121,201 Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO Shares Sold by VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al trimmed its holdings in shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) by 11.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 974,924 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock after selling 121,201 shares during the quarter. Cisco Systems makes up about 0.6% of VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest holding. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al’s holdings in Cisco Systems were worth $104,931,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Cisco Systems during the 2nd quarter worth $42,129,647,000. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Cisco Systems by 7.0% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 207,106,569 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $25,278,492,000 after purchasing an additional 13,512,872 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in shares of Cisco Systems in the 2nd quarter worth $5,892,379,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its holdings in Cisco Systems by 2.7% in the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 43,450,141 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $5,103,654,000 after purchasing an additional 1,143,106 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in Cisco Systems in the 2nd quarter worth $4,714,574,000. 73.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Cisco Systems Stock Down 3.8%

Shares of CSCO stock opened at $104.51 on Friday. 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, Inc. has a one year low of $70.54 and a one year high of $130.37. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $110.00 and its 200-day moving average price is $101.01. The company has a market capitalization of $412.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.29, a PEG ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.99.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The network equipment provider reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.17 by $0.05. Cisco Systems had a net margin of 20.95% and a return on equity of 30.16%. The company had revenue of $17.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.99 EPS. Cisco Systems’s quarterly revenue 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. Sell-side analysts expect that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 4.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cisco Systems Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 2nd were given a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 2nd. Cisco Systems’s payout ratio is presently 50.30%.

Key Cisco Systems News

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI infrastructure remains a key growth catalyst. Cisco is benefiting from rising hyperscaler demand for networking equipment, while AI workloads, 5G, Wi-Fi 7, and broader connectivity needs support the networking industry’s expansion. Cisco Gains From AI Networking Boom
• Positive Sentiment: Industry research projects the global virtualization-security market will grow from $1.7 billion in 2025 to $4.9 billion by 2032, creating potential demand for Cisco’s security, segmentation, and cloud-native offerings. Virtualization Security Market Report
• Positive Sentiment: Mobile virtualization is projected to reach $21 billion by 2032, with remote work, BYOD, 5G, and tighter data regulations supporting longer-term opportunities for Cisco’s networking and security businesses. Mobile Virtualization Market Report
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts maintain a favorable view ahead of earnings, with a reported consensus price target of $128.52, implying continued confidence in Cisco’s outlook. Cisco Consensus Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Cisco is experimenting with an AI-assisted rewrite of approximately 98% of its code under a young engineering leader, potentially improving development speed and product productivity, although execution remains unproven. Cisco AI Code Rewrite
• Neutral Sentiment: Cisco’s upcoming report is receiving positive analyst attention after the stock outperformed the broader market, but the preview also raises the bar for results and forward guidance. Cisco Earnings Preview
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s AI-security and quantum-safe initiatives could strengthen its long-term product portfolio, though the articles provide limited evidence of near-term financial impact. Cisco AI Security and Quantum-Safe Push
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure is increasing: Dell is expanding its AI-security and cyber-resilience capabilities, potentially challenging Cisco in enterprise infrastructure and security markets. Dell Expands AI Security Capabilities
• Negative Sentiment: Recent weakness relative to the broader market suggests investors may be taking profits or demanding stronger earnings and guidance, particularly with CSCO trading at a relatively elevated earnings multiple.

Insider Transactions at Cisco Systems

In related news, EVP Thimaya K. Subaiya sold 5,832 shares of Cisco Systems stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.47, for a total transaction of $650,093.04. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 128,382 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,310,741.54. This trade represents a 4.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Jeetendra I. Patel sold 7,170 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.57, for a total value of $799,956.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 230,593 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $25,727,261.01. The trade was a 3.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 44,869 shares of company stock valued at $5,005,620. 0.01% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on CSCO. HSBC downgraded Cisco Systems from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $137.00 to $120.00 in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Cisco Systems from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. KeyCorp raised their price objective on Cisco Systems from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on Cisco Systems from $132.00 to $125.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on Cisco Systems from $132.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $128.52.

Cisco Systems Company Profile

Cisco Systems, Inc is a global technology company that develops networking, cybersecurity, collaboration and observability solutions for businesses, government organizations and service providers. Its offerings include routers, switches, wireless networking equipment, data-center infrastructure, security software and services, as well as technologies that support cloud and hybrid IT environments.

The company also provides collaboration tools through its Webex portfolio, cloud-managed networking through Cisco Meraki and security and observability capabilities that include technologies from Splunk, which Cisco acquired in 2024.