Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC Lowers Position in Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO

Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 341,705 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock after selling 16,650 shares during the quarter. Cisco Systems accounts for approximately 1.3% of Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest position. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC’s holdings in Cisco Systems were worth $40,137,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Cisco Systems in the second quarter worth about $6,442,000. World Investment Advisors grew its position 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 increased its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 54,141 shares during the period. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Cisco Systems in the second quarter valued at approximately $60,009,000. Finally, Vise Technologies Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Cisco Systems by 47.1% during 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 period. 73.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Cisco Systems Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of Cisco Systems stock opened at $110.49 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a 12-month low of $66.13 and a 12-month high of $130.37. The company has a market cap of $435.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.08, a PEG ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 1.02. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $114.99 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $101.51.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The network equipment provider reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.17 by $0.05. Cisco Systems had a net margin of 20.95% and a return on equity of 30.16%. The firm had revenue of $17.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.84 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.99 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.6% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. Research analysts anticipate that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.

Cisco Systems Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CSCO has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $95.00 to $96.00 in a report on Monday, May 11th. CICC Research boosted their price objective 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. Argus upped their price objective on shares of Cisco Systems from $100.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Rosenblatt Securities increased their target price on shares of Cisco Systems from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane raised their target price on Cisco Systems from $87.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Cisco Systems presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $129.43.

Key Cisco Systems News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Saudi AI expansion strengthens Cisco’s AI growth narrative. Cisco, AMD and Saudi Arabia-based HUMAIN said production AI infrastructure is now live, combining AMD Instinct MI355X GPUs and EPYC CPUs with Cisco Silicon One networking. The partners plan to add up to 250 megawatts of capacity beginning in 2027 and potentially reach 1 gigawatt by 2030, creating a significant long-term opportunity for Cisco’s AI networking business. AMD, Cisco and HUMAIN Expand Saudi Arabia’s AI Infrastructure as AMD Instinct Systems Go Live
• Positive Sentiment: Sovereign infrastructure broadens Cisco’s addressable market. Cisco is also introducing a Sovereign Critical Infrastructure portfolio in Canada for air-gapped, on-premises deployments. These offerings target governments and regulated industries that require strict data residency, security and operational control, potentially supporting higher-value infrastructure sales. How Investors Are Reacting To Cisco Systems Expanding Sovereign AI Infrastructure In Saudi Arabia
• Positive Sentiment: Recent performance and outside commentary remain supportive. Cisco has outperformed the broader telecommunications industry over the past year, while Jim Cramer reiterated a bullish view following the company’s record quarter. These factors may reinforce investor confidence, although they are less material than the company’s operating results and AI bookings. How Is Cisco Systems’ Stock Performance Compared to Other Telecommunications Stocks?
• Neutral Sentiment: Management will meet investors throughout September. Cisco executives are scheduled to participate in Goldman Sachs, Citi, Truist, Piper Sandler and other technology conferences. The meetings could provide updates on AI networking demand, margins and guidance, but no new financial targets were announced.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and guidance remain potential constraints. Despite the AI momentum, prior commentary has noted conservative guidance, and the stock’s elevated valuation leaves less room for disappointment if AI-related revenue growth or broader networking demand falls short of expectations. Jim Cramer delivers unmistakable verdict on vital tech giant

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Deborah L. Stahlkopf sold 6,487 shares of Cisco Systems stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.53, for a total transaction of $723,495.11. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 167,116 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,638,447.48. This trade represents a 3.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Oliver Tuszik sold 2,760 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $112.46, for a total transaction of $310,389.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 165,276 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,586,938.96. This trade represents a 1.64% 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 have sold 53,611 shares of company stock valued at $6,066,680 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.01% of the company’s stock.

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.