howland Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO - Free Report) by 32.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 47,822 shares of the network equipment provider's stock after acquiring an additional 11,765 shares during the period. Howland Capital Management LLC's holdings in Cisco Systems were worth $3,684,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Cisco Systems during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Cisco Systems during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Jessup Wealth Management Inc purchased a new stake in Cisco Systems during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Cisco Systems during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Board of the Pension Protection Fund purchased a new stake in Cisco Systems during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 73.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on CSCO. Citic Securities increased their target price on shares of Cisco Systems from $90.00 to $130.00 in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Cisco Systems from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $116.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $95.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $120.64.

Cisco Systems Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of NASDAQ CSCO opened at $121.10 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $477.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 1.01. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a 52-week low of $63.93 and a 52-week high of $130.37. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $102.28 and its 200-day simple moving average is $86.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly 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. Cisco Systems had a net margin of 20.14% and a return on equity of 28.44%. The firm had revenue of $15.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.56 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.96 earnings per share. Cisco Systems's quarterly revenue was up 12.0% on a year-over-year basis. 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 predict that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 3.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cisco Systems Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Oliver Tuszik sold 3,132 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.74, for a total value of $249,745.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 188,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,040,000.62. This represents a 1.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Deborah L. Stahlkopf sold 7,981 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.50, for a total transaction of $634,489.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 187,097 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,874,211.50. This represents a 4.09% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 51,636 shares of company stock worth $5,698,459. Insiders own 0.01% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Cisco Systems

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cisco expanded its AI agentic security portfolio, adding Zero Trust Access for agents and new partnerships aimed at meeting rising enterprise demand for AI protection. Cisco Expands AI Agentic Security Portfolio: What's Ahead in 2026?
• Positive Sentiment: The company also unveiled broader AI security and quantum-safe initiatives, including Cloud Control and Live Protect, reinforcing the view that Cisco is well positioned for secure AI infrastructure spending. Cisco AI Security Push And Quantum Plans Test Investor Expectations
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target on Cisco to $130 from $120 and kept an overweight rating, signaling confidence in further upside. Morgan Stanley price target note
• Positive Sentiment: Technical commentary says Cisco broke above its 20-day moving average, which traders often view as a short-term bullish signal. Cisco Systems (CSCO) Recently Broke Out Above the 20-Day Moving Average
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor and media attention remains elevated, with Cisco among the most searched stocks on Zacks, reflecting continued interest in the name. Investors Heavily Search Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO): Here is What You Need to Know
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Oliver Tuszik sold 2,607 shares in a pre-arranged 10b5-1 transaction, a routine insider sale that may modestly pressure sentiment. SEC Form 4 filing

Cisco Systems Company Profile

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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