Are Wall Street Analysts Bullish on Cisco Systems Stock?

Core Insights - Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) is a leading technology company with a market cap of $304.3 billion, specializing in internet technologies including routers, switches, cybersecurity, cloud networking, and data center infrastructure [1] Performance Overview - Over the past 52 weeks, CSCO shares have increased by 32.2%, outperforming the S&P 500 Index, which gained 16% during the same period [2] - Year-to-date, CSCO's stock is up 1.4%, slightly trailing behind the S&P 500's 1.9% return [2] Sector Comparison - CSCO has also outperformed the First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF (CIBR), which rose 10.7% over the past 52 weeks and 1.3% year-to-date [3] Analyst Ratings and Growth Expectations - On January 26, CSCO shares rose 3.2% following an upgrade from Evercore Inc. (EVR), which anticipates high single-digit revenue growth and low-teens EPS growth in the coming years, driven by strong demand in campus networking and potential AI-related revenues reaching $3 billion by fiscal 2026 [4] - For the current fiscal year ending in July, analysts project CSCO's EPS to grow by 7.5% year-over-year to $3.30, with a strong earnings surprise history [5] - The consensus rating among 24 analysts is a "Moderate Buy," with 14 "Strong Buy," one "Moderate Buy," and nine "Hold" ratings [5] Price Targets - The configuration of analyst ratings has become more bullish, with 13 analysts suggesting a "Strong Buy" rating [6] - Evercore Inc. upgraded CSCO to "Outperform" with a price target of $100, indicating a 28% upside potential from current levels, while the mean price target of $85.90 suggests a 9.9% premium from current prices [6]