Insider Selling: Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) EVP Sells $723,495.11 in Stock

Posted by Geri Gentry on Aug 20th, 2026

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO – Get Free Report) EVP Deborah Stahlkopf sold 6,487 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.53, for a total transaction of $723,495.11. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 167,116 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,638,447.48. This trade represents a 3.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Cisco Systems Stock Performance

NASDAQ:CSCO opened at $110.55 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a twelve month low of $66.13 and a twelve month high of $130.37. The company has a fifty day moving average of $116.47 and a 200-day moving average of $99.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $435.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.10, a P/E/G ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.02.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The network equipment provider reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.17 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $17.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.84 billion. Cisco Systems had a net margin of 20.95% and a return on equity of 30.16%. Cisco Systems’s revenue was up 17.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.99 earnings per share. Cisco Systems has set its FY 2027 guidance at 5.050-5.110 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 1.320-1.340 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 4.09 EPS for the current year.

Cisco Systems Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 2nd will be paid a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 2nd. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Cisco Systems’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 50.30%.

Cisco Systems News Summary

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.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cisco Systems

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Cisco Systems in the 2nd quarter valued at $6,442,000. World Investment Advisors boosted its holdings in Cisco Systems by 15.4% during the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 198,549 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $13,905,000 after acquiring an additional 26,455 shares during the last quarter. WCG Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Cisco Systems by 101.8% in the 4th quarter. WCG Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 107,306 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $8,266,000 after acquiring an additional 54,141 shares in the last quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems by 47.1% in the fourth quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 200,341 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $15,432,000 after purchasing an additional 64,144 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ABN AMRO Bank N.V. purchased a new stake in shares of Cisco Systems in the second quarter valued at about $19,114,000. Institutional investors own 73.33% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on CSCO shares. Truist Financial upped their price target on Cisco Systems from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Cisco Systems from $130.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. KeyCorp upped their target price on Cisco Systems from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Argus increased their target price on Cisco Systems from $100.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. Finally, CICC Research lifted their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $96.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $129.43.

View Our Latest Report on CSCO

About Cisco Systems

(Get Free Report)

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.