New York, Feb 10, 2026, 12:14 PM EST — Regular session
- Cisco shares gained on Tuesday after the company rolled out a new AI networking chip alongside a router.
- This launch puts Cisco toe-to-toe with Nvidia and Broadcom in the data-center networking arena.
- Cisco’s quarterly report lands this week, and investors are watching closely.
Cisco Systems stock edged up roughly 0.7% to $87.35 around midday Tuesday, with investors reacting to the debut of a new AI-centric switch chip and a data center router. The company introduced the Silicon One G300, built using Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s 3-nanometer technology. Cisco claims the chip can route network data in microseconds, aiming to keep AI networks running smoothly even during sudden traffic spikes—and says that could deliver AI workload speed gains up to 28%. The G300 is slated to hit the market in the second half. “We focus on the total end-to-end efficiency of the network,” said Martin Lund, executive vice president of Cisco’s common hardware group, in comments to Reuters. Reuters
Investors are tracking the next phase of AI spending, just as this product push hits. Network gear has become a bottleneck, with companies scrambling to link up ever-larger processor clusters—forcing both chipmakers and equipment suppliers into the tussle.
At Cisco Live EMEA in Amsterdam, Cisco rolled out the G300 alongside fresh Nexus 9000 and Cisco 8000 gear, plus upgraded optics targeting data-center demands, according to the company. The G300 clocks in at 102.4 terabits per second of throughput, Cisco said, and with full liquid cooling, it claims energy efficiency can jump by almost 70% at equivalent bandwidth. “We’re building the foundation for the future of infrastructure,” President and Chief Product Officer Jeetu Patel said. SemiAnalysis founder Dylan Patel, for his part, pointed out that “Networking has been the fundamental constraint to scaling AI.” Cisco Newsroom
Cisco paired its silicon news with updates on “AgenticOps” — think software agents built to suggest or automate IT tasks — spreading across its networking, security, and observability products. Some of those campus, branch, and industrial features hit the market starting in February, the company said, while data-center capabilities are headed for controlled release in June. Splunk AI Agent Monitoring goes generally available Feb. 25. Cisco Newsroom
Shares of Cisco kept up their rally, advancing 2.3% Monday to finish at $86.78—marking a third consecutive session of gains and setting a fresh 52-week high, according to MarketWatch data.
Tuesday’s action saw Nvidia off roughly 0.4%, Broadcom eased by about 0.5%. Arista Networks, on the other hand, gained close to 0.9%.
Traders are watching to see if these product announcements actually drive orders soon enough to show up in the numbers, not just in presentations. Cisco still needs to prove to customers that it can offer reliable performance at scale, especially with major buyers putting every claim to the test.
Still, there’s a wait ahead—the chip won’t land on the market until later this year. Data center design wins don’t tend to materialize quickly, and big clients could keep relying on their existing setups or opt for their own builds unless the cost math works out.
Cisco reports fiscal Q2 numbers after the bell Wednesday, with its conference call scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET. Investors are watching closely for that update.
