Cisco stock is firmer today as Wall Street gears up for Q1 FY26 results after the bell. Here’s the live move, consensus, AI order momentum, key risks, and what to listen for on the call.
TL;DR
- CSCO is up intraday as investors position for earnings due after market close (4:30 p.m. ET).
- Street expects ~$0.98–$0.99 EPS on ~$14.7–$14.8B revenue; focus is on AI infrastructure orders, security growth and guidance cadence.
- Context: Cisco highlighted >$2B in AI infrastructure orders last quarter; sentiment also aided by a recent UBS upgrade to “Buy.” Cisco Investor Relations+1
Cisco stock today: price and move
As of 18:44 UTC on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) trades at $73.61, up about 2.7% on the day. The session range so far: $71.50–$73.90, after an $72.00 open. Turnover has already topped 20M shares.
For added context, CSCO’s year‑to‑date return sits in the mid‑20s% range heading into today’s print, reflecting growing optimism around the company’s AI-driven product cycle.
Earnings are tonight: time, expectations and setup
Cisco will release Q1 FY2026 results (quarter ended Oct. 25, 2025) after the close at 4:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. PT), followed by its conference call. The webcast and dial‑in details are posted on the company’s investor site.
Consensus heading into the print points to non‑GAAP EPS around $0.98–$0.99 on ~$14.7–$14.8B in revenue—roughly mid‑single‑digit growth year over year—placing the spotlight on forward guidance and order quality.
Why the tape is bid: three drivers for today’s trade
- AI infrastructure momentum. In August, Cisco disclosed more than $2B of AI infrastructure orders for FY2025 (with ~$800M in Q4 alone), a datapoint many investors will map to tonight’s bookings commentary and FY26 outlook.
- Security and software mix. Previews emphasize security growth and software attach—areas that could support margins if product mix skews favorably.
- Fresh upgrade support. On Nov. 3, UBS raised CSCO to “Buy” and lifted its price target to $88, citing a multi‑year AI cycle, campus refresh demand and improving security momentum—helping frame the bull case into the event. Barron’s
What to listen for on the call
- Bookings, backlog and visibility. Expect close scrutiny of AI networking orders (web‑scale customers, timing of deliveries) and whether momentum broadens to enterprise and sovereign AI projects.
- Q2 and FY26 guidance cadence. Cisco previously guided Q1 FY26 revenue to $14.65–$14.85B and EPS to $0.97–$0.99; investors will parse any changes to out‑quarter commentary against that baseline.
- Security trajectory and Splunk cross‑sell. Several previews highlight security ARR and cross‑sell as swing factors for the margin narrative.
- Product/tech updates. Recent launches like “Cisco Unified Edge” (for local AI workloads) may get color on early customer traction and pipeline. Reuters
Today’s headlines round‑up (Nov 12, 2025)
- Barron’s: Earnings preview calls CSCO a “barometer of enterprise demand” with Street modeling $0.98 EPS on $14.78B revenue. Barron’s
- Investing.com: Preview flags AI and security as focus areas beyond the headline profit number.
- Benzinga: “Earnings are imminent,” with analysts fine‑tuning estimates heading into the call tonight. Benzinga
- Fortune (leadership): Inside Cisco’s upskilling push as it navigates an AI‑heavy roadmap—useful context for longer‑term talent strategy.
The bull and bear cases into tonight
Bull case: A clean beat/raise powered by AI networking orders, constructive security growth, and disciplined opex could validate the UBS upgrade thesis and extend CSCO’s YTD outperformance.
Bear case: If guidance is merely in line, or if orders/backlog appear lumpy with elongated delivery schedules, multiple expansion could stall despite decent prints—especially after a strong 2025 run.
Key times and where to follow
- Earnings release & webcast:Today, 4:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. PT) via Cisco IR; dial‑in numbers are posted on the event page.
Bottom line
Cisco stock is firmer ahead of earnings as investors bet on AI order strength and resilient guidance. Tonight’s call will likely set the tone for how much of the AI and security narrative is already in the price—and whether the company can convert pipeline into sustained revenue and margin progression through FY26.
Data and news are current as of Nov 12, 2025. This article is for information only and is not financial advice.
