NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 2025, 5:14 p.m. ET — Market closed.
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) heads into the weekend with shares hovering near the $78 level after a quiet, holiday-thinned stretch of trading that left many large-cap tech names range-bound. Cisco last closed at $78.16 on Friday, Dec. 26, in a session that saw relatively light year-end volume across U.S. equities. [1]
Cisco stock price: where CSCO left off before the weekend
Cisco ended Friday modestly higher, with trading constrained to a narrow band as investors returned from the Christmas holiday and positioned for the final three sessions of the year. [2]
Broader markets finished slightly lower on Friday in light trading, a backdrop that often dampens single-stock momentum unless there is a major catalyst. [3]
What’s new on Cisco in the last 24–48 hours
While there was no headline earnings release in the past two days, several Cisco-focused developments and market notes circulated that investors may be weighing into Monday’s open:
1) Cisco’s channel strategy back in focus
A widely shared industry overview highlighted Cisco’s partner ecosystem—nearly 40,000 partners globally—and emphasized the company’s push to steer partners toward lifecycle and managed services via initiatives such as “Cisco 360.” The same coverage pointed to Cisco’s ongoing emphasis on AI and security as core demand drivers for its portfolio. [4]
2) Real-estate footprint: sale of four Silicon Valley buildings
Cisco is also drawing attention for portfolio cleanup: industry coverage reported Cisco sold four Silicon Valley buildings for $63 million, citing local reporting and noting the sale closed recently. While not typically a needle-mover for a company of Cisco’s size, real-estate transactions can reinforce a narrative of cost discipline and campus optimization. [5]
3) Options and technical chatter picked up into year-end
Options-focused commentary on CSCO highlighted how the stock has been “treading water” and discussed potential put/call strategies used by traders in a range-bound tape—useful as a sentiment read even for investors who don’t trade derivatives. [6]
Separately, a technical-analysis note described Cisco as setting up for a potential breakout based on its internal rating methodology—another indication that some market participants are watching the $78–$80 area closely. [7]
4) Freshly published ownership and valuation notes
A series of newly published filings-based recaps highlighted incremental position changes by investment advisers (from prior-quarter 13F reporting), adding to the steady drumbeat of institutional ownership coverage around CSCO. [8]
And a valuation snapshot piece focused on Cisco’s P/E framing at current levels—typical of late-year content when stocks trade in tighter ranges and investors look for fundamentals to anchor price. [9]
5) A recent SEC filing investors may have missed
Cisco’s December 8‑K disclosed that shareholders approved an amendment and restatement of the company’s 2005 Stock Incentive Plan, including an increase in shares authorized for issuance under the plan by 57,490,000 shares. Long-term investors often monitor these items for context on equity-based compensation and potential dilution over time. [10]
Forecasts and fundamentals: what Cisco and Wall Street are signaling
For the most concrete “forecast” inputs, investors continue to anchor on Cisco’s most recent quarterly report and guidance.
In its fiscal Q1 2026 results (reported Nov. 12), Cisco posted $14.9 billion in revenue and non-GAAP EPS of $1.00, and management struck a confident tone about demand drivers. CEO Chuck Robbins said Cisco was “on track to deliver our strongest year yet” and pointed to demand tied to secure networking and AI adoption. CFO Mark Patterson highlighted a “multi-year, multi-billion-dollar campus refresh opportunity” beginning to ramp. [11]
On guidance, Cisco projected for Q2 fiscal 2026:
- Revenue:$15.0B–$15.2B
- Non-GAAP EPS:$1.01–$1.03 [12]
And for full fiscal 2026, Cisco guided to:
- Revenue:$60.2B–$61.0B
- Non-GAAP EPS:$4.08–$4.14 [13]
On the AI side of the narrative, Reuters reported in November that Robbins expected $3 billion in AI infrastructure revenue from hyperscalers in fiscal 2026, and referenced a pipeline “in excess of $2 billion” for high-performance networking products—signals that Cisco’s AI-linked positioning is increasingly tied to data center and campus networking refresh cycles. [14]
Analyst consensus (price targets)
Across widely followed market-data compilations, the Street’s average target for Cisco remains clustered in the mid-to-high $80s, implying moderate upside from the high-$70s range (with dispersion among bullish and bearish estimates). [15]
Dividend watch: key dates into early January
Income investors also have a calendar item approaching. Cisco declared a $0.41 quarterly dividend payable Jan. 21, 2026, to shareholders of record as of Jan. 2, 2026 (per Cisco’s investor relations release). [16]
If you’re watching CSCO into Monday’s session: what matters most
Because U.S. markets are closed for the weekend, the next actionable window is Monday, Dec. 29, when liquidity can still be uneven as the market approaches year-end. Here’s what many investors will likely be tracking before the bell:
- Year-end positioning and “thin tape” risk: With fewer participants active, single headlines can cause outsized moves—especially in mega-cap and large-cap tech. [17]
- AI infrastructure read-throughs: Cisco’s 2026 narrative increasingly hinges on data center networking demand and campus upgrades, so peer headlines in semis, cloud, and enterprise IT spending can affect sentiment even without Cisco-specific news. [18]
- Follow-through above/below key levels: CSCO has traded tightly around the upper-$70s area; Monday’s tone may be set early by whether the stock attracts incremental buyers near recent highs (around $80) or slips back into the mid-$70s congestion zone noted in recent options/technical commentary. [19]
- Corporate actions in the background: The newly disclosed stock incentive plan share authorization increase isn’t a day-to-day trading driver, but longer-term holders often keep it in mind alongside buybacks and dilution trends. [20]
Bottom line: Cisco enters the final trading week of 2025 in a relatively steady spot—supported by management’s 2026 outlook and the market’s AI-networking buildout theme, but still subject to year-end liquidity dynamics and the “range trade” behavior reflected in recent options and technical commentary. [21]
References
1. www.nasdaq.com, 2. www.barchart.com, 3. www.barchart.com, 4. www.itpro.com, 5. www.sdxcentral.com, 6. www.barchart.com, 7. www.chartmill.com, 8. www.marketbeat.com, 9. www.benzinga.com, 10. www.sec.gov, 11. investor.cisco.com, 12. investor.cisco.com, 13. investor.cisco.com, 14. www.reuters.com, 15. www.marketbeat.com, 16. investor.cisco.com, 17. www.barchart.com, 18. www.reuters.com, 19. www.barchart.com, 20. www.sec.gov, 21. investor.cisco.com
