New York, January 13, 2026, 14:23 EST — Regular session
- Cisco shares rose about 1.3% in afternoon trade, bucking a broader dip in U.S. stocks
- Inflation data kept rate-cut expectations in play, a key input for tech valuations
- Next focus: Cisco’s Feb. 11 earnings report and a Jan. 21 dividend payment
Cisco Systems Inc shares rose about 1.3% on Tuesday, outperforming a softer U.S. stock market as traders digested a fresh inflation print and repositioned in large-cap tech. The stock was up at $74.97 after swinging between $73.27 and $75.07.
The backdrop is rates. U.S. consumer prices rose 0.3% in December, leaving annual inflation at 2.7%, while “core” CPI — which excludes food and energy — rose 0.2% on the month and ran at 2.6% year-on-year, Labor Department data showed. The Federal Reserve is expected to hold its benchmark rate at 3.50%-3.75% at its Jan. 27-28 meeting, Reuters reported. (Reuters)
For Cisco, the next leg is still about whether demand tied to data-center buildouts turns into steady revenue, not just orders. In November, the company lifted its fiscal 2026 revenue and profit outlook and CEO Chuck Robbins said Cisco expected $3 billion in AI infrastructure revenue from hyperscalers — big cloud firms — in fiscal 2026. “While the networking business is rather mature, Cisco is seeing nice sales catalysts via the AI boom and some product refreshes,” Ryan Lee, a senior vice president at Direxion in New York, said in a Reuters report at the time. (Reuters)
Some of Cisco’s networking peers also traded higher on Tuesday, even as the broader market sagged. Arista Networks was up about 5.2% and Hewlett Packard Enterprise added about 1.4%.
Investors also have near-dated calendar items. Cisco is set to pay a quarterly dividend of $0.41 per share on Jan. 21, according to its investor relations disclosures, and its revamped “Cisco 360” partner program is slated to launch on Jan. 25. (Cisco Investor Relations)
The bigger checkpoint is earnings. Cisco is expected to report results on Feb. 11, with Wall Street looking for about $1.02 a share, according to Yahoo Finance’s earnings calendar. (Yahoo Finance)
Traders will be listening for the same set of lines: AI-related order momentum, whether big customers are pulling forward networking upgrades, and how quickly that activity shows up in margins and cash flow.
But the setup cuts both ways. If enterprise spending softens, or large cloud buyers stretch out delivery schedules, Cisco’s AI order story can turn into a timing problem, and the stock can lose its bid fast.
Any renewed jump in inflation would also matter. Higher-for-longer rates can squeeze tech multiples and hit equipment budgets, even for the steadier names.
The next clear catalyst is Feb. 11, when Cisco reports and updates its outlook. That is the date investors will pin to the stock after Tuesday’s inflation-driven tape.
