The value of your investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is no indication of future results.
Key takeaways
- Cisco is a multinational technology conglomerate, headquartered in San Jose, California, that designs, manufactures and sells networking hardware, software and telecommunications equipment.
- Check whether your chosen broker allows fractional shares if you’re looking to start with a smaller investment in Cisco.
- Track Cisco’s performance over time and review dividend updates to make informed buy-or-hold decisions.
Cisco Systems Inc is a communication equipment business with stocks listed in the US. Cisco shares (CSCO) are listed on the NASDAQ and all prices are listed in US Dollars. Here's how to invest if you're based in Australia.
How to buy shares in Cisco
- Compare share trading platforms. To buy shares in a company listed in the US from Australia you'll need to find a trading platform that offers access to US stock markets. Look for a platform with low brokerage and foreign exchange fees.
- Open and fund your brokerage account. Complete an application with your personal and financial details, which will typically include your ID and tax file number. Fund your account with a bank transfer, credit card or debit card.
- Search for Cisco. Find the share by name or ticker symbol: CSCO. Research its history to confirm it's a solid investment that matches your financial goals.
- Purchase now or later. Buy today with a market order or use a limit order to delay your purchase until Cisco reaches your desired price. To spread out your risk, look into dollar-cost averaging, which smooths out buying using consistent intervals and amounts.
- Decide on how many to buy. Weigh your budget against a diversified portfolio that can minimise risk through the market's ups and downs. You may be able to buy a fractional share of Cisco, depending on your broker.
- Check in on your investment. Congratulations, you own a part of Cisco. Optimise your portfolio by tracking how your stock — and even the business — performs with an eye on the long term. You may be eligible for dividends and shareholder voting rights.
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Have Cisco's shares ever split?
Cisco's shares were split on a 2:1 basis on 22 March 2000. So if you had owned 1 share the day before the split, the next day you would own 2 shares. This wouldn't directly have changed the overall worth of your Cisco shares – just the quantity. However, indirectly, the new 50% lower share price could have impacted the market appetite for Cisco shares which in turn could have impacted Cisco's share price.
Cisco shares at a glance
Information last updated 2025-12-01.
| 52-week range | US$51.4876 - US$80.06 |
|---|---|
| 50-day moving average | US$71.6978 |
| 200-day moving average | US$66.0933 |
| Target price | US$84.8148 |
| PE ratio | 29.3591 |
| Dividend yield | US$1.63 (2.12%) |
| Earnings per share (TTM) | US$2.59 |
Use the fields above to explore the returns from a historical investment. Please refer to the charts further up this page to see performance over 5 years, or other periods. Past performance doesn't indicate future results. Capital is at risk.
Is it a good time to buy Cisco stock?
The technical analysis gauge below displays real-time ratings for the timeframes you select. However, this is not a recommendation. It represents a technical analysis based on the most popular technical indicators: Moving Averages, Oscillators and Pivots. Finder might not concur and takes no responsibility.
Is it worth buying Cisco stock?
Valuing Cisco stock is incredibly difficult, and any metric has to be viewed as part of a bigger picture of Cisco's overall performance. However, analysts commonly use some key metrics to help gauge the value of a stock.
Cisco's P/E ratio
Cisco's current share price divided by its per-share earnings (EPS) over a 12-month period gives a "trailing price/earnings ratio" of roughly 29x. In other words, Cisco shares trade at around 29x recent earnings.
That's relatively high compared to, say, the trailing 12-month P/E ratio for the NASDAQ 100 at the end of 2019 (27.29). The high P/E ratio could mean that investors are optimistic about the outlook for the shares or simply that they're over-valued.
Cisco's PEG ratio
Cisco's "price/earnings-to-growth ratio" can be calculated by dividing its P/E ratio by its growth – to give 1.8213. A low ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer better value, while a higher ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer worse value.
The PEG ratio provides a broader view than just the P/E ratio, as it gives more insight into Cisco's future profitability. By accounting for growth, it could also help you if you're comparing the share prices of multiple high-growth companies.
Cisco's EBITDA
Cisco's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) is US$15.7 billion (£11.8 billion).
The EBITDA is a measure of a Cisco's overall financial performance and is widely used to measure stock profitability.
Cisco share price volatility
Over the last 12 months, Cisco's shares have ranged in value from as little as US$51.4876 up to US$80.06. A popular way to gauge a stock's volatility is its "beta".
Beta measures a share's volatility in relation to the market. The market (NASDAQ average) beta is 1, while Cisco's is 0.869. This would suggest that Cisco's shares are less volatile than average (for this exchange).
Cisco financials
| Revenue TTM | US$57.7 billion |
|---|---|
| Operating margin TTM | 23.6% |
| Gross profit TTM | US$37.4 billion |
| Return on assets TTM | 6.65% |
| Return on equity TTM | 22.42% |
| Profit margin | 17.9% |
| Book value | 11.903 |
| Market capitalisation | US$300.4 billion |
| EBITDA | US$15.7 billion |
TTM: trailing 12 months
Cisco share dividends
Dividend payout ratio: 41.9% of net profits
Recently Cisco has paid out, on average, around 41.9% of net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 2.13% of the current stock value. This means that over a year, based on recent payouts (which are sadly no guarantee of future payouts), Cisco shareholders could enjoy a 2.13% return on their shares, in the form of dividend payments. In Cisco's case, that would currently equate to about $1.63 per share.
While Cisco's payout ratio might seem fairly standard, it's worth remembering that Cisco may be investing much of the rest of its net profits in future growth.
Cisco's most recent dividend payout was on 20 January 2026. The latest dividend was paid out to all shareholders who bought their shares by 1 January 2026 (the "ex-dividend date").
Cisco's environmental, social and governance track record
Environmental, social and governance (known as ESG) criteria are a set of three factors used to measure the sustainability and social impact of companies like Cisco.
When it comes to ESG scores, lower is better, and lower scores are generally associated with lower risk for would-be investors.
Cisco's total ESG risk score
Total ESG risk: 12.85
Socially conscious investors use ESG scores to screen how an investment aligns with their worldview, and Cisco's overall score of 12.85 (as at 12/31/2018) is excellent – landing it in it in the 4th percentile of companies rated in the same sector.
ESG scores are increasingly used to estimate the level of risk a company like Cisco is exposed to within the areas of "environmental" (carbon footprint, resource use etc.), "social" (health and safety, human rights etc.), and "governance" (anti-corruption, tax transparency etc.).
Cisco's environmental score
Environmental score: 1.54/100
Cisco's environmental score of 1.54 puts it squarely in the 3rd percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that Cisco is a leader in its sector terms of its environmental impact, and exposed to a lower level of risk.
Cisco's social score
Social score: 6.94/100
Cisco's social score of 6.94 puts it squarely in the 3rd percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that Cisco is a leader in its sector when it comes to taking good care of its workforce and the communities it impacts.
Cisco's governance score
Governance score: 5.37/100
Cisco's governance score puts it squarely in the 3rd percentile of companies rated in the same sector. That could suggest that Cisco is a leader in its sector when it comes to responsible management and strategy, and exposed to a lower level of risk.
Cisco's controversy score
Controversy score: 2/5
ESG scores also evaluate any incidences of controversy that a company has been involved in. Cisco scored a 2 out of 5 for controversy – the second-highest score possible, reflecting that Cisco has, for the most part, managed to keep its nose clean.
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) summary
Cisco Systems Inc was last rated for ESG on: 2019-01-01.
| Total ESG score | 12.85 |
|---|---|
| Total ESG percentile | 3.94 |
| Environmental score | 1.54 |
| Environmental score percentile | 3 |
| Social score | 6.94 |
| Social score percentile | 3 |
| Governance score | 5.37 |
| Governance score percentile | 3 |
| Level of controversy | 2 |
Cisco overview
Cisco Systems, Inc. designs, developes, and sells technologies that help to power, secure, and draw insights from the internet in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, Japan, and China. The company offers data center switching; network security, identity and access management, and secure access service edge; threat intelligence, detection, and response solutions; interconnects public and private wireline and mobile networks, delivering connectivity to campus, data center, and branch networks; WEBEX suite, collaboration devices, and contact center; communication platform as a service software, including perpetual licenses, subscription arrangements, and hardware solutions; network assurance, monitoring and analytics, and observability suite; issue resolution, software support, and hardware replacement; professional services, such as planning, design, implementation, and high-value consulting; service and support packages, financing, and managed network services; and regional, national, and international wireline carriers, webscale products, internet, and cable. It also delivers connectivity to campus, data center, and branch networks; wireless products, including indoor and outdoor wireless coverage designed for seamless roaming use of voice, video, and data applications; end-to-end collaboration solutions through cloud, on-premise, or within hybrid cloud environments, transition collaboration solutions from on-premise to the cloud; and network assurance, monitoring and analytics, and observability suite. In addition, it offers technical support and advisory services. The company serves businesses, public institutions, governments, and service providers. It sells its products and services directly, through systems integrators, service providers, resellers, and distributors. Cisco Systems, Inc. was incorporated in 1984 and is headquartered in San Jose, California.
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