Go Pro

Cisco Systems (CSCO) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Cisco Systems logo
$109.20 0.00 (0.00%)
Closing price 09/4/2026 04:00 PM Eastern
Extended Trading
$109.42 +0.22 (+0.20%)
As of 09:25 AM Eastern
Extended trading is trading that happens on electronic markets outside of regular trading hours. This is a fair market value extended hours price provided by Massive. Learn more.

Cisco Systems - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Sell
0
Hold
7
Buy
18

Based on 25 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Cisco Systems in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy." Out of the 25 analysts, 7 have given a hold rating, 16 have given a buy rating, and 2 have given a strong buy rating for CSCO.

Consensus Price Target

$129.68
18.76% Upside
According to the 25 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Cisco Systems, the average price target is $129.68. The highest price target for CSCO is $165.00, while the lowest price target for CSCO is $88.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 18.76% from the current price of $109.20.
MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.
Get the Latest News and Ratings for CSCO and Related Stocks

Enter your email address to receive the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cisco Systems and its competitors.

Sign Up
SMS is currently available in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. By entering your phone number and clicking the sign-up button, you agree to receive periodic text messages from MarketBeat at the phone number you submitted, including texts that may be sent using an automatic telephone dialing system. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency will vary. Messages will consist of stock alerts, news stories, and partner advertisements/offers. Consent is not a condition of the purchase of any goods or services. Text HELP for help/customer support. Unsubscribe at any time by replying "STOP" to any text message that you receive from MarketBeat or by visiting our mailing preferences page. Read our full terms of service and privacy policy.

CSCO Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
9/8/25 to 9/8/26
1 Month Ago
8/9/25 to 8/9/26
3 Months Ago
6/10/25 to 6/10/26
1 Year Ago
9/8/24 to 9/8/25
Strong Buy
2 Strong Buy rating(s)
2 Strong Buy rating(s)
2 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
16 Buy rating(s)
15 Buy rating(s)
16 Buy rating(s)
12 Buy rating(s)
Hold
7 Hold rating(s)
7 Hold rating(s)
8 Hold rating(s)
9 Hold rating(s)
Sell
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$129.68$123.14$120.18$74.53
Forecasted Upside18.76% Upside1.41% Upside1.16% Upside11.43% Upside
Consensus RatingModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate Buy

CSCO Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.
Skip Chart & View Analyst Rating History

CSCO Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.
Skip Chart and View Analyst Price Target HistorySkip Chart & View Price History Table

Cisco Systems Stock vs. The Competition

TypeCisco SystemsTechnology CompaniesBroader Market
Consensus Rating Score
2.80
2.23
2.53
Consensus RatingModerate BuyHoldModerate Buy
Predicted Upside18.76% Upside394.64% Upside14.04% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent CSCO News
Positive News
Positive News
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
9/1/2026Initiated CoverageHoldBuy$135.00+22.18%
8/26/2026
Weiss Ratings logo
Weiss Ratings
5 of 5 stars
 Reiterated RatingBuy (B)
8/16/2026 UpgradeHoldStrong-Buy
8/14/2026DowngradeBuyHold$137.00 ➝ $120.00+5.75%
8/13/2026Boost TargetBuy$132.00 ➝ $138.00+21.62%
8/13/2026Boost TargetBuy$125.00 ➝ $140.00+23.93%
8/13/2026Boost TargetOverweight$130.00 ➝ $150.00+31.31%
8/13/2026Boost TargetEqual Weight$121.00 ➝ $123.00+7.67%
8/13/2026Boost TargetOverweight$130.00 ➝ $135.00+8.98%
8/13/2026Boost TargetBuy$150.00 ➝ $165.00+33.19%
8/13/2026Boost TargetOverweight$130.00 ➝ $135.00+8.98%
8/4/2026 DowngradeStrong-BuyHold
6/8/2026Boost TargetBuy$135.00 ➝ $150.00+18.97%
6/3/2026 Boost TargetNeutral$116.00 ➝ $125.00-1.47%
5/19/2026 Boost TargetBuy$100.00 ➝ $150.00+29.87%
5/18/2026 Boost TargetOutperform$96.00 ➝ $125.00+7.62%
5/15/2026 Boost Target$90.00 ➝ $130.00+10.70%
5/14/2026 Boost TargetOutperform$110.00 ➝ $150.00+28.35%
5/14/2026 Boost TargetOutperform$87.00 ➝ $132.00+12.95%
5/14/2026Boost TargetNeutral$86.00 ➝ $132.00+12.95%
5/14/2026Boost TargetBuy$90.00 ➝ $112.00-4.27%
5/14/2026 Boost TargetNeutral$82.00 ➝ $122.00+4.32%
5/11/2026Boost Target$95.00 ➝ $96.00-0.58%
2/18/2026 DowngradeBuyHold
2/13/2026 UpgradeStrong-Buy
12/24/2025 Lower Target$90.00 ➝ $88.00+12.79%
11/13/2025Boost TargetBuy$84.00 ➝ $100.00+35.21%
8/14/2025 UpgradeHold
7/8/2025Initiated CoveragePeer Perform
10/14/2024Boost TargetBuy$76.00 ➝ $78.00+43.86%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Tuesday at 09:25 AM ET.


Should I Buy Cisco Systems Stock? CSCO Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Monday, September 7, 2026. Please send any questions or comments about these Cisco Systems pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Cisco Systems
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Cisco:

  • Cisco demonstrated strong fundamental momentum in its most recent quarter, reporting earnings per share of $1.22, which beat analyst estimates of $1.17, while revenue of $17.25 billion exceeded the consensus of $16.84 billion, marking a 17.6% year-over-year increase that signals accelerating demand for its networking and security solutions.
  • The company has significantly raised its financial outlook, guiding for full-year 2027 earnings per share between $5.05 and $5.11, which is well above the consensus estimate of $4.64, and projecting revenue between $72.2 billion and $73.4 billion, indicating management confidence in sustained growth from AI infrastructure and security orders.
  • Wall Street sentiment has shifted positively, with the consensus rating standing at Moderate Buy and the average price target rising to $129.68, which represents substantial upside potential from the current stock price of $109.20, as analysts like BNP Paribas and CICC have recently lifted their targets to reflect improved earnings visibility.
  • Institutional investors are increasing their exposure to the stock, with major entities like the Virginia Retirement Systems purchasing over 1 million new shares and Amundi adding to its position, suggesting that large capital allocators view Cisco as a stable core holding with strong long-term value despite recent market volatility.
  • Cisco offers a reliable income stream for investors through its dividend, which has a yield of 1.54% and a payout ratio of 50.30%, providing a balance of growth and income that is attractive in a market where technology stocks are increasingly scrutinized for their ability to generate consistent cash flow.

Cisco Systems
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

Investors should be bearish about investing in Cisco for these reasons:

  • The stock has experienced a significant pullback following its earnings release, dropping from a high of $130.37 to the current price of $109.20, which reflects a loss of momentum and suggests that the market may have already priced in the recent earnings beat and guidance raise, leaving little room for further short-term appreciation.
  • Valuation metrics appear stretched relative to historical averages, with a P/E ratio of 32.69, which is high for a mature networking company, and a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.28, indicating that investors are paying a premium for growth that may not be sustained if the AI infrastructure cycle slows down.
  • Insider selling has been consistent, with CEO Charles Robbins and other executives selling shares in August 2026 under pre-arranged trading plans, which can be interpreted as a signal that company leadership is taking advantage of the recent stock price appreciation to reduce their personal exposure to the company.
  • Some major institutional investors are reducing their positions, such as HighTower Advisors, which cut its stake by 22.9% in the second quarter, and Mid American Wealth Advisory Group, which lowered its holdings by 96.8%, suggesting that certain large players are taking profits or reallocating capital away from Cisco.
  • The company faces a challenging competitive landscape in the AI infrastructure space, where it must compete with specialized hardware providers and cloud-native solutions, and its current ratio of 0.93 and quick ratio of 0.79 indicate that it has less short-term liquidity than some of its peers, which could be a concern if cash flow generation slows.

CSCO Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 25 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Cisco Systems is $129.68, with a high forecast of $165.00 and a low forecast of $88.00.

25 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Cisco Systems in the last year. There are currently 7 hold ratings, 16 buy ratings and 2 strong buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" CSCO shares.

According to analysts, Cisco Systems's stock has a predicted upside of 18.76% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Cisco Systems's stock had 2 upgrades and 2 downgrades by analysts.

Analysts like Cisco Systems more than other "technology" companies. The consensus rating for Cisco Systems is Moderate Buy while the average consensus rating for "technology" companies is Hold. Learn more on how CSCO compares to other companies.


MarketBeat monitors more than a dozen sources for Cisco Systems analyst ratings, with the most recent rating issued on 9/1/2026.
From Our Partners