Empirical Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO – Free Report) by 64.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 33,743 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 13,244 shares during the period. Cisco Systems comprises 0.9% of Empirical Asset Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest holding. Empirical Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Cisco Systems were worth $3,963,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Cisco Systems during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Cisco Systems during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Networth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems by 276.4% during the first quarter. Networth Advisors LLC now owns 335 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares during the period. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in shares of Cisco Systems in the first quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Cisco Systems by 137.0% in the first quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 346 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.33% of the company’s stock.
Cisco Systems Stock Performance
Shares of Cisco Systems stock opened at $110.55 on Thursday. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a one year low of $66.13 and a one year high of $130.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $435.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.10, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.02. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $116.47 and a 200 day simple moving average of $99.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.79.
Cisco Systems Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 21st. Investors of record on Friday, October 2nd will be given a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 2nd. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. Cisco Systems’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.30%.
Key Stories Impacting Cisco Systems
Here are the key news stories impacting Cisco Systems this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Cisco reported approximately $17.3 billion in quarterly revenue, up 18% year over year, and adjusted EPS of $1.22, exceeding the $1.17 consensus estimate. Management’s fiscal 2027 outlook was also optimistic, reinforcing expectations for continued growth. Strong AI Infrastructure Orders Drive Confidence in Cisco Systems
- Positive Sentiment: AI infrastructure demand remains a major growth driver. Cisco recorded $4 billion of AI infrastructure orders in the latest quarter, $9.3 billion for fiscal 2026, and expects $7.5 billion of AI infrastructure revenue in fiscal 2027. Bank of America reiterated its Buy rating and $150 price target, indicating substantial potential upside if execution continues. BofA makes bold call on Cisco stock after earnings
- Neutral Sentiment: Analysts questioned how sustainable the AI-led growth surge will be and whether Cisco can convert strong orders into durable, profitable recurring revenue. A recent Freedom Capital upgrade to Strong Buy provides a counterpoint to the more cautious views. What Kept Coming Up When Analysts Grilled CSCO
- Negative Sentiment: Gross-margin pressure was the key earnings concern. Margins fell to about 66.3% and are expected to remain around 65%–66% in the next quarter, partly because of higher memory costs, hardware pricing, and an unfavorable product mix. Soft recurring growth and a premium valuation have led some analysts to recommend holding the stock despite strong revenue growth. Cisco: Buy The AI Pullback, But Watch The Margin Pressure
- Negative Sentiment: HSBC downgraded Cisco to Hold, while CEO Charles Robbins and other executives disclosed share sales. The transactions were conducted under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans, making them a modest negative signal rather than clear evidence of deteriorating management confidence.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several research analysts have issued reports on CSCO shares. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. UBS Group increased their price target on Cisco Systems from $132.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Evercore lifted their price objective on Cisco Systems from $110.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Cisco Systems from $130.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Argus boosted their price target on Cisco Systems from $100.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $129.43.
Read Our Latest Research Report on Cisco Systems
Insider Buying and Selling at Cisco Systems
In other Cisco Systems news, insider Jeetendra I. Patel sold 7,170 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.57, for a total transaction of $799,956.90. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 230,593 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,727,261.01. The trade was a 3.02% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, 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 2,760 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $112.46, for a total transaction of $310,389.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 165,276 shares in the company, valued at $18,586,938.96. This trade represents a 1.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 69,179 shares of company stock worth $7,985,229 in the last ninety days. 0.01% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
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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