Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) Shares Up 2.5% – Time to Buy?

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) rose 2.5% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $121.61 and last traded at $121.31. 25,166,402 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 5% from the average daily volume of 24,027,168 shares. The stock had previously closed at $118.31.

Trending Headlines about Cisco Systems

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cisco was highlighted as an AI infrastructure leader, with investors favoring its growing role in networking, optics, Splunk integration, and hyperscaler spending. Cisco, IBD Stock Of The Day, Went From Slow-Growth Tech Icon To AI Infrastructure Leader
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary pointed to Cisco as a cloud-computing beneficiary for the second half of 2026, citing AI-driven data-center expansion and digital demand. 5 Cloud Computing Stocks to Buy for 2H 2026 as Digital Demand Soars
• Positive Sentiment: Cisco landed a $230 million Army role, reinforcing its government and cybersecurity business pipeline. Cisco (CSCO) Lands $230 Million Army Role And Backs AP Cybersecurity Course
• Positive Sentiment: Cisco partnered with the College Board to launch a new AP Cybersecurity course, potentially strengthening its long-term talent pipeline and brand in networking/security. Cisco (CSCO) Partners With College Board to Launch AP Cybersecurity Course
• Neutral Sentiment: A market report on DCIM software included Cisco among key industry players, reflecting broader interest in data-center management tools, but it was not a direct company catalyst. Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) Software Market Report Published
• Neutral Sentiment: One article noted Cisco gained even as the broader market dipped, suggesting relative strength rather than a new specific catalyst. Why the Market Dipped But Cisco Systems (CSCO) Gained Today

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on CSCO. Wall Street Zen upgraded Cisco Systems from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 4th. Citic Securities lifted their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $90.00 to $130.00 in a report on Friday, May 15th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $90.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Evercore raised their price objective on shares of Cisco Systems from $110.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Cisco Systems from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $123.14.

Cisco Systems Stock Up 2.5%

The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $114.69 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $91.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $478.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 1.02.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 13th. The network equipment provider reported $1.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 analysts’ expectations of $15.56 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.96 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. On average, equities analysts predict that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 3.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cisco Systems Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Thimaya K. Subaiya sold 7,127 shares of Cisco Systems stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.91, for a total value of $854,598.57. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 140,857 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,890,162.87. The trade was a 4.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Deborah L. Stahlkopf sold 6,586 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.31, for a total value of $772,603.66. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 177,223 shares in the company, valued at $20,790,030.13. This represents a 3.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 47,650 shares of company stock valued at $5,668,823. 0.01% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Cisco Systems during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Cisco Systems in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Networth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Cisco Systems by 276.4% during the 1st quarter. Networth Advisors LLC now owns 335 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 246 shares in the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Cisco Systems by 137.0% during the 1st quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 346 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Financial Life Planners bought a new position in shares of Cisco Systems in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. 73.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.