Erste Group Bank Downgrades Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) to Hold

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Erste Group Bank from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports.

Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on the company. CICC Research boosted their target price on Cisco Systems from $84.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. DZ Bank raised Cisco Systems to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Argus raised shares of Cisco Systems to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Cisco Systems from $71.00 to $76.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Cisco Systems from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $89.55.

Cisco Systems Price Performance

Shares of CSCO opened at $78.56 on Wednesday. Cisco Systems has a fifty-two week low of $52.11 and a fifty-two week high of $88.18. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $77.68 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $73.34. The stock has a market cap of $310.30 billion, a PE ratio of 27.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.96.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The network equipment provider reported $1.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $15.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.11 billion. Cisco Systems had a net margin of 19.22% and a return on equity of 27.88%. The business’s revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.94 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Cisco Systems will post 3.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Cisco Systems

In other Cisco Systems news, CEO Charles Robbins sold 19,545 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.00, for a total transaction of $1,485,420.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 671,095 shares in the company, valued at approximately $51,003,220. This trade represents a 2.83% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Michael D. Capellas sold 10,850 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.13, for a total transaction of $836,860.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 146,368 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,289,363.84. The trade was a 6.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 83,299 shares of company stock valued at $6,390,416 in the last ninety days. 0.01% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CSCO. Bare Financial Services Inc grew its position in shares of Cisco Systems by 531.0% during the second quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 366 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 308 shares in the last quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Cisco Systems in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Cisco Systems during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Cisco Systems during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of Cisco Systems during the second quarter worth $28,000. Institutional investors own 73.33% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Cisco Systems

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target to $95 and kept a Buy rating, citing stronger AI order momentum that supports Cisco’s revenue outlook. UBS Lifts PT on Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street commentary highlights an analyst consensus implying meaningful upside (~16% from recent levels), framing the pullback as a potential buying opportunity for investors focused on AI and recurring software revenue. Wall Street Sees 16% Upside in Cisco (CSCO)
• Positive Sentiment: Technically, CSCO has broken above its 50‑day moving average—a short‑term bullish signal that often attracts momentum buyers. Cisco Crossed Above the 50-Day Moving Average (Zacks)
• Positive Sentiment: R&D/market‑leadership news: Cisco and startup Qunnect demonstrated a quantum network over NYC fiber—an innovation signal for long‑term network/security leadership. Cisco, Qunnect build quantum network (Reuters)
• Positive Sentiment: Cisco raised its quarterly dividend (now $0.42/share), which supports income investors and can stabilize flows into the stock. Cisco profile (MarketBeat)
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage is mixed on valuation: some pieces argue the rally has pushed multiples above historical norms even as revenue growth is modest—useful context but not an immediate catalyst. Buy Or Sell Cisco Stock At $78? (Forbes) Cisco’s New AI Push And Partnerships Weigh On Stock Valuation Story (Yahoo)
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks and other outlets flag Cisco as a name to watch in a challenged networking sector—useful for positioning but not a clear immediate buy/sell trigger. 3 Stocks to Consider From a Troubled Networking Industry (Zacks)
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest headlines showed a “large increase” but the underlying feed reports zero shares—likely a reporting error that can spook traders despite no real short‑position signal. Short Interest Notices (data appears erroneous)
• Negative Sentiment: Post‑earnings volatility: the stock experienced a sharp post‑earnings slide last week (~9%+) as investors digested margin pressures and integration costs tied to the Splunk deal. How Low Can Cisco Stock Go? (Forbes)
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling from CEO Charles Robbins and other insiders was reported (mid‑Feb Form 4 filings), which can be read as a near‑term negative signal by traders. Cisco Insider Selling Alerts (InsiderTrades)
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group cut its rating (buy→hold), adding to mixed analyst sentiment and giving momentum traders a reason to trim positions. Finviz quote / analyst updates

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.