Cisco continues to adapt and grow

Article Excerpt

CISCO SYSTEMS INC. $31 (Nasdaq symbol CSCO; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 5.0 billion; Market cap: $155.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.0; Dividend yield 3.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.cisco.com) is a leading maker of hardware and software that links and manages computer networks. Its main products include routers, switches and Internet conferencing systems. The company’s revenue rose 12.5%, from $43.2 billion in 2011 to $48.6 billion in 2013 (fiscal years end July 31). Revenue then declined to $47.1 billion in 2014, but improved to $49.2 billion in 2015. Overall earnings gained 25.7%, from $9.0 billion in 2011 to $11.4 billion in 2015. Cisco is an active buyer of its own shares. That’s why earnings per share rose at the faster rate of 36.4%, from $1.62 to $2.21. New markets have huge potential In response to stronger competition from lower-cost, generic routers and switches, Cisco is shifting its focus to faster-growing markets such as computer security systems and…