Group 1 - Morgan Stanley has raised the target price for Cisco (CSCO.US) from $78 to $80 [1]

Core Viewpoint - Cisco reported a net profit of $2.82 billion for Q4 of FY2025, reflecting a 31% year-over-year increase, and AI infrastructure orders exceeded $2 billion, significantly surpassing the initial target of $1 billion [1][2][3] Financial Performance - Adjusted EPS for Q4 was $0.99, slightly above the expected $0.98, with revenue of $14.7 billion, an 8% year-over-year increase, also exceeding the forecast of $14.62 billion [2] - Net profit for Q4 reached $2.82 billion, marking a 31% increase compared to the previous year [2] Business Segment Analysis - The networking business generated $7.63 billion in revenue, a 12% year-over-year increase, outperforming the analyst expectation of $7.34 billion, driven by strong demand for switches and routers due to AI workloads [6] - The security business, however, underperformed with quarterly revenue of $1.95 billion, achieving only a 9% year-over-year growth, falling short of the $2.11 billion market expectation [7] Future Outlook - Cisco's guidance for FY2026 includes revenue expectations of $59 billion to $60 billion and adjusted EPS between $4.00 and $4.06, aligning closely with analyst expectations [8] - The guidance indicates a cautious outlook, suggesting that despite the excitement around AI, there is no strong impetus for a significant upward revision of annual forecasts [9] AI Strategy Insights - The surge in AI infrastructure orders, totaling over $2 billion for FY2025, is highlighted as a key achievement, with $800 million in AI orders recorded in Q4 alone [2][10] - CEO Chuck Robbins emphasized the transformative potential of AI, positioning Cisco as a leader in the necessary architectural changes for the AI era [10] Risks and Challenges - High customer concentration is noted, with current AI orders primarily coming from a few "Webscale" giants, raising concerns about the ability to translate AI demand to broader enterprise customers [11] - Key AI projects are still in the planning phase, with no orders received yet, indicating potential delays in realizing projected revenues [11] - The sustainability of the explosive growth in AI orders is questioned, particularly if capital expenditure cycles among cloud giants slow down [11]

Cisco reported fiscal fourth-quarter earnings that narrowly topped analysts’ expectations. Its CEO suggested bigger gains could be ahead as the company looks to capitalize on growing AI demand. https://t.co/C008XbSMbP ...

Core Insights - Cisco (CSCO.US) reported a 7.6% revenue growth in its fourth fiscal quarter, reaching $14.7 billion [1] - The adjusted earnings per share (EPS) were $0.99, surpassing market expectations of $0.98 [1] - The adjusted gross margin was 68.4%, slightly above the market forecast of 68.2% [1]

Group 1: Financial Performance - Cisco reported a 7.6% increase in revenue for Q4, reaching $14.7 billion, with adjusted earnings per share of $0.99, slightly above market expectations of $0.98 [1] - The adjusted gross margin was 68.4%, exceeding the market expectation of 68.2% [1] - Network business revenue was $7.34 billion, aligning with expectations, while service revenue was $3.79 billion [1] Group 2: Future Guidance - For the fiscal year ending July 2026, Cisco forecasts revenue between $59 billion and $60 billion, consistent with Wall Street's average expectation of $59.5 billion [3] - The company anticipates adjusted earnings per share for the year to be between $4.00 and $4.06, aligning with the expected $4.03 [3] - For Q1 of fiscal 2026, Cisco expects revenue between $14.65 billion and $14.85 billion, with a midpoint of $14.75 billion, higher than the expected $14.65 billion [3] Group 3: AI and Market Position - Cisco's AI business revenue is projected to reach approximately $1 billion by fiscal 2025, amidst increasing competition from companies like Broadcom and HPE [4] - The company is focusing on government contracts and has made a strategic acquisition of Splunk for $28 billion to enhance its security and monitoring software business [4] - Cisco has secured over $800 million in AI infrastructure orders from large cloud service providers in the last quarter, doubling its initial target for fiscal 2025 [7] Group 4: Strategic Partnerships and Growth Opportunities - Cisco has partnered with AI companies in the Middle East, including Humain in Saudi Arabia, and plans to strengthen these collaborations in the second half of fiscal 2026 [7][8] - The company aims to become a core system supplier for large-scale AI training and inference clusters, anticipating growth in sovereign AI opportunities [8] - Cisco's stock has increased nearly 20% this year, reflecting investor confidence in its performance and future prospects [8]

Core Insights - Cisco Systems (CSCO) reported $14.67 billion in revenue for the quarter ended July 2025, marking a year-over-year increase of 7.6% and an EPS of $0.99 compared to $0.87 a year ago, exceeding Zacks Consensus Estimates for both revenue and EPS [1] Revenue Breakdown - Revenue from Networking products was $7.63 billion, surpassing the average estimate of $7.19 billion, with a year-over-year change of +12.2% [4] - Revenue from Observability products was $259 million, below the estimated $288.55 million, reflecting a +4.4% change year-over-year [4] - Revenue from Services was $3.79 billion, slightly below the average estimate of $3.88 billion, with a year-over-year change of +0.1% [4] - Revenue from Security products was $1.95 billion, below the estimated $2.2 billion, showing a +9.2% change year-over-year [4] - Total Product revenue was $10.89 billion, exceeding the average estimate of $10.72 billion, with a year-over-year change of +10.4% [4] - Revenue from Collaboration products was $1.04 billion, matching the average estimate, with a +2.3% change year-over-year [4] Gross Margin Insights - Non-GAAP Gross Margin for Services was $2.68 billion, slightly below the average estimate of $2.75 billion [4] - Non-GAAP Gross Margin for Products was $7.35 billion, exceeding the average estimate of $7.18 billion [4] Stock Performance - Cisco shares have returned +6.3% over the past month, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +3.1% change, with a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) indicating potential for further outperformance [3]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported total revenue of $14.7 billion for Q4, an increase of 8% year over year [22] - Non-GAAP net income was $4 billion, up 12%, with non-GAAP earnings per share at $0.99, reflecting a 14% increase [22][23] - For the full fiscal year, total revenue reached $56.7 billion, up 5%, with non-GAAP earnings per share at $3.81, a 2% increase [29][31] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total product revenue was $10.9 billion, up 10%, while services revenue remained flat at $3.8 billion [23][24] - Networking revenue grew by 12%, driven by double-digit growth in internet infrastructure and enterprise routing [24] - Security revenue increased by 9%, primarily due to growth from Splunk and SASE offerings [24] - Collaboration revenue rose by 2%, supported by solid growth in devices [24] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Product orders in Q4 grew by 7% year over year, with the Americas up 5%, EMEA up 10%, and APJC up 7% [26] - Service provider and cloud orders surged by 49%, while enterprise orders increased by 5% and public sector orders declined by 6% [26][9] - AI infrastructure orders from web scale customers exceeded $800 million in Q4, totaling over $2 billion for the fiscal year [8][12] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on AI infrastructure, with a strong emphasis on networking and security solutions to support the AI era [7][12] - Cisco aims to leverage its refreshed product portfolio, including Silicon One and AI-native security solutions, to meet increasing network demands [7][12] - The company is positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for AI solutions, particularly in the enterprise and web scale markets [12][14] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the ongoing demand for AI infrastructure and the company's ability to deliver critical solutions [7][12] - The company anticipates a strong fiscal year 2026, driven by continued growth in AI-related orders and a robust pipeline [7][34] - Management acknowledged the complexities of the current operating environment but remains optimistic about future growth opportunities [32][34] Other Important Information - The company returned $2.9 billion to shareholders in Q4, totaling $12.4 billion for the fiscal year, representing 94% of free cash flow [7][30] - The non-GAAP gross margin for Q4 was 68.4%, up 50 basis points year over year, indicating strong profitability [26][27] Q&A Session Summary Question: Regarding guidance and AI opportunity - Management clarified that the anticipated deceleration in growth is related to year-over-year comparisons and not a change in demand [38][39] Question: Outlook for security business growth - Management expressed optimism about security growth, citing strong order growth for new products and double-digit growth outside the U.S. federal sector [44][46] Question: Concerns about order pull forwards - Management stated that there is no significant evidence of order pull forwards affecting the business, based on customer feedback and order metrics [57][60] Question: Sustainability of networking growth - Management indicated confidence in maintaining growth rates, driven by AI demand and upcoming campus upgrades [68][70] Question: AI orders translating into revenue - Management confirmed that approximately $1 billion in revenue was recognized from AI infrastructure orders during FY 2025 [76]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q4 FY 2025, total revenue was $14.7 billion, up 8% year over year, with non-GAAP net income at $4 billion, up 12% [21][22] - Non-GAAP earnings per share (EPS) was $0.99, reflecting a 14% increase, indicating strong operating leverage [22] - For the full fiscal year, revenue reached $56.7 billion, a 5% increase, with non-GAAP EPS at $3.81, up 2% [28][29] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total product revenue was $10.9 billion, up 10%, with networking revenue increasing by 12% and security revenue up by 9% [22][23] - Services revenue remained flat at $3.8 billion year over year [23] - Collaboration revenue grew by 2%, driven by solid growth in devices, while observability revenue increased by 4% [23] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Product orders in Q4 grew by 7% year over year, with service provider and cloud orders up 49% [7][25] - Enterprise product orders increased by 5%, while public sector orders decreased by 6% [8][25] - The Americas saw a 5% increase in product orders, EMEA grew by 10%, and APJC was up by 7% [25] Company Strategy and Development Direction - Cisco is focusing on AI infrastructure, with over $2 billion in AI infrastructure orders for FY 2025, more than double the original target [7][11] - The company aims to leverage its refreshed product portfolio to meet the growing demand for AI and network modernization [6][10] - Cisco is positioned to support the transition to AI by providing critical infrastructure and security solutions [12][16] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the demand for Cisco's technology, particularly in AI and networking, despite a complex operating environment [6][19] - The company anticipates continued growth in AI-related orders and infrastructure as enterprises modernize their networks [11][62] - Management highlighted the importance of security in the AI era, emphasizing the need for integrated security solutions [15][79] Other Important Information - Cisco returned $2.9 billion to shareholders in Q4 FY 2025, totaling $12.4 billion for the fiscal year, representing 94% of free cash flow [6][29] - The company has a strong cash position with $16.1 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and investments [27] - Cisco's partnership with NVIDIA is expected to enhance its capabilities in AI infrastructure [11][80] Q&A Session Summary Question: Guidance and AI Opportunity - Analyst inquired about the deceleration of growth in guidance and whether it reflects conservatism or changes in demand [34] - Management clarified that the deceleration is related to year-over-year comparisons and not indicative of a demand change [36] Question: Security Growth Outlook - Analyst asked about the growth outlook for security products post-Splunk acquisition [39] - Management expressed optimism, noting double-digit growth in security orders excluding U.S. Federal [42] Question: Pull Forward Concerns - Analyst raised concerns about potential pull forwards in orders due to federal budget cuts and tariffs [50] - Management stated they have not observed significant pull forwards and provided metrics to support this [52][54] Question: Networking Cycle Sustainability - Analyst questioned the sustainability of networking growth rates amid potential spending slowdowns [84] - Management indicated strong demand signals from customers and confidence in continued growth [87] Question: AI Orders and Revenue Translation - Analyst asked about the translation of AI orders into revenue for FY 2026 [66] - Management confirmed that approximately $1 billion in revenue was recognized from AI orders in FY 2025 [71] Question: Identity and Security Partnerships - Analyst inquired about partnerships outside of NVIDIA in the AI space [91] - Management confirmed ongoing collaboration with AMD and emphasized the importance of identity in Zero Trust architectures [93][94]

Financial Performance - Q4 FY25 - Cisco's Q4 FY25 revenue reached $14673 million, an increase of 8% year-over-year[5,30,36,37] - Non-GAAP EPS was $099, up 14% year-over-year[5,37] - Total RPO increased by 6% year-over-year to $435 billion, with product RPO up 8% year-over-year[5,31] - Total ARR grew by 5% year-over-year to $311 billion, with product ARR up 8% year-over-year[5,31] Financial Performance - FY25 - FY25 revenue was $56654 million, a 5% increase year-over-year[40,41] - FY25 Non-GAAP EPS was $381, a 2% increase year-over-year[41] - The company returned $124 billion to shareholders in FY25[5,39] AI and Infrastructure - AI infrastructure orders from webscale customers exceeded $800 million in Q4, bringing the FY25 total to over $2 billion, more than double the original target[5,12] - Product orders increased by 7% year-over-year, with growth across all geographies[5,34,35] - Data Center Switching orders grew in the mid-teens year-over-year[12] Guidance - Cisco projects Q1 FY26 revenue between $1465 billion and $1485 billion[44] - Cisco anticipates FY26 revenue between $59 billion and $60 billion[45]

We have earnings. Cisco results are out. Christina Parts Neville is back with the numbers.Hi, Christina. >> Hi. So, Cisco posting a top and bottom line beat with earnings per share of 99 cents on revenues of 14.67% billion within the quarter.Networking revenue actually grew 12%. They're seeing gross margins, adjusted operating margins falling in line with estimates. The company did uh see growth across all geographies.As for their Q1 revenue guide, that midpoint coming in a little bit higher than street est ...