New York, Jan 26, 2026, 16:28 ET — After-hours
- Cisco shares climbed roughly 3.3% in late trading following an upgrade by Evercore ISI
- The broker raised its price target to $100, citing AI advancements and an upcoming campus network upgrade cycle
- Cisco rolled out its new “Cisco 360” partner program, targeting the AI era
Cisco Systems Inc shares jumped roughly 3.3% to $77.02 in after-hours trading Monday. The boost came after Evercore ISI upgraded the networking gear maker, citing a multi-year surge driven by AI demand and an enterprise network refresh.
This call counts more than ever as Cisco pushes to reposition itself as an “AI era” infrastructure provider, moving beyond its legacy as a router-and-switch stalwart. Its shares have trailed some faster-growing networking peers over the last year, with investors eager for clear proof that orders are translating into consistent revenue streams.
This comes during a hectic period for big-cap tech, as investors brace for Cisco’s upcoming earnings and assess whether major cloud providers will keep their spending steady.
Evercore ISI’s Amit Daryanani upgraded Cisco from “In Line” to “Outperform,” boosting his price target from $80 to $100. He cited several catalysts, including a strong enterprise networking cycle, rising AI demand, and margin expansion. Daryanani expects “high single-digit sales and low-teens EPS growth” to continue for years. He also pointed out the stock’s appeal trading at “under 20x P/E,” highlighting its valuation. 1
Earlier Monday, Cisco unveiled its Cisco 360 Partner Program, developed alongside partners to accelerate AI outcomes for customers. “With our partners, we’ve strengthened what is already a world-class ecosystem,” said Tim Coogan, senior vice president of global partner sales at Cisco, in the announcement. 2
Networking peers climbed, boosting Cisco’s momentum. Arista Networks jumped roughly 5.4%, while Hewlett Packard Enterprise added around 1.4% during the session.
Traders are keeping an eye on whether the rally lasts until Cisco’s next earnings report, set for Feb. 11. That’s when investors usually dig into order conversion, product mix, and security growth. 3
That said, the bullish outlook depends heavily on customers pushing forward with campus upgrades and data-center expansions, which tend to happen in waves. Evercore pointed out that Cisco’s security and collaboration segments might underperform if execution falters or demand cools. 1
Cisco’s previous guidance, shared alongside its last quarterly results, predicted second-quarter revenue between $15.0 billion and $15.2 billion, with full-year revenue expected to hit $60.2 billion to $61.0 billion. Investors will be tuning in closely as the Feb. 11 earnings report nears. 4
