Meridian Investment Counsel Inc. Has $2.68 Million Stock Holdings in Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO

Meridian Investment Counsel Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) by 32.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 34,546 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,501 shares during the quarter. Meridian Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Cisco Systems were worth $2,680,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Cisco Systems by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 398,943,293 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $30,730,602,000 after acquiring an additional 4,049,893 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Cisco Systems by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 195,521,161 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $15,060,995,000 after purchasing an additional 1,057,962 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley boosted its stake in Cisco Systems by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 75,326,258 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $5,802,382,000 after purchasing an additional 206,352 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in Cisco Systems by 11.6% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 59,836,782 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $4,609,227,000 after purchasing an additional 6,224,062 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in Cisco Systems during the 4th quarter worth about $4,473,272,000. Institutional investors own 73.33% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. CICC Research boosted their price target on Cisco Systems from $96.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. BNP Paribas Exane lifted their price objective on shares of Cisco Systems from $87.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Truist Financial assumed coverage on shares of Cisco Systems in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $94.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Cisco Systems from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, New Street Research raised their target price on shares of Cisco Systems from $82.00 to $122.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $123.14.

Cisco Systems Price Performance

CSCO stock opened at $112.69 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $444.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.59, a P/E/G ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 1.02. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a twelve month low of $65.75 and a twelve month high of $130.37. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $112.59 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $90.82. 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) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 13th. The network equipment provider reported $1.06 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $15.84 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.56 billion. Cisco Systems had a return on equity of 28.44% and a net margin of 20.14%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm 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. Analysts anticipate that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 3.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cisco Systems Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 6th will be given a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 6th. Cisco Systems’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 54.55%.

Insider Activity at Cisco Systems

In other news, EVP Thimaya K. Subaiya sold 7,127 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were 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. This represents a 4.82% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Oliver Tuszik sold 2,761 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.61, for a total value of $316,438.21. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 180,877 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,730,312.97. This trade represents a 1.50% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 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 ninety days. Company insiders own 0.01% of the company’s stock.

Cisco Systems News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cisco is being highlighted as a potential AI infrastructure winner after reporting record quarterly revenue, raising full-year guidance, and saying it expects about $9 billion in AI infrastructure orders from hyperscalers in FY26. Cisco’s Forecast Beats the Bearish Retail Crowd. Here’s the Target
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded Cisco from hold to strong-buy, reinforcing a more constructive analyst view on the stock. Zacks.com
• Positive Sentiment: Several market writeups continue to frame Cisco as a beneficiary of AI demand and a blue-chip pick for the second half of 2026, which may support investor sentiment. Dow Records Best 1H Performance Since 2021: 5 Top Picks for 2H 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: One article compared Cisco’s stock performance with the broader technology sector this year, suggesting investors are still evaluating whether CSCO is outperforming peers or simply benefiting from sector rotation. Are Computer and Technology Stocks Lagging Cisco Systems (CSCO) This Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Cisco also announced an AP Cybersecurity partnership with the College Board, a positive brand and education initiative, but one that is likely not a major near-term stock driver. Cisco Partners With College Board To Launch AP Cybersecurity and Expand Career-Connected Learning
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentators are warning that Cisco’s valuation looks stretched on cash flow terms, even if earnings multiples remain reasonable, which could limit upside after the recent rally. Cisco (CSCO) Stock Looks Stretched On Cash Flow Yet Reasonable On Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Another article explicitly said Cisco stock moved lower in the prior session, reflecting ongoing profit-taking and caution after a strong run-up. Cisco Systems (CSCO) Stock Moves -3.69%: What You Should Know
• Negative Sentiment: Recent “growth stock” pieces used Cisco as an example of what can go wrong when growth slows, adding a cautious narrative around the company’s long-term growth profile. 2 Growth Stocks with All-Star Potential and 1 Facing Challenges

Cisco Systems 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.