CSCO Cisco Systems Inc

Dividend
2.09%
Previous close
$79.02
Est. 12 months change
+14.67%
Projected Price
$90.73

Profitability Metrics

Return on Equity (ROE)
23.77%
Return on Assets (ROA)
8.05%
Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)
14.26%
Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC)
8.74%
ROIC - WACC
5.52%
Updated : 2026-04-03 20:49 ET

Valuation Metrics

P/E Ratio
28.08
Forward P/E
17.97
PEG Ratio
14.46
Debt Current Ratio
0.96

Growth & Cash Flow

Gross Margin
64.81%
Operating Margin
23.18%
FCF Margin
20.73%
TTM Revenue Growth
9.71%
Projected 12M EPS Growth
56.24%

Price Change

Price % from 50 SMA
-0.27%
Price % from 200 SMA
7.86%
6 Months
15.68%
1 Year
27.82%
2 Years
60.09%
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Analysis

Company Overview

Cisco Systems designs and sells networking hardware, software, and services for enterprise, data center, service provider, and government customers worldwide. Sector: Technology.

Overview

Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO) is an individual stock. The analysis below presents key financial metrics for the company, covering profitability, capital efficiency, valuation, margins, and growth.

Profitability & Capital Efficiency

From a capital efficiency perspective, ROIC is 14.26%, WACC is 8.74%, and the economic spread is 5.52%. On balance, the company marginally exceed their cost of capital, suggesting modest but present value creation. Supporting metrics show ROE at 23.77% and ROA at 8.05%, a combination that helps frame whether profitability strength is broad enough to hold through different market conditions. Taken together, the return profile suggests a company that is value-creative but with less room for execution slippage.

Valuation

Multiple analysis puts the company at trailing P/E of 28.08, forward P/E of 17.97, PEG of 14.46. The spread from trailing to forward multiple is wide enough to suggest earnings momentum is a meaningful part of the current valuation case. Growth-adjusted, the company is priced at a premium — a level that demands consistent execution and limits the potential for multiple expansion from here. At 0.96, the aggregate current ratio reflects the company with limited near-term liquidity buffer. The combined valuation and liquidity profile points to a company where current prices embed meaningful growth expectations, and where delivery against those expectations will drive the return outcome.

Margins & Cash Generation

On the margin front: gross margin sits at 64.81%, operating margin at 23.18%, and free cash flow margin at 20.73%. At this gross margin level, the company demonstrates significant pricing power and production efficiency. Operating margins sit in a healthy range — not exceptional, but indicating reasonable operational efficiency. Strong free cash flow margins point to businesses with meaningful financial flexibility and limited dependence on external capital. This margin set supports the view that earnings quality is high and cash generation is not merely accounting-driven.

Growth & Forward Outlook

The two main inputs to the near-term picture — TTM revenue growth of 9.71% reflecting consistent if unspectacular revenue expansion. Consensus EPS estimates point to 56.2% earnings growth over the next 12 months — a compelling near-term earnings catalyst that, if delivered, changes the valuation conversation materially. Analyst price targets suggest street expectations imply a constructive but measured return profile on a 12-month view. Revenue momentum establishes the baseline; analyst price targets reveal how much the market is already paying for future execution on top of that baseline. Delivered returns will ultimately be shaped by the gap — or lack thereof — between operating execution and the expectations embedded in current prices. The estimated 12-month price change is based on analyst consensus price target estimates, sourced from publicly available data, and should not be interpreted as a reliable prediction of future performance.

Conclusion

Buy

The composite picture leans positive, with capital efficiency and growth momentum providing the core of the investment thesis.

The analysis above draws from quantitative data only and does not constitute personalized financial advice. Investors should conduct independent research and consider professional guidance before acting on any information presented here.