Met uw toestemming gebruiken we privacyvriendelijke, beperkte analyses om te begrijpen welke onderzoeksroutes werken. We gebruiken geen advertentietrackers of sessieopnamen. U kunt deze keuze wijzigen in Voorkeuren. Lees het Privacybeleid.
Quote this valuation with its source: Fair value, Potential value and the price at analysis.
FAQ
CSCO — frequently asked questions
Is Cisco Systems Inc. overvalued?
In our latest published analysis dated 2026-09-08, CSCO looks meaningfully overvalued. The price recorded at analysis is USD 109 versus our fair value of USD 90,5; the high endpoint is presented separately as potential value of USD 136. That implies roughly 17.1% downside to fair value at that date.
Our latest published report, analyzed 2026-09-08, gives CSCO a fair value of USD 90,5 and a potential value of USD 136. The conclusion is triangulated across multiple valuation models and weighted by reliability for Cisco Systems Inc.'s archetype; it is a dated research output, not a live price.
Should I buy CSCO now?
Our latest published rating for CSCO, analyzed 2026-09-08, is Reduce. Cisco Systems Inc. looks meaningfully overvalued at the analysis-date price of USD 109 versus fair value of USD 90,5; potential value is USD 136. This is research for educational purposes, not personalized investment advice.
What are the biggest risks for CSCO?
The dedicated bear-case section in our report analyzed 2026-09-08 documents Cisco Systems Inc.'s material risks, evidence, thresholds, and thesis-invalidation conditions. Scenario-specific explanations remain in that section so the report does not repeat or decontextualize them elsewhere.
What is CSCO's rating?
Our latest published rating for CSCO, analyzed 2026-09-08, is Reduce, with a published moat assessment of 5.5/10 (Narrow). It reflects our fair value of USD 90,5, the potential value of USD 136, and the price recorded at analysis (USD 109).
Engelse bron wordt weergegeven terwijl we vertalen
Dit rapport is nog niet vertaald. Vernieuw over een paar minuten zodra de vertaalwachtrij is bijgewerkt.
§1 SamenvattingEN
Antwoord in 30 secondenReduce
Koers versus waarde
Koers
$109.20
Reële waarde
$90.47
Potentiële waarde
$135.76
Per
2026-09-04
Waarom het kan werken
Upside can persist if higher FY2027 revenue expectations become reported sales, supply remains adequate, and diluted shares continue to decline.
Wat onze visie zou veranderen
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.1,2
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.
The clearest upside path is conversion of higher FY2027 revenue and EPS estimates into reported results, followed by continued share retirement.1,5
Direct supplier and silicon-foundry relationships
Management reported adequate FY2027 supply and greater control over silicon commitments, with possible longer-term cost benefits.3
Cycle upside
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
Evidence-backed thesis
Reduce because the report-date price exceeds Fair value and durable cash conversion still needs confirmation.2
Huisaanbeveling
Reduce because the report-date price exceeds Fair value and durable cash conversion still needs confirmation.2
Bedrijfsoverzicht
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.
§2 BerenscenarioEN
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.
The revenue reset fades, margins weaken, and cash generation deteriorates.1,4
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.
Hoe deze these kan breken
Sustained cash-flow shortfall
Annual free cash flow below $10 billion for two fiscal years would constrain distributions and debt reduction, weakening owner returns.2,4
FV impact
-15.4%
The analyst's bear scenario path and multiple as the base case
Trigger
Within 24 months
Operating profitability breaks
GAAP operating margin below 21.27% for two fiscal years would show that mix, pricing, or sourcing pressure is eroding earnings power.
Vroege waarschuwingssignalen om te volgen
De vijf ontwikkelingen die onze beleggingsthese zouden verzwakken.
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.
Huidig:$12.77 billion in FY2026.
Waarschuwing alsScenario monitoring assumption: below $10 billion for two consecutive fiscal years.
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.
Economische winst
FY2026 free cash flow was $12.77 billion, but cash generation is an outcome rather than a moat source.4
5.5/ 10
Narrow
Sources of advantage
01Conditional sourcing cost advantage — Direct supplier relationships provide greater component control and may lower unit costs over time, but the benefit is not yet quantified.Moderate
Bekende bedreigingen voor het concurrentievoordeel
Bedreiging
Ernst
Tijdlijn
Beperking
Sourcing control produces no measurable savings.
medium
Through FY2028
Adequate supply could still protect shipments before any cost benefit appears.3
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 enterprise value. A sudden drop in free cash flow is not projected unless capital spending relative to revenue, reinvestment, or gross margin resets materially.
Post-event growth converts into annual results, then returns toward mature growth.1
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.4,5
Demand stays strong, supply remains adequate, and sourcing benefits become visible in margins.3
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.
§7 Beslissingsboom voor winstenEN
Overtroffen
Maintain the current rating; do not add solely because results beat expectations.
Trigger: Revenue and earnings rise while margins and cash hold.
A beat matters only if annual revenue, margins, cash, and share count also improve.
Conform
Keep reducing toward a below-normal position.
Trigger: Annual results track the cited estimate path.
Results matching estimates would preserve the reset but not resolve the valuation gap.
Gemist
Reduce further only if revenue misses and either margins or cash also deteriorate.
Trigger: Revenue misses and either margins or cash also deteriorate.1,4,5
A broad miss would show weaker demand conversion and lower earnings power.
Winstkwaliteit
FY2026 operating cash exceeded reported net income, supporting cash conversion while leaving debt, stock compensation, and reinvestment as key checks.5
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.4,5
Kapitaalallocatie
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.
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.
§10 Sector & cyclusEN
Cyclusfase
Expansion
Industry capital spending was 7.1% of revenue and 1.26 times depreciation as of 2026-09-01.
Bullencyclus
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.
Berencyclus
A hardware-heavy networking cycle can pressure gross margin even while sales rise. Nonlinear hyperscale orders also make growth timing less predictable.
Seculaire trends
Trend
Impact
Notitie
AI and hyperscale networking demand
positive
Management reported triple-digit hyperscale order growth, which could support shipment growth if orders convert into revenue.
Higher hardware volume may dilute gross margin during FY2027.
Positionering
Management reported adequate FY2027 supply and no significant lead-time issue, supporting shipment conversion during the demand upswing.3
§11 PositiebeheerEN
Positiegrootte
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
Risico
Review customer concentration annually and avoid treating estimate revisions as proof of durable growth.
Entree-tranches
Niveau
Actie
Waarom
At or above Fair value
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.
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.
Huidig:$77.80 billion analyst mean as of and retrieved 2026-09-08.
Waarschuwing alsBelow $72.07 billion for FY2028.
05
Largest-customer exposure
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.
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.