New York, Jan 26, 2026, 19:18 ET — After-hours
- Cisco shares ended the day 3.2% higher and climbed further in after-hours trading
- Evercore ISI upgraded its rating to Outperform and bumped up its price target to $100
- Cisco unveiled a new “360” partner program designed for the AI era
Cisco Systems (CSCO) shares climbed 3.2% to finish Monday at $77.01, then gained roughly 0.4% in after-hours trading following an upgrade from Evercore ISI. 1
Timing is crucial. Investors have rushed to snap up assets linked to AI data centers and security spending. Cisco aims to hold its ground in both areas despite unpredictable enterprise budgets.
Cisco’s fiscal second quarter closed on Jan. 24, marking a key earnings milestone. Investors will watch closely to see if demand for AI-driven networking and a wave of corporate “campus refresh” projects hold steady. 2
Evercore ISI’s Amit Daryanani bumped Cisco from In Line to Outperform, boosting his price target from $80 to $100. He called the stock appealing at “under 20x P/E,” citing “plenty of tailwinds.” Daryanani highlighted a campus refresh cycle as companies upgrade office networks and projected AI revenue hitting around $3 billion in fiscal 2026, with AI-related orders surpassing $4 billion. He also noted Cisco’s partnership with Nvidia as a key catalyst. 3
Cisco ramped up the AI buzz Monday with the unveiling of its Cisco 360 Partner Program, developed over 15 months alongside its partners. The initiative aims to accelerate “AI-ready data centers” and boost “digital resilience,” featuring fresh partner tiers and incentives, including limited-time bonuses through July 2026. “With our partners, we’ve strengthened what is already a world-class ecosystem,” said Tim Coogan, senior vice president of global partner sales. 4
Cisco released fresh insights from its 2026 Data and Privacy Benchmark Study, surveying 5,200 IT, technology, and security pros across 12 markets. The company reported that 90% of organizations have ramped up privacy programs, while 93% intend to boost their investments further. Cisco pointed to privacy and data governance as key to scaling AI effectively. “AI is forcing a fundamental shift in the data landscape,” said Jen Yokoyama, Cisco’s senior vice president of legal innovation and strategy. 5
Traders see the upgrade as the clearest short-term catalyst. It positions Cisco as a more stable large-cap pick for AI infrastructure—fewer swings from chip cycles, with a focus on switches, routers, and security software.
The downside risk remains. AI orders tend to be uneven, and networking is a fiercely competitive space where rivals can steal share through pricing and performance. Overhauling the partner program risks causing friction if incentives don’t distribute fairly across the channel.
Cisco’s quarterly report is due Feb. 11, and investors will be zeroing in on AI order momentum, signs of a campus refresh boost, and whether margins can stay steady amid customer pressure for faster deployments. 6
