Quent Long Short Global Small Cap Fund LP Makes New $1.94 Million Investment in Cisco Systems, Inc. $CSCO

Quent Long Short Global Small Cap Fund LP bought a new position in shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 25,148 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,937,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Cisco Systems by 10.5% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 53,612,720 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $3,668,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,081,469 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in shares of Cisco Systems by 3.5% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 48,498,612 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $3,318,275,000 after acquiring an additional 1,631,703 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Cisco Systems by 4.4% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 42,641,483 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $2,917,530,000 after acquiring an additional 1,804,625 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its stake in shares of Cisco Systems by 7.2% in the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 37,674,954 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $2,577,720,000 after acquiring an additional 2,535,716 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in shares of Cisco Systems by 19.5% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 33,748,414 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock worth $2,309,066,000 after acquiring an additional 5,498,375 shares in the last quarter. 73.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Cisco Systems Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:CSCO opened at $88.59 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $349.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.38 and a beta of 0.83. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a 1-year low of $55.16 and a 1-year high of $90.45. The company’s fifty day moving average is $80.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is $77.24. 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 issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The network equipment provider reported $1.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $15.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.11 billion. Cisco Systems had a net margin of 19.22% and a return on equity of 27.88%. The firm’s revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.94 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 3.4 EPS for the current year.

Cisco Systems Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Cisco Systems

In related news, EVP Thimaya K. Subaiya sold 1,744 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.07, for a total value of $134,410.08. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 156,693 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,076,329.51. This trade represents a 1.10% 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, EVP Deborah L. Stahlkopf sold 7,981 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.50, for a total transaction of $634,489.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 187,097 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,874,211.50. This trade represents a 4.09% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 46,431 shares of company stock worth $3,574,820. Corporate insiders own 0.01% of the company’s stock.

Cisco Systems News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Surging AI orders from hyperscalers — Cisco is seeing accelerating AI order momentum, targeting over $5B in fiscal‑2026 AI deals which supports revenue growth expectations and long‑term upside. Cisco Cashes in on AI Order Momentum: More Upside Ahead in 2026?
• Positive Sentiment: Quantum networking prototype — Cisco unveiled a working Universal Quantum Switch (research prototype) that preserves quantum information with minimal degradation, signaling long‑term leadership and R&D differentiation in a nascent growth area. Cisco Introduces Universal Quantum Switch, Advancing the Path to a Quantum Network
• Positive Sentiment: Expanded partner channel — Qmulos products are now on Cisco’s Global Price List, simplifying procurement for customers and potentially smoothing sales motions for compliance/security offerings. Qmulos Now Available on Cisco Global Price List (GPL), Accelerating Continuous Compliance Solutions for Joint Customers
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism and price targets — Several writeups point to a clear path for additional upside off recent gains (one model targets ~$98.76), which can support buyer interest if fundamentals continue to surprise on the upside. Why Cisco’s AI and Networking Tailwinds Point to $98.76 in 12 Months
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate purpose update — Cisco published its FY25 Purpose Report emphasizing security, privacy and trust in AI; important for reputation and enterprise positioning but not an immediate earnings driver. Prioritizing Security, Privacy, and Trust in the AI Era | Cisco FY25 Purpose Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst views — Coverage highlights shifting narratives: strong AI tailwinds but tougher comps/valuation debates; this creates divergent short‑term views among investors. How Cisco Systems (CSCO) Story Is Shifting With Mixed Analyst Views And New AI Moves
• Negative Sentiment: Intraday weakness flagged — Coverage noted Cisco registered a bigger fall than the market in the latest session (lower volume vs. average), reflecting profit‑taking after the rally. Cisco Systems (CSCO) Registers a Bigger Fall Than the Market: Important Facts to Note
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and skepticism — Some commentary highlights premium valuation and skeptical analyst takes, which can cap near‑term gains if growth expectations slip. 3 Unpopular Stocks We’re Skeptical Of
• Negative Sentiment: Sector security headlines — Unauthorized access incidents at other AI vendors (Anthropic) raise broader security concerns that can increase customer diligence cycles across AI/networking buys. Unauthorized Users Access Anthropic’s Mythos AI During Limited Testing Rollout

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on CSCO. Argus upgraded Cisco Systems to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. HSBC boosted their price target on Cisco Systems from $74.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Cisco Systems in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. DZ Bank raised shares of Cisco Systems to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Erste Group Bank cut shares of Cisco Systems from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Cisco Systems has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $89.81.

Cisco Systems 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.