New York, Jan 21, 2026, 12:35 EST — Regular session
- Cisco shares inched higher midday, rebounding slightly after yesterday’s steep decline
- Wall Street held steady while investors digested Trump’s remarks from Davos and looming tariff threats
- Cisco’s latest Wi‑Fi 7 campus contract and upcoming earnings date draw attention
Cisco Systems’ shares edged up about 0.2% to $73.53 midday Wednesday, rebounding slightly after a 2.45% drop to $73.35 in the previous session. So far, the stock has fluctuated between $72.89 and $74.50, with around 6.3 million shares changing hands by late morning. 1
The modest shift counts for now, given Cisco’s shares have tracked wider risk appetite swings. U.S. stocks clawed back some losses after Tuesday’s steep drop, with the three main indexes rising roughly 1% by late morning. President Donald Trump’s attempt to “make it diplomatic” in his Greenland move helped, an investor told Reuters. 2
Cisco remains in a hardware sector that’s drawn a wary response from traders this week. Morgan Stanley downgraded its outlook on IT hardware to “cautious,” citing a “perfect storm” of weakening demand, rising input costs, and stretched valuations. Shares of Dell and Hewlett Packard Enterprise slid up to 5% on Tuesday. 3
Cisco revealed a multi-year deal with Georgetown University on Tuesday, featuring what it describes as one of higher education’s biggest Wi‑Fi 7 deployments. Georgetown CIO Doug Little said the move is designed to provide “seamless, secure connectivity.” Cisco’s Gary DePreta called it a shift from “fast” to “instant.” 4
Wi‑Fi 7 marks the newest step in wireless tech, aimed at cranking up speeds and cutting latency—the delay between a click and a reaction—as networks juggle more devices and heavier data traffic. For Cisco, upgrading campuses means moving more gear in switching, wireless, and security, though deals like this seldom shift short-term forecasts by themselves.
The bigger picture for Cisco shares hinges on investor expectations around AI-fueled data center expansions and wider networking upgrades. In its latest earnings report, Cisco bumped its fiscal 2026 revenue forecast to a range of $60.2 billion to $61.0 billion, also raising its adjusted annual profit outlook. The company said demand for its networking equipment climbed amid heavy data center spending. 5
Cisco will pay its quarterly dividend of $0.41 per share on Wednesday. This is a routine payout, mostly significant for income-focused investors rather than day traders. 6
Competition remains fierce. Cisco battles for data-center switching and enterprise networking dollars against Arista Networks and Juniper Networks. Meanwhile, chip-related stocks can magnify sector volatility whenever interest rates spike or geopolitical tensions rattle sentiment.
The risk remains that the macro picture won’t settle. Reuters columnist Mike Dolan highlighted a sudden jump in U.S. Treasury yields this week and suggested rising tariff tensions could keep investors leaning toward a “sell America” stance. AXA’s chief economist Gilles Moec added, “Toying with more tariffs won’t help.” 7
Traders are now watching to see if Washington’s tariff threats actually materialize into policies that could shake corporate confidence and curb spending. Hardware stocks have been the first to feel that pressure.
Cisco’s next major date is its earnings report on Feb. 11, 2026, set for 4 p.m. EST. Investors will be watching closely for clues on order momentum, the appetite for security products, and how the company plans to meet its fiscal-year goals. 8
