Cisco Systems (CSCO), a global leader in IP-based networking and communication technology, is now approaching a key moment with its fourth quarter fiscal 2025 earnings set for Wednesday, Aug. 13 after the market close. Investors have circled the date, eager to see whether the stock's strong run will extend. 

The announcement alone sent shares up 2% on Aug. 4, adding to an already impressive 21% year-to-date (YTD) gain. CSCO stock now sits within arm’s reach of its 52-week high of $72.55, which was achieved on Aug. 11. 

Anticipation has been fueled by improving demand for networking products spanning switching, enterprise routing, webscale infrastructure and industrial applications. Initiatives powered by artificial intelligence (AI) have been equally central to the story. 

The company’s Meraki cloud managed networking solution secured FedRAMP authorization in Q3, opening the door to deeper federal market penetration. Its strategy to embed AI across security platforms and develop agentic capabilities across its portfolio has become a defining catalyst. 

Investors are now looking to the forthcoming results to assess Cisco's trajectory for the coming months, and to validate the recent stock momentum. 

About Cisco Stock

With its headquarters located in San Jose, California, Cisco Systems is a major player in the IP-based networking market. Cisco, which is valued at $280 billion, is unifying its product portfolios in the areas of networking, security, cloud, apps, and collaboration.

Over the past 52 weeks, CSCO stock has climbed 59%, handily outperforming the S&P 500 Technology Sector SPDR’s (XLK) 29% gain.

Valuation remains a key talking point. Trading at 21.9 times forward adjusted earnings, CSCO shares sit below the industry average, drawing interest from investors who like a good discount. 

Cisco’s shareholder record is equally strong, with 13 consecutive years of dividend increases. The current annual payout stands at $1.64, yielding 2.29%, and the most recent quarterly dividend of $0.41 was paid on July 23 to shareholders of record on July 3.

Cisco Surpasses Q3 Earnings

On May 14, Cisco's Q3 2025 results exceeded Wall Street's forecasts, causing shares to leap 4.9%. Revenue reached $14.15 billion, an 11% increase over the prior year and slightly above estimates of $14.06 billion. Networking revenue climbed 8% to $7.07 billion, while security revenue surged 54% to $2.01 billion.

Non-GAAP net income grew 7.8% from the year-ago value to $3.8 billion, with adjusted EPS of $0.96, up 9.1% year-over-year (YOY() and comfortably ahead of the $0.91 consensus. A highlight of the quarter was the booking of more than $600 million in AI infrastructure orders, which allowed Cisco to surpass its $1 billion target for the full fiscal year a quarter earlier than planned. 

Moreover, March saw the introduction of the Webex AI agent for customer service, while the Meraki solution’s FedRAMP authorization strengthened its foothold in the government sector. Strategic alliances with Nvidia (NVDA), Microsoft (MSFT), G42 and Saudi Arabia’s HUMAIN AI expanded its role in AI data center buildouts worldwide.

Looking ahead, Cisco has guided Q4 2025 revenue to be between $14.5 billion and $14.7 billion, with adjusted EPS of $0.96 to $0.98. Full-year revenue is expected to be between $56.5 billion and $56.7 billion, alongside adjusted EPS of $3.77 to $3.79. The Q3 results helped cement the company’s status as a growing force in AI, security and next-generation networking.

On the other hand, analysts expect Q4 2025 EPS to increase 12.7% YOY to $0.80. The fiscal 2025 bottom line might see a 1.9% decline to $3.06. However, the momentum is expected to turn in fiscal 2026 when EPS may again rise by 6.9% to $3.27 per share.

What Do Analysts Expect for Cisco Stock?

The analyst community continues to lean positively when it comes to CSCO stock, assigning it an overall rating of “Moderate Buy.” Of the 22 analysts following the stock, 12 recommend a “Strong Buy,” one suggests a “Moderate Buy,” and nine rate Cisco as a “Hold.”

CSCO stock’s average price target of $72.67 represents potential upside of 1.8% from current levels. Meanwhile, the Street-high target of $79 suggests a potential climb of 10.7% from current levels.