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Upside can persist if higher FY2027 revenue expectations become reported sales, supply remains adequate, and diluted shares continue to decline.
Monitoring assumption: annual free cash flow below $10 billion for two consecutive fiscal years.
Reduce. The report was prepared at $109.20 on 2026-09-04, above Fair value of $90.47. Cash deterioration is the main risk, while stronger post-event estimates provide upside.12
For an ordinary investor, Reduce means trimming exposure and avoiding new purchases at the report-date price.
Potential value is $135.76, but it requires sustained growth, cash generation, and margin resilience rather than a single strong quarter.
The view would weaken if annual free cash flow stayed below $10 billion for two fiscal years. That would constrain distributions and debt reduction.24
The clearest upside path is conversion of higher FY2027 revenue and EPS estimates into reported results, followed by continued share retirement.15
Management reported adequate FY2027 supply and greater control over silicon commitments, with possible longer-term cost benefits.3
Q4 product orders rose 35%, including 25% growth excluding hyperscale. Orders support a demand upswing, but they remain a forward indicator rather than reported revenue.3
Reduce because the report-date price exceeds Fair value and durable cash conversion still needs confirmation.2
Reduce because the report-date price exceeds Fair value and durable cash conversion still needs confirmation.2
Its Collaboration portfolio consists of its Webex Suite, Collaboration Devices, Contact Center and Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS) offerings. These offerings consist of software, including perpetual licenses and subscription arrangements, as well as hardware. Its objective is to create more inclusive and engaging employee and customer experiences by providing technology that enables distributed teams to collaborate effortlessly.
Cisco Technical Support provides robust assistance including software support, hardware replacement, and accelerated issue resolution to ensure that its customers’ products and networks operate efficiently and remain highly available. These offerings are critical for helping customers protect their infrastructure investments, manage operational risk and minimize downtime for systems running mission-critical applications.
The harshest operating path combines customer loss or repricing, weaker Americas demand, lower margins, and weaker cash. Lower cash would tighten debt-service and capital-allocation capacity, while EMEA and APJC provide partial diversification.
Direct supplier agreements and silicon-foundry engagement support a Narrow moat by improving component control and possibly future unit costs. Management said any margin benefit is further out, so reported savings are not established.
The cited evidence does not establish switching friction, network effects, or product-level displacement. The mixed peer set is only a valuation cross-check because growth and margins vary widely.
FY2026 free cash flow was $12.77 billion, but cash generation is an outcome rather than a moat source.4
None of the valuation methods used to calculate Fair value relies on a separate assumption about how long the competitive advantage lasts.
The highlighted cell is Fair value when every assumption sits at its base level ($90.47). Each row and column shows what Fair value becomes when one assumption moves.
Free cash flow to the firm stays positive in the first projected year at $12.7B after modeled capex of $1.2B, with terminal value at 64.0% of . A sudden drop in free cash flow is not projected unless capital spending relative to , reinvestment, or resets materially.
A beat matters only if annual revenue, margins, cash, and share count also improve.
Results matching estimates would preserve the reset but not resolve the valuation gap.
Industry capital spending was 7.1% of revenue and 1.26 times depreciation as of 2026-09-01.
Q4 product orders rose 35%, including 25% growth excluding hyperscale. Orders support a demand upswing, but they remain a forward indicator rather than reported revenue.
A hardware-heavy networking cycle can pressure gross margin even while sales rise. Nonlinear hyperscale orders also make growth timing less predictable.
Below a normal portfolio weight; reduce rather than add. The report-date price exceeds Fair value, while the upper outcome depends on sustained growth, cash, and margins.2
Review customer concentration annually and avoid treating estimate revisions as proof of durable growth.
The $109.20 report-date price is above Fair value, so near-term estimate strength does not offer sufficient value support.2
Cash supports distributions, but debt and stock compensation reduce flexibility if free cash flow weakens.245
Post-event revisions support FY2027, but the duration beyond FY2028 remains conditional on delivered revenue, margins, and cash.1
Trim exposure because the $109.20 report-date price exceeds the $90.47 Fair value as of 2026-09-08.2
Keep supported upside visible, but require annual revenue, cash, margins, and share count to confirm that the post-event reset is durable.
Capture your own thesis, position size, and follow-up questions. Stays on this device, only you can see it.
The records this analysis drew on, as they stood when it was run.
Customer loss, repricing, or weaker Americas demand would reduce sales and margins. Lower cash would then tighten distribution, reinvestment, and debt-service capacity, while EMEA and APJC provide partial diversification.
Annual free cash flow below $10 billion for two fiscal years would constrain distributions and debt reduction, weakening owner returns.24
GAAP operating margin below 21.27% for two fiscal years would show that mix, pricing, or sourcing pressure is eroding earnings power.5
A cost of equity above 10.2736% would reduce what investors pay for future earnings and dividends, even if operations remain intact.
The five developments that would weaken our investment case.
Less free cash would limit distributions, reinvestment, and debt reduction. That would weaken owner returns and narrow capital-allocation flexibility while total debt remains outstanding.
Current:$12.77 billion in FY2026.
Alert ifScenario monitoring assumption: below $10 billion for two consecutive fiscal years.
A sustained margin break would show that hardware mix, pricing pressure, or delayed sourcing benefits are reducing earnings power and cash generation.
Current:24.27% in FY2026.
Alert ifScenario monitoring assumption: below 21.27% for two consecutive fiscal years.
A higher required return lowers what investors will pay today for future earnings and dividends, even if the operating business remains intact.
Current:8.2736% on 2026-09-08.
Alert ifAbove 10.2736% within 12 months.
Falling below the dated estimate range would show that the post-event demand reset did not persist. Lower sales would reduce operating profit, per-share earnings, and future cash expectations.
Current:$77.80 billion analyst mean as of and retrieved 2026-09-08.
Alert ifBelow $72.07 billion for FY2028.
A customer loss would reduce sales directly. Repricing or insourcing could also pressure margins, per-share earnings, and cash if the effect spreads to other contracts.
Current:11% of FY2026 revenue.
Alert ifAny disclosed loss, repricing, or insourcing by that customer.
Each lens answers a different valuation question. Only included lenses set Fair value; floors and diagnostics provide context.
Apply a terminal P/E to the dated forward EPS path, then discount that future share value back to the analysis date.
Convert the revenue and margin path into after-tax free cash flow, discount the annual per-share amounts and at , then adjust for signed per current share.
Add depreciation to net income, subtract maintenance capex, divide by diluted shares, and apply a normalized valuation multiple.
Value each distinct segment, subtract corporate overhead and net debt, add probability-weighted optionality, and divide by diluted shares.
Solve for the growth rate that makes the model value equal the report-date share price.
Cash remains durable, margins stay near the FY2026 baseline, and diluted shares continue to decline. This path fails if annual revenue or cash breaches the cited tests.45
Upside persists if higher estimates become reported sales, cash remains durable, and diluted shares keep declining. Margin stagnation or renewed dilution would disconfirm this path.15
A broad miss would show weaker demand conversion and lower earnings power.
FY2026 operating cash exceeded reported net income, supporting cash conversion while leaving debt, stock compensation, and reinvestment as key checks.5
It tests whether sales convert into per-share profit.1
It funds distributions, debt reduction, and reinvestment.4
It reveals whether mix and sourcing improve economics.5
It shows whether repurchases exceed employee issuance.5
| $51.56B |
| $57.00B |
| $53.80B |
| $56.65B |
| $63.33B |
| +5.3% |
| Gross profit | $32.25B | $35.75B | $34.83B | $36.79B | $40.86B | +6.1% |
| Operating income | $13.97B | $15.03B | $12.18B | $11.76B | $15.37B | +2.4% |
| Net income | $11.81B | $12.61B | $10.32B | $10.18B | $13.27B | +2.9% |
| EPS (diluted) | $2.82 | $3.07 | $2.54 | $2.55 | $3.33 | +4.2% |
| EBITDA | $16.79B | $17.47B | $15.75B | $15.38B | $20.02B | +4.5% |
| R&D | $6.77B | $7.55B | $7.98B | $9.30B | $9.56B | +9.0% |
| SG&A | $2.10B | $2.48B | $2.81B | $2.98B | $2.76B | +7.1% |
FY2026 operating cash flow was $14.18 billion and free cash flow was $12.77 billion. Capex was $1.41 billion, so future growth must still be checked for working-capital and investment demands.45
Cash supports dividends and repurchases, while stock compensation absorbs part of the per-share benefit. Diluted shares fell from 4.062 billion in FY2024 to 3.987 billion in FY2026.
FY2026 cash flow and operating margin are useful outcome checks, but they do not establish a multi-year return-on-capital trend.
No return spread is asserted. The cited evidence supports cash generation, not a dated multi-year comparison with the cost of capital.
The FY2026 filing reported $15.37 billion of operating income.
The resulting 24.27% operating margin provides a clear baseline for testing mix and pricing pressure.
FY2026 operating cash flow was $14.18 billion versus $13.27 billion of net income.
Cash generation supports distributions, but its durability still depends on reinvestment needs.
Debt was $31.19 billion on 2026-09-08, while FY2026 stock compensation was $3.83 billion.
If cash weakens, less remains for debt reduction, dividends, and net share retirement.
| Revenue | $63,325,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Cost of revenue | $22,465,000,000 |
| Gross profit | $40,860,000,000 |
| Operating expenses | $25,492,000,000 |
| Operating income | $15,368,000,000 |
| Non-operating items and tax | -$2,101,000,000 |
| Net income | $13,267,000,000 |
| Total assets | $129,637,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Cash | $7,218,000,000 |
| Current assets | $38,665,000,000 |
| Total liabilities | $79,352,000,000 |
| Current liabilities | $41,525,000,000 |
| Shareholders’ equity | $50,285,000,000 |
| Net income | $13,267,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Operating inflow | $17,797,000,000 |
| Depreciation and amortization | $700,000,000 |
| Stock-based compensation | $3,830,000,000 |
| Operating cash flow | $14,177,000,000 |
| Operating outflow | $3,620,000,000 |
| Cash available | $23,087,000,000 |
| Beginning cash | $8,910,000,000 |
| Investing outflow | $3,484,000,000 |
| Capex | $1,410,000,000 |
| Other investing activities | $2,074,000,000 |
| Financing outflow | $12,347,000,000 |
| Exchange-rate effect | $29,000,000 |
| Ending cash | $7,227,000,000 |
| Investing cash flow | -$3,484,000,000 |
| Financing cash flow | -$12,347,000,000 |
Source: SEC EDGAR · Filed 2026-09-02 · SEC EDGAR
| Revenue by operating segment | Revenue | Share | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Americas | $37.8B | 59.7% | 12.3% |
| Europe Middle East And Africa | $16.6B | 26.2% | 12.1% |
| Asia Pacific Japan And China | $8.9B | 14.1% | 9.1% |
Point-in-time financial data used in the 2026-09-08 analysis.
| Period | Revenue | EBITDA | Net income | Operating cash flow | Free cash flow | Capex | Depreciation and amortization | Stock-based compensation | Share repurchases | Dividends paid | Net debt issuance | Investing cash flow | Financing cash flow | Beginning cash | Ending cash | Cash and investments | Total debt | Operating margin | ROIC | WACC | ROIC − WACC spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-07-29 | $48B | $15.4B | $9.6B | $13.9B | $12.9B | $964M | $1.1B | $1.5B | $3.7B | $5.5B | — | -$6B | -$3.8B | — | $11.8B | $70.5B | $30.5B | 24.9% | — | 5.8% | — |
| 2018-07-28 | $49.3B | $16.2B | $110M | $13.7B | $12.8B | $834M | $1.1B | $1.6B | $17.5B | $6B | — | $15.3B | -$31.8B | $11.8B | $9B | $46.5B | $25.6B | 25.0% | — | 6.4% | — |
| 2019-07-27 | $51.9B | $17.3B | $11.6B | $15.8B | $14.9B | $909M | $1B | $1.6B | $20.7B | $6B | — | $14.8B | -$27.9B | $9B | $11.8B | $33.4B | $20.5B | 27.4% | — | 6.2% | — |
| 2020-07-25 | $49.3B | $16.4B | $11.2B | $15.4B | $14.7B | $770M | $900M | $1.6B | $2.7B | $6B | — | $3.5B | -$18.9B | $11.8B | $11.8B | $29.4B | $14.6B | 27.6% | — | 3.8% | — |
| 2021-07-31 | $49.8B | $15.6B | $10.6B | $15.5B | $14.8B | $692M | $800M | $1.8B | $2.9B | $6.2B | — | -$5.3B | -$12.1B | $11.8B | $9.9B | $24.5B | $11.5B | 25.8% | — | 4.4% | — |
| 2022-07-30 | $51.6B | $16.8B | $11.8B | $13.2B | $12.7B | $477M | $800M | $1.9B | $7.7B | $6.2B | -$1.9B | $1.6B | -$16B | $9.9B | $8.6B | $19.3B | $8.9B | 27.1% | — | 6.1% | — |
| 2023-07-29 | $57B | $17.5B | $12.6B | $19.9B | $19B | $849M | $700M | $2.4B | $4.3B | $6.3B | -$1.1B | -$5.1B | -$11.6B | $8.6B | $11.6B | $26.1B | $8.4B | 26.4% | — | 7.5% | — |
| 2024-07-27 | $53.8B | $15.7B | $10.3B | $10.9B | $10.2B | $670M | $700M | $3.1B | $5.8B | $6.4B | $19.3B | -$20.5B | $6.8B | $11.6B | $8.8B | $17.9B | $20.1B | 22.6% | — | 7.3% | — |
| 2025-07-26 | $56.7B | $15.4B | $10.2B | $14.2B | $13.3B | $905M | $700M | $3.6B | $6B | $6.4B | -$2.8B | $1.7B | -$15.8B | $8.8B | $8.9B | $16.1B | $24.6B | 20.8% | — | 8.3% | — |
| 2026-07-25 | $63.3B | $20B | $13.3B | $14.2B | $12.8B | $1.4B | $700M | $3.8B | $6.1B | $6.6B | — | -$3.5B | -$12.3B | $8.9B | $7.2B | $15.9B | $22.9B | 24.3% | — | — | — |
Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) trades at 20.2x forward earnings against a peer median of 21.1x. Its EV/EBITDA of 23.9x compares with a peer median of 21.2x. The comparison uses 4 peers: Texas Instruments Incorporated, Corning Incorporated, International Business Machines Corporation and QUALCOMM Incorporated, as of 2026-09-08.
| Note |
|---|
| AI and hyperscale networking demand | positive | Management reported triple-digit hyperscale order growth, which could support shipment growth if orders convert into revenue. |
| Hardware-heavy revenue mix | negative | Higher hardware volume may dilute gross margin during FY2027. |
Management reported adequate FY2027 supply and no significant lead-time issue, supporting shipment conversion during the demand upswing.3
| Avoid new exposure and trim oversized holdings. |
| Near-term revisions do not resolve the annual revenue-scale and reinvestment risks. |
Not every cited input appears here: internal calculations and intermediate model outputs have no external record, and some citations could not be matched to one.
Limitation: Terminal value is 64% of this model's value, above the 60% level at which the methodology flags concentration; the value leans on the years beyond the explicit forecast.
| $20.04B |
| $21.30B |
| $22.38B |
| $23.28B |
| $24.11B |
| $24.84B |
| $25.52B |
| $26.18B |
| $26.83B |
| $27.49B |
| NOPAT | $17.20B | $18.29B | $19.21B | $19.98B | $20.69B | $21.32B | $21.91B | $22.47B | $23.03B | $23.60B |
| Residual cash after reinvestment policy | $17.20B | $18.29B | $19.21B | $19.98B | $20.69B | $21.32B | $21.91B | $22.47B | $23.03B | $23.60B |
| Revenue growth | 29.1% | 6.3% | 5.1% | 4.0% | 3.5% | 3.0% | 2.8% | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| Operating margin | 24.5% | 24.5% | 24.5% | 24.5% | 24.5% | 24.5% | 24.5% | 24.5% | 24.5% | 24.5% |
| Tax rate | 14.2% | 14.2% | 14.2% | 14.2% | 14.2% | 14.2% | 14.2% | 14.2% | 14.2% | 14.2% |
| Reinvestment rate | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Terminal growth | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| GLW |
| Corning Incorporated |
| 35.7x |
| 7.8x |
| 34.4x |
| 16.8% |
| 15.6% |
| IBM | International Business Machines Corporation | 17.8x | 3.2x | 16.9x | 34.5% | 16.5% |
| QCOM | QUALCOMM Incorporated | 16.5x | 4.1x | 15.4x | 33.8% | 18.5% |
