Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) Price Target Raised to $165.00

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) had its price target upped by investment analysts at Rosenblatt Securities from $150.00 to $165.00 in a report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the network equipment provider’s stock. Rosenblatt Securities’ target price would indicate a potential upside of 33.19% from the company’s current price.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Citic Securities lifted their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $90.00 to $130.00 in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Bank of America boosted their target price on Cisco Systems from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, June 8th. Zacks Research cut shares of Cisco Systems from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Cisco Systems from $116.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Piper Sandler lifted their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $86.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $126.48.

Cisco Systems Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:CSCO opened at $123.88 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $117.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $98.72. The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. Cisco Systems has a 1-year low of $65.75 and a 1-year high of $130.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $488.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.22, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.02.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) last posted 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 company had revenue of $17.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.84 billion. Cisco Systems had a return on equity of 28.44% and a net margin of 20.14%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.99 EPS. 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. Equities analysts predict that Cisco Systems will post 3.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Thimaya K. Subaiya sold 7,127 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.91, for a total transaction of $854,598.57. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 140,857 shares in the company, valued at $16,890,162.87. The trade was a 4.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Deborah L. Stahlkopf sold 6,586 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.31, for a total transaction of $772,603.66. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 177,223 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,790,030.13. This trade represents a 3.58% 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. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 47,650 shares of company stock valued at $5,668,823. 0.01% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Cisco Systems

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Cisco Systems in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Cisco Systems in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Networth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Cisco Systems by 276.4% in the 1st quarter. Networth Advisors LLC now owns 335 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 246 shares during the last quarter. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in shares of Cisco Systems during the first quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Cisco Systems by 137.0% during the 1st quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 346 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 73.33% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Cisco Systems

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI-driven demand remains a major growth catalyst. Cisco reported record fourth-quarter revenue of approximately $17.3 billion, up 18% year over year, while networking product orders increased 40%. AI infrastructure orders totaled $4 billion in the quarter and $9.3 billion for fiscal 2026, with management expecting approximately $7.5 billion of AI infrastructure revenue in fiscal 2027. Cisco fiscal 2026 earnings release
• Positive Sentiment: Results and forward guidance exceeded consensus. Adjusted earnings of $1.22 per share topped the $1.17 estimate, and revenue of $17.25 billion exceeded the $16.84 billion forecast. Cisco guided for fiscal first-quarter revenue of $18.0 billion to $18.2 billion and adjusted EPS of $1.32 to $1.34, well above analysts’ expectations. Fiscal 2027 revenue guidance of $72.2 billion to $73.4 billion and adjusted EPS guidance of $5.05 to $5.11 also surpassed consensus. Reuters Cisco forecast article
• Neutral Sentiment: Quarterly dividend maintained. Cisco declared a $0.42-per-share dividend, payable October 21 to shareholders of record October 2, representing an indicated yield of approximately 1.4%.
• Negative Sentiment: Gross-margin pressure is the key concern. Analysts acknowledged the record results but said squeezed gross margins could limit the benefit of stronger sales. Investors may also be concerned that AI networking growth requires substantial investment and could carry lower margins than Cisco’s traditional business. MarketWatch margin concerns article
• Negative Sentiment: The earnings beat may not have cleared an elevated bar. With CSCO trading near its 52-week high and at roughly 40 times earnings, investors appear to be demanding accelerating growth rather than merely strong results. The pullback reflects profit-taking and skepticism that the AI-driven “supercycle” can justify the stock’s premium valuation over the longer term. Barron’s Cisco AI demand article

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.