NEW YORK, January 3, 2026, 14:48 ET — Market closed
- Cisco shares closed at $76.04 on Friday, down about 1.3%.
- The stock traded ex-dividend for a $0.41 quarterly payout due Jan. 21.
- Focus shifts to U.S. jobs and inflation data next week and Cisco’s next earnings report, expected in February.
Cisco Systems Inc shares fell on Friday, closing down about 1.3% at $76.04.
The move was amplified by the stock trading ex-dividend, meaning new buyers no longer qualify for the next quarterly payout. Stocks often drop by roughly the dividend amount on the ex-dividend date. 1
That matters now because early-January positioning is colliding with shifting interest-rate expectations and a heavy macro calendar that can move tech valuations. On Saturday, Philadelphia Fed President Anna Paulson said further rate cuts “could be some way off,” keeping the policy rate in a range she still views as “a little restrictive.” 2
Broader markets were mixed on Friday. The S&P 500 rose 0.19% while the Nasdaq edged down, and cybersecurity shares that often trade alongside Cisco’s security business were broadly weaker. 3
Cisco’s Friday decline also came alongside drops in CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks, while Fortinet fell nearly 2%, MarketWatch data showed. 3
Cisco’s board previously declared a quarterly dividend of $0.41 per share, payable on Jan. 21 to shareholders of record as of Jan. 2, the company said in its latest quarterly release. 4
Adjusted for that $0.41 payout, Friday’s price action equates to a roughly 0.8% decline on a “dividend-adjusted” basis, based on the closing move. 4
In its most recent results in November, Cisco forecast fiscal 2026 revenue of $60.2 billion to $61.0 billion and non-GAAP earnings per share — profit excluding certain items — of $4.08 to $4.14, driven by demand tied to data-center and AI buildouts. 4
“The widespread demand for our technologies highlights the critical role of secure networking,” CEO Chuck Robbins said at the time. 4
Cisco also reported $1.3 billion in AI infrastructure orders from hyperscaler customers — the largest cloud providers — and pointed to a multi-year campus networking refresh cycle underway. 4
The stock remains below its 52-week high of $80.82 and above its 52-week low of $52.11, based on recent trading ranges. 5
Before next session:
Investors will be watching next Friday’s U.S. employment report (Jan. 9, 8:30 a.m. ET) and the Consumer Price Index report (Jan. 13, 8:30 a.m. ET) for clues on growth and inflation. 6
Rate expectations could also reset ahead of the Federal Reserve’s Jan. 27–28 policy meeting, after Paulson’s comments on Saturday signaled patience on additional easing. 7
On the company calendar, Wall Street’s next major checkpoint is Cisco’s upcoming earnings report, which MarketBeat currently estimates for Feb. 11 after the market closes; Cisco has not confirmed that date. 8
Technically, traders will likely watch Friday’s intraday low near $75.61 as a near-term floor and the session high near $76.95 as the first upside test, with the $80.82 area near the 52-week peak as a higher resistance zone. 5
