Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) Stock Price Up 2.3% – Here’s Why

23 Apr 2026, 23:37 by Danessa Lincoln · The Markets Daily

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO – Get Free Report) shares rose 2.3% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $89.80 and last traded at $89.70. Approximately 18,615,828 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 19% from the average daily volume of 22,892,791 shares. The stock had previously closed at $87.71.

Cisco Systems News Roundup

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

Positive Sentiment: Cisco is seeing surging AI orders from hyperscalers and is targeting over $5B in fiscal 2026 AI deals — a clear revenue tailwind if bookings convert to revenue. Cisco Cashes in on AI Order Momentum
Positive Sentiment: Cisco unveiled a working research prototype— the “Universal Quantum Switch” — positioning it as an early leader in quantum networking; successful commercialization would be a long-term strategic differentiator. Cisco Introduces Universal Quantum Switch
Positive Sentiment: Qmulos continuous‑compliance products are now on Cisco’s Global Price List, simplifying procurement through Cisco’s channel and helping drive recurring software and services sales. Qmulos Now Available on Cisco Global Price List
Positive Sentiment: Market commentary highlights a 52-week high and analyst price-target upside (e.g., $98.76 projection), reinforcing bullish narratives around AI/networking tailwinds — but also noting stretched valuation. Cisco Hits 52-Week High
Neutral Sentiment: Cisco published its FY25 Purpose Report emphasizing security, privacy and trust in AI — useful for reputation and customer confidence but with gradual impact on financials. Prioritizing Security, Privacy, and Trust in the AI Era
Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views are mixed: some lift Cisco on AI/networking momentum while others caution on competition and valuation — contributes to volatility around earnings. How Cisco Systems (CSCO) Story Is Shifting
Negative Sentiment: Industry security incidents (e.g., unauthorized access to an AI provider during testing) heighten enterprise caution on AI deployments and may increase spending scrutiny — a sector headwind for networking/security vendors. Unauthorized Users Access Anthropic’s Mythos AI
Negative Sentiment: Some articles express skepticism about richly valued names despite growth — reminder that profit-taking and caution around multiples can weigh on CSCO after the rally. 3 Unpopular Stocks We’re Skeptical Of

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CSCO has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Evercore upgraded Cisco Systems from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $80.00 to $100.00 in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Cisco Systems in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Erste Group Bank cut shares of Cisco Systems from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, HSBC upped their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $74.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $89.81.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on CSCO

Cisco Systems Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $349.92 billion, a PE ratio of 31.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.38 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $80.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $77.16.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The network equipment provider reported $1.04 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $15.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.11 billion. Cisco Systems had a return on equity of 27.88% and a net margin of 19.22%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.94 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 3.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Cisco Systems Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 22nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.42 per share. This is an increase from Cisco Systems’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 2nd. Cisco Systems’s payout ratio is 58.95%.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Jeetendra I. Patel sold 11,248 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.00, for a total transaction of $854,848.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 262,776 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,970,976. This trade represents a 4.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Maria Victoria Wong sold 2,179 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.74, for a total value of $169,395.46. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 28,807 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,239,456.18. This represents a 7.03% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 46,431 shares of company stock valued at $3,574,820. Company insiders own 0.01% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cisco Systems

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Marquette Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Cisco Systems in the third quarter worth about $25,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Cisco Systems in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management bought a new position in Cisco Systems in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Networth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Cisco Systems by 276.4% in the first quarter. Networth Advisors LLC now owns 335 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Cisco Systems by 96.2% in the third quarter. Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 408 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. 73.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.