Cisco Systems Stock (NASDAQ:CSCO), Trade Ideas

Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems is the largest provider of networking equipment in the world and one of the largest software companies in the world. Its largest businesses are selling networking hardware and software (where it has leading market shares) and cybersecurity software like firewalls. It also has collaboration products, like its Webex suite, and observability tools. It primarily outsources its manufacturing to third parties and has a large sales and marketing staff—25,000 strong across 90 countries. Overall, Cisco employees 80,000 employees and sells its products globally.

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Cisco Systems Inc

In today's rapidly changing and fiercely competitive business landscape, it is essential for investors and industry enthusiasts to thoroughly analyze companies. In this article, we will conduct a comprehensive industry comparison, evaluating Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) against its key competitors in the Communications Equipment industry. By examining key financial metrics, market position, and growth prospects, we aim to provide valuable insights for investors and shed light on company's performance within the industry.
<h3>Cisco Systems Background</h3>
Cisco Systems is the largest provider of networking equipment in the world and one of the largest software companies in the world. Its largest businesses are selling networking hardware and software (where it has leading market shares) and cybersecurity software like firewalls. It also has collaboration products, like its Webex suite, and observability tools. It primarily outsources its manufacturing to third parties and has a large sales and marketing staff—25,000 strong across 90 countries. Overall, Cisco employees 80,000 employees and sells its products globally.
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Company</th>
<th>P/E</th>
<th>P/B</th>
<th>P/S</th>
<th>ROE</th>
<th>EBITDA (in billions)</th>
<th>Gross Profit (in billions)</th>
<th>Revenue Growth</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Cisco Systems Inc</td>
<td>14.70</td>
<td>4.23</td>
<td>3.45</td>
<td>5.76%</td>
<td>$3.7</td>
<td>$8.22</td>
<td>-5.89%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Motorola Solutions Inc</td>
<td>34.75</td>
<td>79.42</td>
<td>5.95</td>
<td>109.76%</td>
<td>$0.88</td>
<td>$1.46</td>
<td>5.25%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nokia Oyj</td>
<td>22.84</td>
<td>0.90</td>
<td>0.91</td>
<td>2.08%</td>
<td>$0.66</td>
<td>$2.23</td>
<td>-20.34%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Juniper Networks Inc</td>
<td>37.22</td>
<td>2.56</td>
<td>2.07</td>
<td>2.82%</td>
<td>$0.19</td>
<td>$0.81</td>
<td>-5.8%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>F5 Inc</td>
<td>23.77</td>
<td>3.75</td>
<td>3.91</td>
<td>4.89%</td>
<td>$0.2</td>
<td>$0.56</td>
<td>-1.11%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ciena Corp</td>
<td>29.25</td>
<td>2.23</td>
<td>1.53</td>
<td>1.72%</td>
<td>$0.13</td>
<td>$0.47</td>
<td>-1.78%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Calix Inc</td>
<td>100.35</td>
<td>2.49</td>
<td>1.92</td>
<td>0.01%</td>
<td>$0.0</td>
<td>$0.12</td>
<td>-9.48%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Viavi Solutions Inc</td>
<td>399.50</td>
<td>2.44</td>
<td>1.77</td>
<td>1.53%</td>
<td>$0.04</td>
<td>$0.15</td>
<td>-10.54%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Extreme Networks Inc</td>
<td>18.58</td>
<td>13.27</td>
<td>1.10</td>
<td>3.68%</td>
<td>$0.02</td>
<td>$0.18</td>
<td>-6.9%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Digi International Inc</td>
<td>71.47</td>
<td>2.06</td>
<td>2.55</td>
<td>-0.56%</td>
<td>$0.01</td>
<td>$0.06</td>
<td>-2.94%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Harmonic Inc</td>
<td>13.10</td>
<td>2.42</td>
<td>1.82</td>
<td>21.56%</td>
<td>$0.01</td>
<td>$0.08</td>
<td>1.68%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Clearfield Inc</td>
<td>36.54</td>
<td>1.45</td>
<td>2.08</td>
<td>-1.71%</td>
<td>$-0.0</td>
<td>$0.0</td>
<td>-60.17%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Aviat Networks Inc</td>
<td>26.02</td>
<td>1.62</td>
<td>1.10</td>
<td>1.2%</td>
<td>$0.01</td>
<td>$0.04</td>
<td>4.8%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Average</td>
<td>67.78</td>
<td>9.55</td>
<td>2.23</td>
<td>12.25%</td>
<td>$0.18</td>
<td>$0.51</td>
<td>-8.94%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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 </style>Upon closer analysis of Cisco Systems, the following trends become apparent: 
<ul>
<li>
At 14.7, the stock's Price to Earnings ratio is 0.22x less than the industry average, suggesting favorable growth potential.
</li>
<li>
The current Price to Book ratio of 4.23, which is 0.44x the industry average, is substantially lower than the industry average, indicating potential undervaluation.
</li>
<li>
The Price to Sales ratio of 3.45, which is 1.55x the industry average, suggests the stock could potentially be overvalued in relation to its sales performance compared to its peers.
</li>
<li>
With a Return on Equity (ROE) of 5.76% that is 6.49% below the industry average, it appears that the company exhibits potential inefficiency in utilizing equity to generate profits.
</li>
<li>
The company has higher Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) of $3.7 Billion, which is 20.56x above the industry average, indicating stronger profitability and robust cash flow generation.
</li>
<li>
The gross profit of $8.22 Billion is 16.12x above that of its industry, highlighting stronger profitability and higher earnings from its core operations.
</li>
<li>
The company's revenue growth of -5.89% exceeds the industry average of -8.94%, indicating strong sales performance and market outperformance.
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Debt To Equity Ratio</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1714057252_0.png" alt="debt to equity" />
The debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio assesses the extent to which a company relies on borrowed funds compared to its equity.
Considering the debt-to-equity ratio in industry comparisons allows for a concise evaluation of a company's financial health and risk profile, aiding in informed decision-making.
By considering the Debt-to-Equity ratio, Cisco Systems can be compared to its top 4 peers, leading to the following observations:
<ul>
<li>
Cisco Systems exhibits a stronger financial position compared to its top 4 peers in the sector, as indicated by its lower debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25.
</li>
<li>
This suggests that the company has a more favorable balance between debt and equity, which can be seen as a positive aspect for investors.
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Takeaways</h3>
The PE, PB, and PS ratios for Cisco Systems indicate that the company is undervalued compared to its peers in the Communications Equipment industry. However, the low ROE suggests that the company may not be utilizing its assets efficiently. On the other hand, the high EBITDA, gross profit, and revenue growth show strong financial performance and potential for future growth when compared to industry peers. Cisco Systems may need to focus on improving its return on equity to align with its strong operational performance.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Competitor Analysis: Evaluating Cisco Systems And Competitors In Communications Equipment Industry

Whales with a lot of money to spend have taken a noticeably bearish stance on Cisco Systems.
Looking at options history for Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) we detected 20 trades.
If we consider the specifics of each trade, it is accurate to state that 15% of the investors opened trades with bullish expectations and 85% with bearish.
From the overall spotted trades, 4 are puts, for a total amount of $268,390 and 16, calls, for a total amount of $865,555.
<h3>What's The Price Target?</h3>
Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $42.5 to $52.5 for Cisco Systems over the last 3 months. 
<h3>Volume &amp; Open Interest Development</h3>
Looking at the volume and open interest is an insightful way to conduct due diligence on a stock.
This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Cisco Systems's options for a given strike price.
Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Cisco Systems's whale activity within a strike price range from $42.5 to $52.5 in the last 30 days. 
<h3>Cisco Systems Option Volume And Open Interest Over Last 30 Days</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1713977152_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Significant Options Trades Detected:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/17/24</td>
<td>$0.67</td>
<td>$0.66</td>
<td>$0.67</td>
<td>$50.00</td>
<td>$154.4K</td>
<td>23.8K</td>
<td>2.4K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>07/19/24</td>
<td>$2.54</td>
<td>$2.53</td>
<td>$2.53</td>
<td>$47.50</td>
<td>$104.2K</td>
<td>3.7K</td>
<td>448</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$6.55</td>
<td>$6.45</td>
<td>$6.48</td>
<td>$52.50</td>
<td>$84.1K</td>
<td>427</td>
<td>0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>06/21/24</td>
<td>$4.1</td>
<td>$4.05</td>
<td>$4.06</td>
<td>$45.00</td>
<td>$81.1K</td>
<td>18.4K</td>
<td>0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/17/24</td>
<td>$0.25</td>
<td>$0.24</td>
<td>$0.24</td>
<td>$52.00</td>
<td>$80.8K</td>
<td>153</td>
<td>3.3K</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About Cisco Systems</h3>
Cisco Systems is the largest provider of networking equipment in the world and one of the largest software companies in the world. Its largest businesses are selling networking hardware and software (where it has leading market shares) and cybersecurity software like firewalls. It also has collaboration products, like its Webex suite, and observability tools. It primarily outsources its manufacturing to third parties and has a large sales and marketing staff—25,000 strong across 90 countries. Overall, Cisco employees 80,000 employees and sells its products globally.
After a thorough review of the options trading surrounding Cisco Systems, we move to examine the company in more detail. This includes an assessment of its current market status and performance.
<h3>Cisco Systems's Current Market Status</h3>
<ul>
<li>Currently trading with a volume of 6,186,993, the CSCO's price is down by -0.39%, now at $48.13. </li>
<li>RSI readings suggest the stock is currently is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.</li>
<li>Anticipated earnings release is in 21 days.</li>
</ul>
Options trading presents higher risks and potential rewards. Astute traders manage these risks by continually educating themselves, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and keeping a close eye on market movements. Stay informed about the latest Cisco Systems options trades with real-time alerts from <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a>.

Options

Market Whales and Their Recent Bets on CSCO Options

<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/arcanedoor-cyberspies-hacked-cisco-firewalls-to-access-government-networks/">https://www.wired.com/story/arcanedoor-cyberspies-hacked-cisco-firewalls-to-access-government-networks/</a>
Network security appliances like firewalls are meant to keep hackers out. Instead, digital intruders are increasingly targeting them as the weak link that lets them pillage the very systems those devices are meant to protect. In the case of one hacking campaign over recent months, Cisco is now revealing that its firewalls served as beachheads for sophisticated hackers penetrating multiple government networks around the world.
On Wednesday, Cisco <a href="https://blog.talosintelligence.com/arcanedoor-new-espionage-focused-campaign-found-targeting-perimeter-network-devices/">warned</a> that its so-called Adaptive Security Appliances—devices that integrate a firewall and VPN with other security features—had been targeted by state-sponsored spies who exploited two <a href="https://www.wired.com/2014/11/what-is-a-zero-day/">zero-day vulnerabilities</a> in the networking giant's gear to compromise government targets globally in a hacking campaign it's calling ArcaneDoor.
The hackers behind the intrusions, which Cisco's security division Talos is calling UAT4356 and which Microsoft researchers who contributed to the investigation have named STORM-1849, couldn't be clearly tied to any previous intrusion incidents the companies had tracked. Based on the group's espionage focus and sophistication, however, Cisco says the hacking appeared to be state-sponsored.
"This actor utilized bespoke tooling that demonstrated a clear focus on espionage and an in-depth knowledge of the devices that they targeted, hallmarks of a sophisticated state-sponsored actor," a blog post from Cisco's Talos researchers reads.
Cisco declined to say which country it believed to be responsible for the intrusions, but sources familiar with the investigation tell WIRED the campaign appears to be aligned with China's state interests.
&nbsp;
Cisco says the hacking campaign began as early as November 2023, with the majority of intrusions taking place between December and early January of this year, when it learned of the first victim. "The investigation that followed identified additional victims, all of which involved government networks globally," the company's report reads.
In those intrusions, the hackers exploited two newly discovered vulnerabilities in Cisco's ASA products. One, which it's calling Line Dancer, let the hackers run their own malicious code in the memory of the network appliances, allowing them to issue commands to the devices, including the ability to spy on network traffic and steal data. A second vulnerability, which Cisco is calling Line Runner, would allow the hackers' malware to maintain its access to the target devices even when they were rebooted or updated.
Cisco has released software updates to patch both vulnerabilities, and <a href="https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/resources/asa_ftd_attacks_event_response">advises</a> that customers implement them immediately, along with other recommendations for detecting whether they've been targeted.
The ArcaneDoor hacking campaign represents just the latest series of intrusions to target network perimeter applications sometimes referred to as "edge" devices like email servers, firewalls, and VPNs—often devices intended to provide security—whose vulnerabilities allowed hackers to obtain a staging point inside a victim's network. Cisco's Talos researchers warn of that broader trend in their report, referring to highly sensitive networks that they've seen targeted via edge devices in recent years. "Gaining a foothold on these devices allows an actor to directly pivot into an organization, reroute or modify traffic and monitor network communications," they write. "In the past two years, we have seen a dramatic and sustained increase in the targeting of these devices in areas such as telecommunications providers and energy sector organizations—critical infrastructure entities that are likely strategic targets of interest for many foreign governments."
&nbsp;
State-sponsored hackers' shift to compromising edge devices has become prevalent enough over the past year that Google-owned security firm Mandiant also <a href="https://therecord.media/chinese-russian-hackers-edge-devices">highlighted it in its annual M-Trends report</a> earlier this week, based on the company's threat intelligence and incident response findings. The report points to widely exploited vulnerabilities in network edge devices sold by Barracuda and Ivanti and notes that hackers—and specifically espionage-focused Chinese groups—are building custom malware for edge devices, in part because many networks have little or no way to monitor for compromise of the devices.
"They're systemically targeting security appliances that sit on the edge for access to the rest of the network," says John Hultquist, Mandiant's head of threat intelligence. "This is no longer an emerging trend. It's established."
Mandiant notes that it has observed Russian state-sponsored hackers targeting edge devices too: It's observed the unit of Russia's GRU military intelligence agency, known as Sandworm, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/russia-ukraine-cyberattacks-mandiant/">repeatedly hack edge devices</a> used by Ukrainian organizations to gain and maintain access to those victim networks, often for data-destroying cyberattacks. In some cases, the lack of visibility and monitoring in those edge devices has meant that Sandworm was able to wipe a victim network while holding on to its control of an edge device—then hit the same network again.
Hultquist notes, however, that China is unmatched in its discovery and use of network appliance zero days, like the ones it has used to run rampant through Cisco firewalls over the past several months. He expects more to come, as China's cyberspies continue to turn devices meant to protect target networks against their owners. "It's unlikely these zero days are being produced haphazardly. We suspect a well-resourced, coordinated effort is underway to find and exploit these vulnerabilities," Hultquist says. "Unfortunately, we'll almost certainly see several more zero-days in security&nbsp;appliances this year."

Legal

"'ArcaneDoor' Cyberspies Hacked Cisco Firewalls To Access Government Networks; Sources Suspect China Is Behind The Targeted Exploitation Of Two Zero-Day Vulnerabilities In Cisco's Security Appliances" - Wired

International Business Machines Corporation&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>) is reportedly on the verge of acquiring cloud software provider&nbsp;HashiCorp&nbsp;Inc&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HCP#NYSE">HCP</a>), signaling potential growth for both entities.
An acquisition of HashiCorp would likely entail a premium above its current stock value,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/business/deals/ibm-nears-deal-for-cloud-software-provider-cf146448?mod=lead_feature_below_a_pos1" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported&nbsp;</a>The&nbsp;Wall Street Journal.
Citing sources familiar with the matter, the report suggested that a deal for HashiCorp is likely to materialize soon, although there&#8217;s a possibility it may not proceed.
HashiCorp, headquartered in San Francisco, specializes in cloud infrastructure setup, boasting partnerships with numerous tech giants, including&nbsp;Cisco Systems Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>),&nbsp;RedHat&nbsp;(owned by IBM), and&nbsp;Datadog Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DDOG#NASDAQ">DDOG</a>).
As per the report, IBM is undergoing a strategic shift towards&nbsp;hybrid-cloud&nbsp;and&nbsp;artificial-intelligence&nbsp;domains under the leadership of CEO Arvind Krishna.
The company&#8217;s recent endeavors include ventures into quantum computing and blockchain technologies,&nbsp;evident&nbsp;from its $5 billion acquisition of software firm&nbsp;Apptio&nbsp;last year, enhancing its automation capabilities.
Recent reports indicate&nbsp;Salesforce Inc&#8217;s&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>) withdrawal from negotiations to acquire&nbsp;Informatica Inc&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INFA#NYSE">INFA</a>), signaling a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/m-a/24/04/38357035/whats-going-on-with-salesforce-and-informatica-stock-monday" rel="noreferrer noopener">cautious approach in the sector.</a>
Read Next:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/04/38391805/ibms-moment-of-truth-as-earnings-expected-to-impress-with-strong-ai-influence-analy" rel="noreferrer noopener">IBM&#8217;s Moment Of Truth As Earnings Expected To Impress With Strong AI Influence, Analyst Says</a>
Price Action: HCP closed higher by 18.7% at $29.15 on Tuesday.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo via Shutterstock

Whales with a lot of money to spend have taken a noticeably bearish stance on Cisco Systems.
Looking at options history for Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) we detected 10 trades.
If we consider the specifics of each trade, it is accurate to state that 40% of the investors opened trades with bullish expectations and 50% with bearish.
From the overall spotted trades, 4 are puts, for a total amount of $354,242 and 6, calls, for a total amount of $494,175.
<h3>What's The Price Target?</h3>
Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $42.5 to $52.5 for Cisco Systems over the last 3 months. 
<h3>Volume &amp; Open Interest Trends</h3>
Looking at the volume and open interest is an insightful way to conduct due diligence on a stock.
This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Cisco Systems's options for a given strike price.
Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Cisco Systems's whale activity within a strike price range from $42.5 to $52.5 in the last 30 days. 
<h3>Cisco Systems Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1713802549_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Noteworthy Options Activity:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>10/18/24</td>
<td>$2.38</td>
<td>$2.37</td>
<td>$2.38</td>
<td>$50.00</td>
<td>$203.9K</td>
<td>4.9K</td>
<td>863</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/17/24</td>
<td>$0.98</td>
<td>$0.97</td>
<td>$0.98</td>
<td>$47.00</td>
<td>$165.3K</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>1.3K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/17/24</td>
<td>$0.99</td>
<td>$0.98</td>
<td>$0.99</td>
<td>$47.00</td>
<td>$85.9K</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>2.6K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/17/25</td>
<td>$7.85</td>
<td>$7.75</td>
<td>$7.85</td>
<td>$42.50</td>
<td>$85.5K</td>
<td>533</td>
<td>0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>06/21/24</td>
<td>$0.47</td>
<td>$0.45</td>
<td>$0.45</td>
<td>$52.50</td>
<td>$77.7K</td>
<td>37.4K</td>
<td>1.7K</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About Cisco Systems</h3>
Cisco Systems is the largest provider of networking equipment in the world and one of the largest software companies in the world. Its largest businesses are selling networking hardware and software (where it has leading market shares) and cybersecurity software like firewalls. It also has collaboration products, like its Webex suite, and observability tools. It primarily outsources its manufacturing to third parties and has a large sales and marketing staff—25,000 strong across 90 countries. Overall, Cisco employees 80,000 employees and sells its products globally.
Having examined the options trading patterns of Cisco Systems, our attention now turns directly to the company. This shift allows us to delve into its present market position and performance
<h3>Where Is Cisco Systems Standing Right Now?</h3>
<ul>
<li>Trading volume stands at 4,847,714, with CSCO's price up by 0.52%, positioned at $48.57.</li>
<li>RSI indicators show the stock to be is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.</li>
<li>Earnings announcement expected in 23 days.</li>
</ul>
Options trading presents higher risks and potential rewards. Astute traders manage these risks by continually educating themselves, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and keeping a close eye on market movements. Stay informed about the latest Cisco Systems options trades with real-time alerts from <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a>.

A Closer Look at Cisco Systems's Options Market Dynamics

JP Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee reinstates Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) with a Neutral and announces $53 price target.

Initiation

JP Morgan Reinstates Neutral on Cisco Systems, Announces $53 Price Target

Cisco Systems, Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) launched a new approach to securing data centers and clouds in response to the increasing demands the<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/04/n38307642/cisco-reimagines-security-for-data-centers-and-clouds-in-era-of-ai" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;AI revolution has put on IT infrastructure.</a>
The company launched Cisco Hypershield to accelerate AI infrastructure with Cisco&#8217;s ethernet switching, silicon, and compute portfolio.
Cisco Hypershield protects applications, devices, and data across public and private data centers, clouds, and physical locations, the company said in a press release.&nbsp;
&#8220;Cisco Hypershield is one of the most significant security innovations in our history,&#8221; said&nbsp;Chuck Robbins, Cisco Chair and CEO.&nbsp;
Hypershield extends its reach by transforming every network port into a robust security enforcement point, introducing groundbreaking capabilities not only to cloud environments but also to data centers, factory floors, and hospital imaging rooms.
The company says this technology swiftly thwarts application exploits and halts lateral movement within minutes.
Hypershield is solving three key customer challenges &#8211; Distributed Exploit Protection, Autonomous Segmentation, and Self-qualifying Upgrades.
&#8220;With our data advantage and strength in security, infrastructure and observability platforms, Cisco is uniquely positioned to help our customers harness the power of AI,&#8221; Robbins said.
Price Action: CSCO shares are trading higher by 0.46% to $48.01 at last check on Thursday.
Photo: Shutterstock

Cisco Unveils AI-Powered Hypershield: 'One Of The Most Significant Security Innovations In Our History'

Cisco Launches Hypershield, Elevating Security For AI-Driven Data Centers And Cloud Environments

Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/csco#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) is among the many beneficiaries of<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/04/38220808/arista-networks-gets-a-double-downgrade-buy-this-ai-stock-instead-says-analyst"> the artificial intelligence (AI) trend</a>.
The stock has underperformed the market over the last 12 months mainly due to weakness in Networking. However, the current estimates are &ldquo;adequately low&rdquo; and growth could accelerate from 2025 onwards, according to BofA Securities.
The Cisco Systems Analyst: Tal Liani upgraded the rating for Cisco Systems from Neutral to Buy, while raising the price target from $55 to $60.
The Cisco Systems Thesis: The company&rsquo;s Networking weakness is likely to be offset by Splunk, Security, and AI, Liani said in the upgrade note.
Check out <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings">other analyst stock ratings</a>.
The analyst termed these as the &ldquo;three catalysts for growth acceleration&rdquo; and elaborated on them:
<ul>
<li>Splunk&#39;s acquisition offers &ldquo;great growth synergies.&rdquo;</li>
<li>Cisco confirmed on March 18 that it completed the $28-billion acquisition of Splunk.</li>
<li>Security growth is likely to accelerate, driven by firewall stabilization and the latest product launches.</li>
<li>Cisco Systems has recorded market share gains in the Ethernet-based AI buildouts of hyperscalers.</li>
<li>&ldquo;While the next two quarters may remain pressured, we believe this weakness is fully reflected in Street expectations and management guidance is adequately conservative,&rdquo; he added.</li>
</ul>
CSCO Price Action: Shares of Cisco Systems had risen by 0.45% to $48.71 at the time of publication on Monday.
Image: Shutterstock

3 Catalysts To Drive Growth At Cisco: $28B Splunk Deal Offers 'Great Synergies,' Analyst Says

Top Wall Street analysts changed their outlook on these top names. For a complete view of all analyst rating changes, including upgrades and downgrades, please see our <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/">analyst ratings page</a>.
<ul>
<li>Wells Fargo boosted the price target for Centene Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cnc#NYSE">CNC</a>) from $89 to $93. Wells Fargo analyst Stephen Baxter maintained an Overweight rating. Centene shares fell 1.3% to close at $70.73 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/CNC/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock.</a></li>
<li>Oppenheimer slashed the price target for Veru Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/veru#NASDAQ">VERU</a>) from $7 to $5. Oppenheimer analyst Leland Gershell reiterated an Outperform rating. Veru shares dipped 15.1% to close at $1.52 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/VERU/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock.</a></li>
<li>Oppenheimer cut JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/jpm#NYSE">JPM</a>) price target from $219 to $217. Oppenheimer analyst Chris Kotowski maintained an Outperform rating. JPMorgan shares fell 6.5% to close at $182.79 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/JPM/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock.</a></li>
<li>Chardan Capital cut the price target for Notable Labs, Ltd. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ntbl#NASDAQ">NTBL</a>) from $9 to $7. Chardan Capital analyst Keay Nakae maintained a Buy rating. Notable Labs shares fell 4.1% to close at $1.16 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/NTBL/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock.</a></li>
<li>Rosenblatt lowered Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/chtr#NASDAQ">CHTR</a>) price target from $334 to $297. Rosenblatt analyst Barton Crockett maintained a Neutral rating. Charter Communications shares fell 2.3% to close at $260.50 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/CHTR/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock.</a></li>
<li>Wedbush raised PVH Corp. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/pvh#NYSE">PVH</a>) price target from $113 to $128. Wedbush analyst Tom Nikic upgraded the stock from Neutral to Outperform. PVH shares fell 2.6% to close at $105.59 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/PVH/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>B of A Securities raised the price target for Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/csco#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) from $55 to $60. B of A Securities analyst Tal Liani upgraded the stock from Neutral to Buy. Cisco shares fell 2.1% to close at $48.49 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/CSCO/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock.</a></li>
<li>Stifel raised Masimo Corporation (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/masi#NASDAQ">MASI</a>) price target from $148 to $170. Stifel analyst Rick Wise upgraded the stock from Hold to Buy. Masimo shares fell 3.4% to close at $137.92 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/MASI/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>Keybanc boosted Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cdns#NASDAQ">CDNS</a>) price target from $335 to $340. Keybanc analyst Jason Celino maintained an Overweight rating. Cadence Design shares fell 1.4% to close at $305.85 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/CDNS/analyst-ratingsD">See how other analysts view this stock.</a></li>
<li>JP Morgan raised Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/lmt#NYSE">LMT</a>) price target from $475 to $518. JP Morgan analyst Seth Seifman upgraded the stock from Neutral to Overweight. Lockheed Martin shares fell 0.4% to close at $450.40 on Friday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/LMT/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Check This Out: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/24/04/38244618/top-3-tech-stocks-that-may-explode-this-month"> Top 3 Tech Stocks That May Explode This Month </a>

Penny Stocks

CDNS

CHTR

MASI

NTBL

VERU

Cisco To Rally Around 24%? Here Are 10 Top Analyst Forecasts For Monday

Cisco Systems shares are trading higher after B of A Securities upgraded the stock from Neutral to Buy.

B of A Securities analyst Tal Liani upgrades Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) from Neutral to Buy and raises the price target from $55 to $60.

B of A Securities Upgrades Cisco Systems to Buy, Raises Price Target to $60

Arista Networks Inc (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/anet#NYSE">ANET</a>) shares tanked in premarket trading on Friday, amid concerns around <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/04/38211388/nvidia-stock-trading-at-13-discount-to-long-term-average-other-ai-stocks-at-52-prem">AI stocks trading at a premium</a>.
Although ethernet could prevail in the AI era, the company is unlikely to be a big winner of this trend, according to Rosenblatt Securities.
The Arista Networks Analyst: Mike Genovese downgraded the rating for Arista Networks from Buy to Sell while slashing the price target from $330 to $210.
The Arista Networks Thesis: The stock is trading at a significant premium, as investors see the company as a &ldquo;large AI beneficiary,&rdquo; Genovese said in the downgrade note.
Check out <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings">other analyst stock ratings</a>.
&ldquo;Investors have been debating Infiniband vs. Ethernet and assume ANET will thrive if Ethernet does,&rdquo; the analyst wrote. &ldquo;We believe Ethernet is a winning technology, but think most of the spoils will go to Nvidia Corp&nbsp;(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nvda#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>),&rdquo; he added.
&ldquo;While ANET will continue to compete with Cisco Systems Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/csco#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) in Enterprise, the primary Data Center competitor is now Nvidia, which has significant advantages over Arista,&rdquo; Genovese further wrote.
ANET Price Action: Shares of Arista Networks had declined by 6.48% to $277.35&nbsp;at the time of publication on Friday.
Read Next:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/04/38220237/nvidia-caitlin-clark-of-stock-market-says-analyst-ai-leaders-stock-performance-eps-">Nvidia, &#39;Caitlin Clark&#39; Of Stock Market, Says Analyst: AI Leader&#39;s Stock Performance, EPS Growth Leaves S&amp;P 500 Peers Biting Dust</a>

Short Ideas

Downgrades

ANET

NVDA

Arista Networks Gets A Double Downgrade: Buy This AI Stock Instead, Says Analyst

Analysts' ratings for Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) over the last quarter vary from bullish to bearish, as provided by 7 analysts.
The table below provides a concise overview of recent ratings by analysts, offering insights into the changing sentiments over the past 30 days and drawing comparisons with the preceding months for a holistic perspective.
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th></th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Bullish</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Somewhat Bullish</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Indifferent</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Somewhat Bearish</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Bearish</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Total Ratings</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">6</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Last 30D</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1M Ago</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">2</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2M Ago</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">3</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3M Ago</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Insights from analysts' 12-month price targets are revealed, presenting an average target of $52.57, a high estimate of $58.00, and a low estimate of $48.00. Witnessing a positive shift, the current average has risen by 6.2% from the previous average price target of $49.50.
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1712923221_0.png" alt="price target chart" />
<h2>Understanding Analyst Ratings: A Comprehensive Breakdown</h2>
The standing of Cisco Systems among financial experts is revealed through an in-depth exploration of recent analyst actions. The summary below outlines key analysts, their recent evaluations, and adjustments to ratings and price targets.
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Analyst</th>
<th>Analyst Firm</th>
<th>Action Taken</th>
<th>Rating</th>
<th>Current Price Target</th>
<th>Prior Price Target</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Atif Malik</td>
<td>Citigroup</td>
<td>Announces</td>
<td>Neutral</td>
<td>$52.00</td>
<td>-</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Meta Marshall</td>
<td>Morgan Stanley</td>
<td>Announces</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$58.00</td>
<td>-</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Matthew Niknam</td>
<td>Deutsche Bank</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$52.00</td>
<td>$51.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>James Fish</td>
<td>Piper Sandler</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Neutral</td>
<td>$51.00</td>
<td>$47.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tim Long</td>
<td>Barclays</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Equal-Weight</td>
<td>$48.00</td>
<td>$46.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Aaron Rakers</td>
<td>Wells Fargo</td>
<td>Announces</td>
<td>Equal-Weight</td>
<td>$52.00</td>
<td>-</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>David Vogt</td>
<td>UBS</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Neutral</td>
<td>$55.00</td>
<td>$54.00</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3>Key Insights:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Action Taken: Responding to changing market dynamics and company performance, analysts update their recommendations. Whether they 'Maintain', 'Raise', or 'Lower' their stance, it signifies their response to recent developments related to Cisco Systems. This offers insight into analysts' perspectives on the current state of the company.</li>
<li>Rating: Offering insights into predictions, analysts assign qualitative values, from 'Outperform' to 'Underperform'. These ratings convey expectations for the relative performance of Cisco Systems compared to the broader market.</li>
<li>Price Targets: Understanding forecasts, analysts offer estimates for Cisco Systems's future value. Examining the current and prior targets provides insight into analysts' changing expectations.</li>
</ul>
Considering these analyst evaluations in conjunction with other financial indicators can offer a comprehensive understanding of Cisco Systems's market position. Stay informed and make well-informed decisions with our Ratings Table.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/CSCO/analyst-ratings?utm_source=Benzinga Insights">Stay up to date on Cisco Systems analyst ratings.</a>
<h2>Discovering Cisco Systems: A Closer Look</h2>
Cisco Systems is the largest provider of networking equipment in the world and one of the largest software companies in the world. Its largest businesses are selling networking hardware and software (where it has leading market shares) and cybersecurity software like firewalls. It also has collaboration products, like its Webex suite, and observability tools. It primarily outsources its manufacturing to third parties and has a large sales and marketing staff—25,000 strong across 90 countries. Overall, Cisco employees 80,000 employees and sells its products globally.
<h3>Financial Milestones: Cisco Systems's Journey</h3>
Market Capitalization: Surpassing industry standards, the company's market capitalization asserts its dominance in terms of size, suggesting a robust market position.
Revenue Challenges: Cisco Systems's revenue growth over 3 months faced difficulties. As of 31 January, 2024, the company experienced a decline of approximately -5.89%. This indicates a decrease in top-line earnings. As compared to its peers, the company achieved a growth rate higher than the average among peers in Information Technology sector.
Net Margin: Cisco Systems's net margin surpasses industry standards, highlighting the company's exceptional financial performance. With an impressive 20.59% net margin, the company effectively manages costs and achieves strong profitability.
Return on Equity (ROE): Cisco Systems's financial strength is reflected in its exceptional ROE, which exceeds industry averages. With a remarkable ROE of 5.76%, the company showcases efficient use of equity capital and strong financial health.
Return on Assets (ROA): Cisco Systems's financial strength is reflected in its exceptional ROA, which exceeds industry averages. With a remarkable ROA of 2.63%, the company showcases efficient use of assets and strong financial health.
Debt Management: Cisco Systems's debt-to-equity ratio is below the industry average at 0.25, reflecting a lower dependency on debt financing and a more conservative financial approach.
<h2>What Are Analyst Ratings?</h2>
Analysts are specialists within banking and financial systems that typically report for specific stocks or within defined sectors. These people research company financial statements, sit in conference calls and meetings, and speak with relevant insiders to determine what are known as analyst ratings for stocks. Typically, analysts will rate each stock once a quarter. 
Some analysts publish their predictions for metrics such as growth estimates, earnings, and revenue to provide additional guidance with their ratings. When using analyst ratings, it is important to keep in mind that stock and sector analysts are also human and are only offering their opinions to investors.
If you want to keep track of which analysts are outperforming others, you can view updated analyst ratings along withanalyst success scores in <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a>.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

A Glimpse Into The Expert Outlook On Cisco Systems Through 7 Analysts

Citigroup analyst Atif Malik reinstates Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) with a Neutral and announces $52 price target.

Citigroup Reinstates Neutral on Cisco Systems, Announces $52 Price Target

Innovation doesn&#39;t understand corporate hierarchy and titles. I saw this first-hand when I led the Global Innovation Programs at Cisco&nbsp;(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/csco#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) and later advised leading Fortune 500 organizations on their AI strategy and AI roadmap. The boldest and most creative ideas always came from a select few employees who saw a problem and had the creativity and business-savviness to come up with a solution. They also had the drive, resilience and perseverance to get others on board to implement it.
These people weren&#39;t necessarily executives or board members. In fact, most are &quot;regular&quot; employees who are invested in their jobs and keen on making things work better &mdash; for all of us. These intrapreneurs possess a perfect blend of problem-solving and creative thinking skills with a sprinkle of entrepreneurial mindset &mdash; a goldmine for any organization in today&#39;s rapidly changing business and technological climate.
Today, intrapreneurs have an unprecedented opportunity to scale the impact of their ideas and supercharge their careers with the use of generative AI. Here&#39;s how.
<h2>Making the most of generative AI as an intrapreneur</h2>
In the right hands, generative AI is poised to transform business as we know it. McKinsey estimates that the technology can pour $2.6 - $4.4 trillion into the global economy each year. For this to happen, though, businesses need to change. And they need to change in major ways.
Research shows that at least 40% of employees would need to reskill as a result of generative AI transforming the way we work. In fact, 73% of organizations expect that some form of reskilling will be necessary for all employees.
This creates a perfect opportunity for intrapreneurs to scale their efforts and become an indispensable part of the digital transformation process within their organizations. First, however, they need to understand what they&#39;re working with.
<h2>Stay current</h2>
Don&#39;t fall prey to the illusory truth effect. Just because you&#39;re exposed to generative AI daily doesn&#39;t automatically mean you know how to use it. In fact, most of us are still learning how to make the best use of this technology.
That&#39;s because gen AI is evolving at an accelerated rate. For example, while it took decades to develop the early natural language processing programs of the &#39;60s, today we see the AI technology make leaps and bounds in progress within a span of a few weeks. We now have not only AI-generated images, text and code, but a few days ago, we also saw the first AI-generated short film.
This was unfathomable only a few years ago. The existing capabilities of large language models (LLM) are both unparalleled and increasingly growing. Intrapreneurs who are natural problem-solvers simply cannot afford to stay uninformed in this area. You must stay current, and that takes consistent exposure to the technology and experimenting with its capabilities.
<h2>Embrace ethical responsibility</h2>
The unprecedented opportunities of generative AI also present unprecedented challenges. Compliance and data security are paramount in this context. Before adopting any AI solutions, familiarize yourself with the internal AI governance framework of your organization. What are the limitations and best practices that the business has embraced?
Looking beyond your employer, there are also nationwide and statewide AI policies that businesses need to observe in order to prevent and limit any possible biases or misuse. For example, the AI Act by the European Commission is the first-ever legal framework that limits and moderates the use of AI in various contexts. A few years ago, the state of Illinois also passed the Video Interview Act, which requires employers who use AI in assessing candidate video interviews to be transparent with them. There are, of course, many other regulations that have been enacted or are underway that will impact how AI can and should be used.
Keeping abreast of your own policies, as well as regulatory changes and learning about the possible risks with every new iteration of the technology, will help you innovate in an ethical and responsible manner.
<h2>Look for quick wins, responsibly</h2>
Generative AI has been amazing for introducing quick wins. The threshold for entry is so low that there has been almost unanimous adoption across job roles to perform one task or another. If you haven&#39;t already, look at areas of the business where these tools can shave off time from you and your colleagues within the limits of your corporate AI strategy.
In line with the previous point on ethical use, start small. For example, if it takes you 30 minutes to comb through calls and emails to prepare for your next call, AI can do this for you in minutes. Create workflows that can replicate these gains across the team. Track everything. Once you have sufficient data, you can use your proof of concept for a company-wide implementation.
<h2>Build a coalition of the willing</h2>
The biggest gains from AI come in an interdisciplinary setting. One of the major appeals of generative AI is that it practically has no barrier to entry. Its use of human language means that tech and non-tech teams have a unique chance to collaborate and innovate together in ways they haven&#39;t been able to before.
Put this to good use by building best practice exchanges at work and within the wider AI community. Nurture cross-functional collaboration where employees have open access to others to ask questions, share know-how and experiment with new solutions.
<h2>Begin with a clear goal in mind</h2>
Regardless of the gains AI brings to the table, it would be hard to get anyone on board unless you have tangible data to demonstrate its value. In this context, it&#39;s not only about whether generative AI can solve a certain business problem (it most likely can). The question here is whether you know how to implement the technology in a way that&#39;s both ethical, responsible and undisruptive to other business processes.
Before you tackle any challenge, measure the time and effort it takes you and your team to perform a task without the use of AI. Then, measure how AI impacts that part of your job. Do the gains justify its use? Also, consider the possible risks and pushback you may encounter from other stakeholders. Address these challenges well in advance so that you can implement these solutions without too many hiccups.
Intrapreneurs who embrace AI will become the architects of the future. Blending their flair for creative problem-solving with the limitless capabilities of generative AI will be the silver bullet that helps companies survive and thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape. This creates a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for intrapreneurs to not only stand out but rise through the ranks at speed. Start small, work responsibly, and never stop learning. The rest will follow.
The article &quot;<a href="https://www.marketbeat.com/articles/how-corporate-intrapreneurs-can-harness-the-power-of-ai-to-transform-their-businesses-and-supercharge-their-careers-2024-04-09/">How Corporate &#39;Intrapreneurs&#39; Can Harness the Power of AI to Transform Their Businesses and Supercharge Their Careers</a>&quot; first appeared on MarketBeat.

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How Corporate 'Intrapreneurs' Can Harness the Power of AI to Transform Their Businesses and Supercharge Their Careers

Cisco Systems's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NYSE">CSCO</a>) short percent of float has risen 4.81% since its last report. The company recently reported that it has 44.28 million shares sold short, which is 1.09% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 1.97 days to cover their short positions on average.
<h3>Why Short Interest Matters</h3>
Short interest is the number of shares that have been sold short but have not yet been covered or closed out. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-short-a-stock/">Short selling</a> is when a trader sells shares of a company they do not own, with the hope that the price will fall. Traders make money from short selling if the price of the stock falls and they lose if it rises.
Short interest is important to track because it can act as an indicator of market sentiment towards a particular stock. An increase in short interest can signal that investors have become more bearish, while a decrease in short interest can signal they have become more bullish.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/short-interest">List of the most shorted stocks</a>
<h3>Cisco Systems Short Interest Graph (3 Months)</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1712849421_0.png" alt="short_fig" />
As you can see from the chart above the percentage of shares that are sold short for Cisco Systems has grown since its last report. This does not mean that the stock is going to fall in the near-term but traders should be aware that more shares are being shorted.
<h3>Comparing Cisco Systems's Short Interest Against Its Peers</h3>
Peer comparison is a popular technique amongst analysts and investors for gauging how well a company is performing. A company's peer is another company that has similar characteristics to it, such as industry, size, age, and financial structure. You can find a company's peer group by reading its 10-K, proxy filing, or by doing your own similarity analysis.
According to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/">Benzinga Pro</a>, Cisco Systems's peer group average for short interest as a percentage of float is 8.77%, which means the company has less short interest than most of its peers.
Did you know that increasing short interest can actually be bullish for a stock? <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-make-money-on-a-short-squeeze/">This post by Benzinga Money explains how you can profit from it.</a>
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and was reviewed by an editor.

Short Sellers

How Is The Market Feeling About Cisco Systems?

This whale alert can help traders discover the next big trading opportunities.
Whales are entities with large sums of money and we track their transactions here at Benzinga on our options activity scanner.
Traders will search for circumstances when the market estimation of an option diverges heavily from its normal worth. High amounts of trading activity could push option prices to exaggerated or underestimated levels. 
Below are some instances of options activity happening in the Information Technology sector: 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>AMD</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>04/12/24</td>
<td>$170.00</td>
<td>$42.6K</td>
<td>7.1K</td>
<td>41.8K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NVDA</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>04/12/24</td>
<td>$850.00</td>
<td>$25.8K</td>
<td>10.7K</td>
<td>34.6K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AAPL</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>04/19/24</td>
<td>$165.00</td>
<td>$78.8K</td>
<td>32.5K</td>
<td>10.9K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MU</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>04/12/24</td>
<td>$120.00</td>
<td>$119.7K</td>
<td>2.6K</td>
<td>4.9K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SMCI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>04/12/24</td>
<td>$900.00</td>
<td>$60.0K</td>
<td>603</td>
<td>2.2K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MSFT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>04/26/24</td>
<td>$425.00</td>
<td>$391.6K</td>
<td>2.6K</td>
<td>1.6K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ZS</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$135.00</td>
<td>$203.6K</td>
<td>22</td>
<td>1.2K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/21/24</td>
<td>$47.50</td>
<td>$45.6K</td>
<td>7.8K</td>
<td>1.1K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TEAM</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/17/24</td>
<td>$180.00</td>
<td>$29.1K</td>
<td>2.5K</td>
<td>1.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>INTC</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/03/24</td>
<td>$38.00</td>
<td>$45.3K</td>
<td>415</td>
<td>632</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These bullet-by-bullet explanations have been constructed using the accompanying table. 
• For AMD (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be neutral, expiring in 2 day(s) on April 12, 2024. This event was a transfer of 435 contract(s) at a $170.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $42.6K, with a price of $98.0 per contract. There were 7102 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 41802 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding NVDA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 2 day(s) on April 12, 2024. Parties traded 48 contract(s) at a $850.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 7 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $25.8K, with a price of $545.0 per contract. There were 10799 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 34657 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding AAPL (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 9 day(s) on April 19, 2024. Parties traded 813 contract(s) at a $165.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 19 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $78.8K, with a price of $97.0 per contract. There were 32577 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 10933 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For MU (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MU#NASDAQ">MU</a>), we notice a put option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 2 day(s) on April 12, 2024. This event was a transfer of 905 contract(s) at a $120.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 29 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $119.7K, with a price of $133.0 per contract. There were 2667 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 4937 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For SMCI (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMCI#NASDAQ">SMCI</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 2 day(s) on April 12, 2024. This event was a transfer of 25 contract(s) at a $900.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 6 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $60.0K, with a price of $2400.0 per contract. There were 603 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2240 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding MSFT (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), we observe a call option trade with bearish sentiment. It expires in 16 day(s) on April 26, 2024. Parties traded 512 contract(s) at a $425.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $391.6K, with a price of $765.0 per contract. There were 2696 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1641 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For ZS (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ZS#NASDAQ">ZS</a>), we notice a put option trade that happens to be bearish, expiring in 436 day(s) on June 20, 2025. This event was a transfer of 161 contract(s) at a $135.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $203.6K, with a price of $1265.0 per contract. There were 22 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1219 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For CSCO (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 72 day(s) on June 21, 2024. This event was a transfer of 145 contract(s) at a $47.50 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $45.6K, with a price of $315.0 per contract. There were 7880 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1120 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding TEAM (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TEAM#NASDAQ">TEAM</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 37 day(s) on May 17, 2024. Parties traded 53 contract(s) at a $180.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 4 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $29.1K, with a price of $550.0 per contract. There were 2556 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1090 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding INTC (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>), we observe a call option trade with bullish sentiment. It expires in 23 day(s) on May 3, 2024. Parties traded 300 contract(s) at a $38.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $45.3K, with a price of $151.0 per contract. There were 415 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 632 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
Options Alert Terminology 
 - Call Contracts: The right to buy shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Put Contracts: The right to sell shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Expiration Date: When the contract expires. One must act on the contract by this date if one wants to use it. 
 - Premium/Option Price: The price of the contract. 
For more information, visit our <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/how-to-understand-option-alerts/">Guide to Understanding Options Alerts</a> or read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options">more about unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

AAPL

INTC

MSFT

SMCI

TEAM

10 Information Technology Stocks With Whale Alerts In Today's Session

Stocks edged lower during midday trading on Tuesday as traders maintained a cautious stance in anticipation of the highly awaited Consumer Price Index (CPI) report scheduled for Wednesday, which could offer crucial insights into the potential course of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/federal-reserve">actions by the Fed.</a>
The consensus expectation among Wall Street analysts is that the annual CPI rate to edge slightly higher from 3.2% to 3.4% in March, mainly due to rising gasoline prices. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy items, is anticipated to inch lower, from 3.8% to 3.7%. 
The S&amp;P 500 index declined by 0.2%, dragged down by financials, industrials, and energy stocks, while the tech sector remained flat. The Dow lost 0.4%, while small caps managed to inch 0.1% higher.
Treasury yields moved slightly lower amid rising demand for bonds, with the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TLT#NASDAQ">TLT</a>) rising by 0.8%.
Gold prices inched 0.2% higher to $2,343, after breaking fresh record highs earlier in the session.
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) witnessed heightened volatility, with the largest cryptocurrency declining by 4.6%.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Tuesday&#8217;s Performance In Major US Indices, ETFs</h3>
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Major Indices &amp; ETFs</td>
<td>Price</td>
<td>1-day %chg</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>2,071.82</td>
<td>0.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq 100</td>
<td>18,089.43</td>
<td>-0.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>5,191.62</td>
<td>-0.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>38,770.96</td>
<td>-0.4%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) was down 0.2% to $517.42, the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIA#NYSE">DIA</a>) was 0.3% lower at $387.75 and the tech-heavy Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) edged 0.1% lower to $440.24, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro data</a>. 
Sector-wise, the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLRE#NYSE">XLRE</a>) outperformed, up 0.7%, while the Financials Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLF#NYSE">XLF</a>) was the laggard, down 0.8%. 
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Tuesday&#8217;s Stock Movers</h3>
<ul>
<li>Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) fell by 3%, putting it on track for its lowest close since early March and the third consecutive week of declines – the worst streak since September. ARK CEO Cathie Wood announced that she has sold nearly $4 million worth of Nvidia shares.</li>
<li>Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) rallied 4% after Morgan Stanley raised the company&#8217;s price target to $58. </li>
<li>Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRNA#NASDAQ">MRNA</a>) surged over 5% following promising results from an early study of the company&#8217;s cancer vaccine mRNA-4157. </li>
<li>MP Materials Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MP#NYSE">MP</a>) rallied nearly 8%, on the heels of a $58.5 million tax-credit award aimed at advancing the construction of its rare earth magnet manufacturing facility.</li>
<li>Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FCX#NYSE">FCX</a>) climbed 2.2% after Bank of America upgraded its outlook from Neutral to Buy. Similarly, peer company Hudbay Minerals Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HBM#NYSE">HBM</a>) surged 8% following its upgrade from Neutral to Buy.</li>
</ul>
Read now: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/04/38164785/bank-of-america-sees-gold-at-3-000-warns-of-a-copper-supply-crisis-metals-dance-to-">Bank Of America Sees Gold At $3,000, Warns Of A Copper Supply Crisis: Metals &#8216;Dance To Their Own Tune&#8217;</a>
Photo: Shutterstock

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Stocks Fall Ahead Of Key Inflation Data, Gold Defends Record Highs; Bitcoin Stumbles Below $70,000: What's Driving Markets Tuesday?

This whale alert can help traders discover the next big trading opportunities.
Whales are entities with large sums of money and we track their transactions here at Benzinga on our options activity scanner.
Traders will search for circumstances when the market estimation of an option diverges heavily from its normal worth. High amounts of trading activity could push option prices to exaggerated or underestimated levels. 
Here's the list of options activity happening in today's session: 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>NVDA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>04/12/24</td>
<td>$850.00</td>
<td>$48.8K</td>
<td>2.7K</td>
<td>32.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>INTC</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>04/12/24</td>
<td>$38.00</td>
<td>$31.5K</td>
<td>2.2K</td>
<td>19.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMD</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>04/19/24</td>
<td>$170.00</td>
<td>$42.7K</td>
<td>16.2K</td>
<td>8.8K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>RIOT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$8.00</td>
<td>$36.5K</td>
<td>3.1K</td>
<td>713</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/17/25</td>
<td>$47.50</td>
<td>$34.6K</td>
<td>7.1K</td>
<td>696</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>HCP</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>04/19/24</td>
<td>$26.00</td>
<td>$70.6K</td>
<td>1.3K</td>
<td>618</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>HUBS</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>12/19/25</td>
<td>$1000.00</td>
<td>$58.5K</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>577</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MSFT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>04/26/24</td>
<td>$425.00</td>
<td>$27.1K</td>
<td>2.5K</td>
<td>524</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SNOW</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>04/19/24</td>
<td>$152.50</td>
<td>$36.9K</td>
<td>471</td>
<td>445</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AAPL</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$165.00</td>
<td>$248.5K</td>
<td>8.0K</td>
<td>432</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These itemized elaborations have been created using the accompanying table. 
• Regarding NVDA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), we observe a call option trade with bullish sentiment. It expires in 3 day(s) on April 12, 2024. Parties traded 40 contract(s) at a $850.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $48.8K, with a price of $1220.0 per contract. There were 2799 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 32076 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding INTC (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 3 day(s) on April 12, 2024. Parties traded 500 contract(s) at a $38.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 18 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $31.5K, with a price of $63.0 per contract. There were 2204 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 19001 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding AMD (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 10 day(s) on April 19, 2024. Parties traded 77 contract(s) at a $170.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 14 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $42.7K, with a price of $555.0 per contract. There were 16282 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 8869 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding RIOT (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RIOT#NASDAQ">RIOT</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 164 day(s) on September 20, 2024. Parties traded 100 contract(s) at a $8.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 21 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $36.5K, with a price of $365.0 per contract. There were 3155 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 713 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding CSCO (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 283 day(s) on January 17, 2025. Parties traded 142 contract(s) at a $47.50 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 12 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $34.6K, with a price of $244.0 per contract. There were 7163 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 696 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For HCP (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HCP#NASDAQ">HCP</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be neutral, expiring in 10 day(s) on April 19, 2024. This event was a transfer of 614 contract(s) at a $26.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $70.6K, with a price of $115.0 per contract. There were 1349 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 618 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For HUBS (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HUBS#NYSE">HUBS</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bearish, expiring in 619 day(s) on December 19, 2025. This event was a transfer of 24 contract(s) at a $1000.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $58.5K, with a price of $2440.0 per contract. There were 0 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 577 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding MSFT (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), we observe a call option sweep with neutral sentiment. It expires in 17 day(s) on April 26, 2024. Parties traded 27 contract(s) at a $425.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 3 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $27.1K, with a price of $1005.0 per contract. There were 2512 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 524 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For SNOW (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SNOW#NYSE">SNOW</a>), we notice a put option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 10 day(s) on April 19, 2024. This event was a transfer of 150 contract(s) at a $152.50 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 3 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $36.9K, with a price of $246.0 per contract. There were 471 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 445 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding AAPL (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 346 day(s) on March 21, 2025. Parties traded 228 contract(s) at a $165.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 22 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $248.5K, with a price of $1090.0 per contract. There were 8027 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 432 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
Options Alert Terminology 
 - Call Contracts: The right to buy shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Put Contracts: The right to sell shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Expiration Date: When the contract expires. One must act on the contract by this date if one wants to use it. 
 - Premium/Option Price: The price of the contract. 
For more information, visit our <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/how-to-understand-option-alerts/">Guide to Understanding Options Alerts</a> or read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options">more news on unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

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<a href="https://investorplace.com">InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice &amp; Trading Tips</a>
Among Wall Street stocks, some of the best opportunities can be found in reliable companies trading at a discount. 



With such <a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-types/undervalued-stocks/">undervalued stocks</a>, investors get a strong foundation for their portfolio along with potential for positive returns. While the allure of high-flying startups is undeniable, there&rsquo;s a certain comfort in established companies with a proven history of success. These household names offer a sense of stability and often provide reliable dividends alongside the possibility for long-term growth.



However, even established companies aren&rsquo;t immune to market downturns and changing landscapes. While the S&amp;P 500 index has climbed over 6% year-to-date (YTD), some well-known companies have lagged behind, despite possessing the fundamentals for future success. Let&rsquo;s explore three such undervalued stocks, highlighting their enticing buys in the second quarter.



<h2>Cisco Systems (CSCO)</h2>



<div><img width="300" height="169" src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/cisco-csco-1600-300x169.jpg" alt="the cisco (CSCO) logo on a wall"><div>Source: Valeriya Zankovych / Shutterstock.com</div></div>Leading our selection of undervalued icons is Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/csco-stock-quote/">CSCO</a>), renowned for its networking hardware, software and telecommunications equipment. It also provides a robust portfolio of <a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/csco-stock-quote/">high-technology services</a>.



The networking giant reported downbeat <a href="https://s2.q4cdn.com/951347115/files/doc_earnings/2024/q2/earnings-result/Q2FY24-Press-Release.pdf">second quarter of fiscal year 2024</a> results in February. Total revenue declined 6% year-over-year (YOY) to $12.8 billion, while non-GAAP earnings per share (EPS) fell 1% YOY to 87 cents. These results were attributed in part to a 12% YOY decline in product orders, due to macroeconomic concerns and customer inventory adjustments.



Yet, management has been busy with increasing Cisco&rsquo;s offerings. The company recently launched <a href="https://investor.cisco.com/news/news-details/2024/Cisco-Reimagines-Security-for-Data-Centers-and-Clouds-in-Era-of-AI/default.aspx">Cisco Hypershield</a>, a new approach to securing data centers and clouds. This platform addresses the increasing demands that the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution has put on IT infrastructure. Moreover, Cisco also completed two strategic acquisitions: <a href="https://investor.cisco.com/news/news-details/2024/Cisco-Completes-Acquisition-of-Splunk/default.aspx">Splunk</a> in March and <a href="https://investor.cisco.com/news/news-details/2024/Cisco-Completes-Acquisition-of-Isovalent-to-Define-the-Future-of-Multicloud-Networking-and-Security/default.aspx">Isovalent</a> in April. Splunk will bring market-leading security and observability solutions, while Isovalent will add innovative technologies in cloud-native networking and security.



So far in 2024, CSCO stock has declined more than 4%. However, the company remains committed to shareholder value through its healthy dividend yield of 3.31%. Furthermore, with a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 12.8x and a price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 3.5x, CSCO appears relatively undervalued among tech peers. Analysts have a <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/markets/stocks/csco">12-month price target</a> of $53 for CSCO, suggesting potential upside of 10% from current levels.



<h2>Gilead Sciences (GILD)</h2>



<div><img width="300" height="169" src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/gild-stock-4-300x169.jpg" alt="A Gilead Sciences (GILD) sign at the company headquarters in Silicon Valley, California."><div>Source: Sundry Photography / Shutterstock.com</div></div>We continue our discussion of undervalued companies with Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/gild-stock-quote/">GILD</a>). The primary therapeutic areas for the biopharma company include HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, respiratory diseases, cancer and inflammatory conditions.



Gilead reported mixed financial results for the <a href="https://www.gilead.com/news-and-press/press-room/press-releases/2024/2/gilead-sciences-announces-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2023-financial-results">fourth quarter of 2023</a>. Total revenue declined 4% YOY to $7.1 billion, primarily driven by lower sales of Veklury (&ldquo;Remdesivir&rdquo;) and HIV medications. Diluted EPS also decreased 12% to $1.14 compared to the prior-year quarter, reflecting higher operating expenses. However, non-GAAP EPS, which excludes certain one-time items, increased 3% to $1.72 YOY due to lower overall costs.



Meanwhile, management finalized its <a href="https://www.gilead.com/news-and-press/press-room/press-releases/2024/3/gilead-sciences-announces-completion-of-acquisition-of-cymabay">acquisition of CymaBay Therapeutics</a> for $4.3 billion in March, bolstering its leadership in developing treatments for liver diseases. This strategic move adds CymaBay&rsquo;s promising seladelpar drug candidate for primary biliary cholangitis and pruritus to Gilead&rsquo;s liver disease portfolio.



Despite a 18% YTD decline in price, GILD stock remains attractively valued at 9.5x forward earnings and 3.1x sales. Gilead Sciences has a history of providing consistent dividends, which currently offers a 4.61% yield. Wall Street also remains bullish, with a <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/markets/stocks/gild">median 12-month price target</a> of $82, implying a potential 23% upside.



<h2>ON Semiconductor (ON)</h2>



<div><img width="300" height="169" src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/semiconductor1600d-300x169.jpg" alt="a machine manufactures semiconductor chips in a factory setting. AI Semiconductor Stocks"><div>Source: Shutterstock</div></div>The final pick among undervalued stocks is ON Semiconductor (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/on-stock-quote/">ON</a>). The company designs and manufactures innovative semiconductor solutions that contribute to energy efficiency and signal processing across various applications.&nbsp;



Management of the semiconductor company reported mixed financial results for the <a href="https://investor.onsemi.com/static-files/66fd350f-9e95-44bd-a1de-0b7ef23c5373">fourth quarter and full year 2023</a> in February. Revenue declined 4% YOY to $2.02 billion, while diluted EPS decreased 5% to $1.25, due to lower gross and operating margins. However, full year 2023&nbsp; automotive revenue surged 29% YOY to a record $4.3 billion.



ON Semiconductor recently announced the <a href="https://investor.onsemi.com/news-releases/news-release-details/onsemi-aligns-business-groups-expand-product-portfolio-and">formation of the Analog and Mixed-Signal Group</a> (AMG). This move aims to unlock an additional $19.3 billion total addressable market and accelerate growth in the automotive, industrial and cloud end-markets. AMG will combine its expertise in power management and sensor interface technologies, to deliver advanced functionalities.



Yet, ON shares have tumbled more than 25% YTD. As a result, the stock remains attractively valued among industry peers with a forward P/E ratio of 14.5x and a P/S ratio of 3.3x. According to Wall Street analysts, the ON stock presents a 47% upside potential, based on <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/markets/stocks/on">average analysts&rsquo; price target</a> of $89.



On the date of publication, Tezcan Gecgil did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.&nbsp;The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com&nbsp;<a href="https://investorplace.com/corporate/investorplace-publishing-guidelines/" target="_blank">Publishing Guidelines</a>
<div>Tezcan Gecgil, PhD, began contributing to InvestorPlace in 2018. She brings over 20 years of experience in the U.S. and U.K. and has also completed all 3 levels of the Chartered Market Technician (CMT) examination. Publicly, she has contributed to <a href="https://www.investing.com/">investing.com</a> and the U.K. website of <a href="https://www.fool.com/">The Motley Fool.</a></div><h3>More From InvestorPlace</h3>
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