SAN JOSE, California, May 9, 2026, 06:16 (PDT)
Cisco Systems climbed 4.79% to close Friday at $96.57, putting the spotlight on the networking giant ahead of its fiscal Q3 report—a key moment for gauging whether AI-fueled demand is still lifting its hardware and software lines. Nasdaq trading had already wrapped up.
Timing’s in focus here. Cisco plans to post its numbers after markets wrap up on Wednesday, May 13, with the earnings call kicking off at 1:30 p.m. Pacific. Investors want to see the latest on orders from “hyperscalers” — those big cloud and data-center buyers that drive bulk sales — and any hints on whether margins can hold steady. Cisco Investor Relations
The report arrives as investors remain fixated on corporate earnings and the latest AI investments. Reuters flagged Cisco and Applied Materials as key names to watch in results slated for next week. Nvidia’s numbers come later this month. “Earnings are the lifeblood of this rally,” Michael Arone, chief investment strategist at State Street Investment Management, told Reuters. Reuters
Back in February, Cisco set expectations sky-high. For its second quarter, revenue landed at $15.3 billion—a 10% increase. Product orders jumped 18%, fueled in part by $2.1 billion in AI infrastructure demand from hyperscalers. CEO Chuck Robbins touted Cisco’s role as the provider of “trusted infrastructure” for the AI age. Cisco Investor Relations
Wall Street’s consensus, per AlphaStreet’s survey of 20 analysts, has adjusted earnings per share at $1.04 and revenue pegged at $15.56 billion for the coming quarter. That revenue figure lands Cisco close to the higher end of its own outlook, which ranges from $15.4 billion to $15.6 billion.
UBS expects Cisco’s sales to land near the top of its guidance range. The bank kept its Buy rating and $95 target earlier this week, projecting $1 billion in AI hyperscaler orders for the quarter. That would push year-to-date orders to $4.4 billion—edging closer to Cisco’s goal of topping $5 billion for the year.
Still, this trade isn’t without real risk. UBS pointed out that pricier components might cap gross margin around 66%, despite Cisco’s price hikes in the past three to six months. Put simply, even if orders are solid, profits could fall short if memory, optics, or other necessary parts run higher than forecast.
Arista Networks, which competes with others in the data-center networking space, posted a 35.1% jump in first-quarter revenue and guided for around $2.8 billion in revenue for the second quarter. Despite the strong numbers, CFO Chantelle Breithaupt described the broader macro and supply-chain backdrop as “dynamic”—a signal that even strong AI networking demand doesn’t erase execution risk. The peer readout remains mixed, but still matters. Arista Networks
Cisco’s post-earnings calendar is packed with investor events. According to the company’s May 7 announcement, CEO Chuck Robbins and CFO Mark Patterson are set for J.P. Morgan’s technology, media and communications conference on May 18 and 19. Security chief Peter Bailey, meanwhile, will represent Cisco at a Bank of America technology forum on June 4.
Security’s also in focus. Earlier this month, Cisco announced plans to buy Astrix Security, which works on protecting non-human identities—things like API keys, tokens, and service accounts that software and AI agents rely on. “AI agents are a new attack surface,” said Bailey, Cisco’s senior vice president and general manager for security. Cisco Blogs
Big swings look possible for the stock when Cisco reports on May 13. Bloomberg options data, cited by Investing.com, points to an expected 5.8% move tied to the earnings release. Back in February, shares tumbled 9.8% post-earnings—even though Cisco beat expectations. After Friday’s rally, there isn’t much cushion if results just come in line.
