Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Research

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) was upgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on CSCO. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Cisco Systems from $80.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. BNP Paribas Exane raised their target price on shares of Cisco Systems from $76.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, November 13th. Wall Street Zen cut Cisco Systems from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 22nd. Citigroup increased their price objective on Cisco Systems from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on Cisco Systems from $71.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, November 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $86.81.

Cisco Systems Stock Performance

NASDAQ CSCO traded down $0.31 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $78.37. The company had a trading volume of 5,205,207 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,873,709. Cisco Systems has a fifty-two week low of $52.11 and a fifty-two week high of $80.82. The firm has a market cap of $309.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $76.63 and a 200-day simple moving average of $71.92.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 12th. The network equipment provider reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.02. Cisco Systems had a net margin of 18.38% and a return on equity of 27.29%. The company had revenue of $14.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.77 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.91 earnings per share. Cisco Systems’s revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Cisco Systems has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.080-4.140 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.010-1.030 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Cisco Systems will post 3.04 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Cisco Systems

In other Cisco Systems news, Director Kristina M. Johnson sold 13,481 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.13, for a total value of $1,039,789.53. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 61,630 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,753,521.90. The trade was a 17.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Maria Victoria Wong sold 428 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.33, for a total transaction of $34,381.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 32,176 shares in the company, valued at $2,584,698.08. The trade was a 1.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 1,044,865 shares of company stock valued at $81,397,635. Insiders own 0.01% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cisco Systems

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CSCO. Bare Financial Services Inc increased its stake in Cisco Systems by 531.0% during the 2nd quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 366 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 308 shares in the last quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Cisco Systems during the third quarter worth $25,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Cisco Systems in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Board of the Pension Protection Fund bought a new stake in Cisco Systems during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Cisco Systems by 96.2% during the 3rd quarter. Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 408 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. 73.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More Cisco Systems News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Evercore ISI upgraded Cisco to “Outperform,” a high-profile upgrade that typically drives buying interest in large-cap tech names. Evercore ISI Upgrades Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) to “Outperform”
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research moved CSCO from “hold” to “strong-buy,” adding to the surge of bullish analyst signals that can push institutional flows. Zacks.com
• Positive Sentiment: News reports show CSCO trading up after the upgrades (articles noting a ~3.2% intraday advance), indicating the upgrades had an immediate market impact. Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) Trading Up 3.2% Following Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Several pieces note price-target revisions and renewed analyst bullishness, which can support a higher valuation multiple (PE ~29.5 by recent data). Why Cisco Systems (CSCO) Price Target Revision Is Rewriting The Story Around The Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Georgetown’s Wi‑Fi 7 overhaul with Cisco highlights a tangible commercial win in campus AI networking — positive for product adoption but not a material revenue driver yet. Does Georgetown’s Wi‑Fi 7 Overhaul With Cisco (CSCO) Redefine Its Campus AI Networking Edge?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts’ consensus remains mildly positive (“Moderate Buy”), reflecting mixed views despite recent upgrades — consensus can limit volatility but also cap upside. Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Chuck Robbins warned investors to expect “AI carnage” as winners and losers emerge when AI investment cycles reset — comments that increase uncertainty around near-term demand for some product categories. Cisco Boss Robbins Warns Investors of “AI Carnage” Ahead as Winners and Losers Emerge
• Negative Sentiment: A Forbes piece argues it may be time to sell CSCO, reflecting a bearish narrative that could weigh on sentiment if it gains traction with retail/institutional investors. Is It Time To Sell Cisco Stock?

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.