First Trust Advisors LP Has $1.72 Billion Position in Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO

First Trust Advisors LP decreased its stake in Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) by 14.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 22,139,390 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock after selling 3,746,838 shares during the period. Cisco Systems makes up 1.2% of First Trust Advisors LP’s portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest holding. First Trust Advisors LP owned approximately 0.56% of Cisco Systems worth $1,717,795,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Cisco Systems in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Cisco Systems during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Networth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Cisco Systems by 276.4% in the first quarter. Networth Advisors LLC now owns 335 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 246 shares during the period. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in shares of Cisco Systems in the first quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC grew its position in Cisco Systems by 137.0% during the first quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 346 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. 73.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Cisco Systems Stock Performance

Cisco Systems stock opened at $112.18 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $442.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 1.02. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $117.89 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $93.92. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a 52-week low of $65.75 and a 52-week high of $130.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.92 and a quick ratio of 0.81.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) last issued its earnings results 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.56 billion. Cisco Systems had a net margin of 20.14% and a return on equity of 28.44%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $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. As a group, analysts anticipate that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 3.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cisco Systems Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on CSCO shares. KeyCorp boosted their price target on Cisco Systems from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on Cisco Systems from $86.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Cisco Systems from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Cisco Systems from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Finally, CICC Research raised their target price on Cisco Systems from $96.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Cisco Systems presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $123.14.

Key Stories Impacting Cisco Systems

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street sentiment remains constructive, with one report noting Cisco’s average analyst recommendation is still “Moderate Buy,” and another saying Wall Street Zen upgraded the stock to “Buy.” Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are also focusing on Cisco’s AI-networking potential, including coverage asking whether the company can lead the AI network boom and highlighting Cisco’s quantum networking tests plus a new AI contact-center partnership for Webex. Can Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) Lead the AI Network Boom?
• Positive Sentiment: Some market commentary remains bullish, including a price-prediction piece arguing Cisco could continue to benefit from its growing AI infrastructure exposure and recent order momentum. Price Prediction: Cisco Stock Will Double on This Date
• Neutral Sentiment: Cisco has also been a heavily discussed/trending stock, which can support trading interest but does not by itself change fundamentals. 3 Reasons to Sell CSCO and 1 Stock to Buy Instead
• Negative Sentiment: One article framed Cisco as overextended after a strong six-month rally, suggesting some investors may be taking profits after a big run-up in the stock. 3 Reasons to Sell CSCO and 1 Stock to Buy Instead
• Negative Sentiment: Short-term trading has been choppy, with a recent report noting Cisco underperformed the broader market in the latest session and another saying the stock dipped amid speculation about a possible Zafran Security acquisition. Cisco Systems (CSCO) Sees a More Significant Dip Than Broader Market: Some Facts to Know

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Deborah L. Stahlkopf sold 6,586 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.31, for a total value of $772,603.66. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 177,223 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,790,030.13. The trade was a 3.58% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Oliver Tuszik sold 2,607 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.12, for a total value of $315,759.84. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 172,727 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,920,694.24. This trade represents a 1.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 47,650 shares of company stock valued at $5,668,823. Corporate insiders own 0.01% of the company’s stock.

About Cisco Systems

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.