Updating Our High-Growth Payers: Cisco Systems

Article Excerpt

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. With the April 2024 payment, Cisco raised your quarterly dividend by 2.6%. Investors now receive $0.40 a share instead of $0.39. The new annual rate of $1.60 yields a solid 3.3%. Cisco has now completed its acquisition of Splunk Inc. (Nasdaq symbol SPLK) for $28 billion. That firm makes software that lets organizations analyze their data in real time. The purchase will enhance Cisco’s current cybersecurity software business. Their combined expertise in artificial intelligence will also help clients better anticipate and prevent cyberattacks. This purchase, the largest in Cisco’s 40-year history, is part of its strategy to cut its reliance on cyclical computer networking products by expanding its software offerings. That lets it offer its customers a better combination of products and…