These techs will rebound from cyclical dip

Article Excerpt

These two leading U.S. technology companies are seeing weaker demand for their products as the economy slows. However, their dividends still look secure. CISCO SYSTEMS INC. $48 is a buy. The company (Nasdaq symbol CSCO; High-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 4.1 billion; Market cap: $196.8 billion; Dividend yield: 3.3%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.cisco.com) makes hardware and software to link and manage computer networks. Cisco last raised your quarterly dividend with the April 2023 payment to $0.39 a share, up 2.6% from $0.38. The new annual rate of $1.56 yields a solid 3.3%. In the fiscal 2024 first quarter, ended October 28, 2023, revenue rose 7.6%, to $14.67 billion from $13.63 billion a year earlier. Earnings excluding unusual items, jumped 27.6%, to $4.53 billion from $3.55 billion. Cisco spent $1.3 billion on share buybacks, which is why earnings per share rose at a faster rate of 29.1%, to $1.11 from $0.86. The company’s customers are placing fewer orders for new equipment as they focus…