Cisco Systems 株価情報 (NASDAQ: CSCO)

最新ニュース Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) 株価情報

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 such as 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 employs 80,000 people and sells its products globally.

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８月３日（水）午前８時３０分（米国東部時間）に公表される消費者物価指数（CPI）速報に先駆け、主要指数先物は神経質な値動きを示している。債券利回りは消費者物価指数発表前に低下している。今回の報告が価格圧力の緩和が続いていることを確認した場合、米連邦準備制度理事会（FRB）は利上げを余儀なくされる可能性がある。経済学者やストラテジストは、FRB総裁のジェローム・パウエル氏が今月末に予定されている＜ジャクソンホール・シンポジウム＞で、利上げ見通しについてさらに明確な見解を示すと予想している。

ウォール・ストリート　主要先物指数が反応

Cisco Systems Inc

<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/17/ciscos-second-layoff-of-2024-affect-thousands-of-employees/">https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/17/ciscos-second-layoff-of-2024-affect-thousands-of-employees/</a>
U.S. tech giant Cisco has let go of thousands of employees following its second layoff of 2024.&nbsp;
The technology and networking company announced in August that it would reduce its headcount by 7%, or around 5,600 employees, following <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/12/tech-layoffs-2024-list/">an earlier layoff in February</a>, in which the company let go of about 4,000 employees.&nbsp;
As <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2024/08/20/cisco-employees-face-a-month-of-silence-ahead-of-second-layoff-in-2024/">TechCrunch previously reported</a>, Cisco employees said that the company refused to say who was affected by the layoffs until September 16. Cisco did not give a reason for the month-long delay in notifying affected staff. One employee told TechCrunch at the time that Cisco's workplace had become the "most toxic environment" they had worked in.
TechCrunch has learned that the layoffs also affect Talos Security, the company's threat intelligence and security research unit.&nbsp;
Cisco said <a href="https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/858877/000119312524200636/d878533d8k.htm">in its August statement</a> that its second layoff of the year would allow the company to "invest in key growth opportunities and drive more efficiencies." On the same day, Cisco <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25147260-cisco-q4-fy24-earnings-remarks#document/p6/a2587014">published its most recent full-year earnings report</a>, in which the company said 2024 was its "second strongest year on record," citing close to $54 billion in annual revenue.
Cisco chief executive Chuck Robbins made close to $32 million in total executive compensation during 2023, according to the company's filings.
When reached by email, Cisco spokesperson Lindsay Ciulla did not provide comment, or say if Cisco's executive leadership team planned to reduce their compensation packages following the layoffs.

Management

'Cisco's Second Layoff Of 2024 Affects Thousands Of Employees' - TechCrunch

<h4>Key Takeaways:</h4>
<ul>
<li>Early internet entrepreneur Edward Tian is leading a restructuring of two companies he founded as he effectively retakes control of AsiaInfo Technologies</li>
<li>Even after a downward adjustment, Tian is still paying a premium of more than 40% for the shares that will give him control of AsiaInfo Technologies</li>
</ul>
By Lee Shih Ta
Entrepreneur Tian Suning, better known in Western circles as Edward Tian, was dubbed &ldquo;Mr. Internet&rdquo; when he helped to co-found AsiaInfo&nbsp;in 1993. Now, more than three decades later, this early trailblazer in China&rsquo;s private telecoms software sector is trying to breathe new life into his mature corporate offspring through a restructuring of two publicly listed companies both bearing the original AsiaInfo name.
Under the restructuring, major shareholders of&nbsp;AsiaInfo Technologies&nbsp;(OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/asnff#OTC">ASNFF</a>), a telecoms software provider, are selling their equity to Tian. That deal is seeing Tian-controlled&nbsp;AsiaInfo Security&nbsp;&nbsp;purchase the roughly 20% of AsiaInfo Technologies&rsquo; shares held by an investment vehicle controlled by Citic Capital.&nbsp;
<h3>Big Premium</h3>
AsiaInfo Security has about 9.6% voting rights in AsiaInfo Technologies via holdings by Tian. Thus, completion of the share transfer will give AsiaInfo Security about 29% of AsiaInfo Technologies&rsquo; voting rights, effectively making the former a holding company for the latter. But recent pressure on AsiaInfo Technologies shares, including a 42% decline in the stock price this year alone, led the parties to sign a supplemental agreement with an adjusted purchase price.
According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2024/0906/2024090600678.pdf">an announcement</a>&nbsp;from AsiaInfo Technologies earlier this month, the two sides agreed to adjust the sale price down from an original HK$9.45 to HK$7.70 per share. They further lowered the price to HK$7.29 in light of AsiaInfo Technologies&rsquo; payment of a final dividend of HK$0.41 per share late last year. That brings the total value of the deal to between HK$1.3 billion ($167 million) and HK$1.4 billion.
Even after the big downward adjustment, the new purchase price still represents a premium of more than 40% to the stock&rsquo;s latest price of about HK$5 per share.
AsiaInfo Security mainly engages in the information security business, and its establishment traces its roots to AsiaInfo&rsquo;s desire to list its shares in China&rsquo;s A-share market.
AsiaInfo Holdings was previously listed on the Nasdaq until being taken private in 2013 by Citic Capital, CBC Capital and other institutional investors. At that time, Tian returned to the company as its chairman. A year later, the company split off its information security business as AsiaInfo Security, which was based in Nanjing. The rest of the company, AsiaInfo Technologies, listed in Hong Kong in 2018, while AsiaInfo Security listed four years later in Shanghai.
But AsiaInfo Security has consistently come under pressure since its IPO. In 2023, the company&rsquo;s revenue fell 6.6% year-on-year to 1.61 billion yuan, and it recorded a loss of 290 million yuan. Its gross margin also gradually slipped from 59.7% in 2019 to 47.8% last year.
AsiaInfo Security&rsquo;s size pales compared with AsiaInfo Technologies, whose revenue reached 7.94 billion yuan last year, or nearly four times that of its smaller sibling. AsiaInfo Technologies&rsquo; total assets at the end of last year stood at 11.48 billion yuan, more than triple the 3.4 billion yuan for AsiaInfo Security.
To facilitate its swallowing of its larger sibling, AsiaInfo Security will set up a new joint venture with a company under the Tianjin branch of China&rsquo;s State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the owner of most national state-run companies. The venture will then take out bank loans to set up an overseas company, which will acquire AsiaInfo Technologies. By that time, Citic Capital will have divested itself from AsiaInfo Technologies.&nbsp;
<h3>Coordinated Development And Cross-Selling</h3>
A pairing between these two sister companies could take some financial and operating pressure off AsiaInfo Security, giving it more resources from its larger sibling. AsiaInfo Technologies currently trades at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of about 8 times, slightly higher than&nbsp;ZTE&rsquo;s&nbsp;(0763.HK; 000063.SZ) 7 times, but far less than the 19 times for global networking equipment and software giant&nbsp;Cisco&nbsp;(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/csco#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>).
AsiaInfo Technologies is facing its own pressures as its traditional telecoms customers wind down their spending following a rapid build-up in China&rsquo;s early 5G era. That has led AsiaInfo Technologies to look for new business lines as replacements. According to its&nbsp;<a href="https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2024/0814/2024081401069.pdf">interim report</a>, the company recorded 1.2 billion yuan ($169 million) in revenue from its three new business operations, namely digital intelligence, vertical industries digitalization and operations support systems (OSS), in the first six months of the year. That figure was up 10% year-on-year, accounting for 40% of total revenue, even as AsiaInfo Technologies&rsquo; overall revenue fell 8.8% year-on-year during the six-month period.
Progress in its new businesses seems to have eased some investor concerns. On Aug. 15, the day after the official release of the interim report, the company&rsquo;s shares rose 12% to HK$5.22, marking a notable rebound after plummeting in mid-July when the company warned it would post a loss for the first half of the year.&nbsp;
New businesses the company is cultivating include development of information infrastructure in key areas such as energy, transportation and government affairs, fields where AsiaInfo Security has expertise and a robust customer base from years of working in the field. Thus, the pair of AsiaInfo companies could take advantage of each other&rsquo;s strengths to gain ground in multiple key information infrastructure sectors by sharing business opportunities and cross-selling each other&rsquo;s products.&nbsp;
Tian pointed out in an internal speech that &ldquo;the two companies are at a critical moment of their development&rdquo; and vowed to &ldquo;build a system that enables integration of the company&rsquo;s network, cloud and security&rdquo; capabilities.&rdquo; He said the company would use products and services supporting such an integrated system to &ldquo;promote infrastructure development for China&rsquo;s digital economy.&rdquo;
With such proclamations, Tian appears ready to launch a new era of AsiaInfo 2.0. In his 1.0 version, he was a &ldquo;Mr. Internet&rdquo; who was among the first of a new generation of entrepreneurs seeking to bring the internet to China. In his 2.0 version, he hopes to reshape his large business empire and steer it in a new direction away from its traditional telecoms carrier customers.&nbsp;
This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga's reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.

Asia

General

ASNFF

AsiaInfo Reboots With Founder's Return, Big Investor's Departure

Cisco Systems's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NYSE">CSCO</a>) short percent of float has risen 15.5% since its last report. The company recently reported that it has 60.19 million shares sold short, which is 1.49% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 3.56 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/2024/1726504211_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 7.42%, 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

Short Ideas

Looking Into Cisco Systems's Recent Short Interest

Jobs numbers have been lackluster and constantly revised downward. Unemployment is holding steady at around 4.2% but up since March. Sept. 18 is Fed day, and the market is already pricing in a 25-basis points rate cut, maybe even 50 points. That means the most important thing about that decision next week will be what Fed Chairman Jerome Powell ultimately says about it afterwards.
&ldquo;I think strong overall economic indicators, falling inflation, and a shift from defensive assets into equities have driven stocks higher so you have to wonder what additional benefits could a rate cut provide now,&rdquo; said Naeem Aslam, an external consultant for AvaTrade in London.
&ldquo;The most immediate impact would be on highly leveraged companies that would benefit from reduced interest expenses and improved refinancing conditions, but growth stocks, particularly in sectors like tech, could easily see continued momentum in their favor,&rdquo; he said.
The Nasdaq is up around <a href="https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/index/ndx">20.6% over the last 12 months</a> ending Sept. 10. Investors in the Invesco Nasdaq ETF (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/qqq#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) have beaten the index, up 23% in 12 months.
<img alt="benzinga_qqq.jpg" src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/u1625319/benzinga_qqq.jpg" style="height:329px; width:624px" />
The Nasdaq 100 Index is likely to move towards the 20,000 price level if markets like what Powell has to say next week. However, if his talk suggests a recession is possible in the months ahead, Nasdaq could fall to 16,900.
For now, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to be bearish,&rdquo; said Vladimir Signorelli, president of Bretton Woods Research, a macro investment research firm in Long Valley, NJ.&nbsp;
The Fed&rsquo;s campaign of contraction that began in early 2022 is beginning to bear fruit. Non-farm payrolls are consistently being <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/21/economy/bls-jobs-revisions/index.html">revised lower</a>.
&ldquo;We have had 340 thousand jobs revised downward this year alone. That&rsquo;s huge. How do you miss that? Job market weakness is accelerating and so on Sept 18 we will see a rate cut, and maybe even a 50 basis points rate cut,&rdquo; Signorelli said. &ldquo;My hunch is that if Powell wants 50 basis points, he can persuade Christopher Waller (Federal Reserve Board of Governors) to go up from 25.&rdquo;
Waller has already said he was willing to &ldquo;front-load rate cuts&rdquo; if needed in case of economic contraction.&nbsp;
The Fed is being blown out of the water by these lagging indicators, or coming in at the lower quartile of their estimates. They&rsquo;ve been outside the median in their calls because the slowdown has accelerated.
The latest Bureau of Labor Statistics <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm">data</a> showed 25,000 manufacturing jobs were lost in August alone with &ldquo;little net change over the year.&rdquo;
The Federal funds rate is 5%, with an upper limit of 5.5%.&nbsp;
One part of the market that is focused on guessing interest rate moves has already made their play. They are long equities and have been since mid-summer. But there is more to next week&rsquo;s rate cut than the cut itself.
&ldquo;We are going to be evaluating how Powell characterizes this reduction in rates, the first one since 2020,&rdquo; Signorelli said.
Interest rate cuts will have multiplier effects. Powell&rsquo;s suggestion easing was enough to trim around 140 basis points from the 30-year Treasury bond this year. A single rate cut of around 25 bips could easily take the 10-year from 3.7% yield today to around 3.3% later next week, said Signorelli. Where will that money go? Probably equities. But that will depend on whether the market is worried about a recession.
&ldquo;Heading into the end of the year, U.S. stocks will probably continue to beat European stocks thanks to stronger economic fundamentals and stronger consumer base,&rdquo; said Aslam. &ldquo;If the Federal Reserve is nearing the end of its rate-hiking cycle, I&rsquo;d buy growth sectors like tech because they may continue to see portfolio money coming in,&rdquo; he said.
Valuations are still relatively high, however. Investors are paying more for those equities that they are for stocks on the S&amp;P 500. QQQ is trading at 31x, compared to the SPDR S&amp;P 500 (ARCA:SPY) trading at 21x. Amazon (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amzn#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>)&nbsp;has a price to earnings ratio of 41x. Delta Airlines (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/dal#NYSE">DAL</a>) is around 7x PE, despite the increase in airline travel, according to a July JP Morgan <a href="https://www.jpmorgan.com/insights/global-research/travel/airline-outlook">report</a>.
Higher valuations could limit upside potential for those stocks even with lower interest rates, said Aslam. See Intel (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/intc#NASDAQ">INTC</a>) for instance, with a PE of over 79 times earnings. &ldquo;Stay away from those, especially if earnings growth slows or macroeconomic data suggests a recession is coming.&rdquo;
<h3>Five Nasdaq Stocks With A&nbsp;PE Under 20</h3>
Believe it or not, some of these stocks on the Nasdaq are priced below the average index PE. If Intel and Broadcom (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/avgo#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>) look expensive, here are five companies with current P/E ratios under 20.
Applied Materials (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amat#NASDAQ">AMAT</a>): 19.96x
Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/csco#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>): 19.17x
Cognizant (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ctsh#NASDAQ">CTSH</a>): 17.34x
First Solar (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/fslr#NASDAQ">FSLR</a>): 18.26x
Sirius XM Holdings (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/siri#NASDAQ">SIRI</a>): 8.41x
&ldquo;Buying 100x PE stocks in the Nasdaq is a high-risk, high-reward strategy,&rdquo; said Aslam. &ldquo;Lower rates could push valuations even higher quickly, but magnifies the risk if growth expectations aren&#39;t met.&rdquo;
The current environment suggests caution for buying the high value names.
&ldquo;Investors that are comfortable with volatility and are willing to bet on sustained low interest rates and strong growth may see some upside, but the downside risk of overpaying is significant if market conditions change or if these high priced companies fail to deliver,&rdquo; Aslam said.
This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga's reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.

AMAT

AMZN

AVGO

CTSH

FSLR

INTC

SIRI

Has The Market Already Front Run Sept. 18 Rate Cuts, And If Not, What's Worth Buying Now?

In the ever-changing and fiercely competitive business landscape, conducting thorough company analysis is crucial for investors and industry experts. In this article, we will undertake a comprehensive industry comparison, evaluating Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) and its primary competitors in the Communications Equipment industry. By closely examining key financial metrics, market position, and growth prospects, our aim is 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 such as 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 employs 80,000 people 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>19.09</td>
<td>4.26</td>
<td>3.66</td>
<td>4.74%</td>
<td>$3.64</td>
<td>$8.78</td>
<td>-10.27%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Motorola Solutions Inc</td>
<td>50.53</td>
<td>89.77</td>
<td>7.08</td>
<td>66.97%</td>
<td>$0.75</td>
<td>$1.34</td>
<td>9.36%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nokia Oyj</td>
<td>22.51</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>1.05</td>
<td>-0.69%</td>
<td>$0.7</td>
<td>$1.94</td>
<td>-17.87%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Juniper Networks Inc</td>
<td>54.08</td>
<td>2.81</td>
<td>2.47</td>
<td>0.76%</td>
<td>$0.11</td>
<td>$0.69</td>
<td>-16.82%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>F5 Inc</td>
<td>21.44</td>
<td>3.85</td>
<td>4.26</td>
<td>4.85%</td>
<td>$0.19</td>
<td>$0.56</td>
<td>-1.02%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ubiquiti Inc</td>
<td>32.71</td>
<td>120.48</td>
<td>5.94</td>
<td>171.67%</td>
<td>$0.14</td>
<td>$0.2</td>
<td>3.33%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ciena Corp</td>
<td>54.43</td>
<td>2.56</td>
<td>1.86</td>
<td>0.49%</td>
<td>$0.07</td>
<td>$0.4</td>
<td>-11.76%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Calix Inc</td>
<td>1149.33</td>
<td>3.01</td>
<td>2.43</td>
<td>-1.06%</td>
<td>$-0.01</td>
<td>$0.11</td>
<td>-24.09%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Harmonic Inc</td>
<td>27.75</td>
<td>3.94</td>
<td>2.76</td>
<td>-3.13%</td>
<td>$-0.01</td>
<td>$0.07</td>
<td>-11.04%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Digi International Inc</td>
<td>58.96</td>
<td>1.75</td>
<td>2.32</td>
<td>1.74%</td>
<td>$0.02</td>
<td>$0.06</td>
<td>-6.27%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Aviat Networks Inc</td>
<td>22.48</td>
<td>1.22</td>
<td>0.80</td>
<td>1.33%</td>
<td>$0.01</td>
<td>$0.04</td>
<td>33.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Average</td>
<td>149.42</td>
<td>23.04</td>
<td>3.1</td>
<td>24.29%</td>
<td>$0.2</td>
<td>$0.54</td>
<td>-4.25%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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 font-size: 14px;
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 </style>Through a detailed examination of Cisco Systems, we can deduce the following trends: 
<ul>
<li>
A Price to Earnings ratio of 19.09 significantly below the industry average by 0.13x suggests undervaluation. This can make the stock appealing for those seeking growth.
</li>
<li>
With a Price to Book ratio of 4.26, significantly falling below the industry average by 0.18x, it suggests undervaluation and the possibility of untapped growth prospects.
</li>
<li>
With a relatively high Price to Sales ratio of 3.66, which is 1.18x the industry average, the stock might be considered overvalued based on sales performance.
</li>
<li>
The company has a lower Return on Equity (ROE) of 4.74%, which is 19.55% below the industry average. This indicates potential inefficiency in utilizing equity to generate profits, which could be attributed to various factors.
</li>
<li>
The Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) of $3.64 Billion is 18.2x above the industry average, highlighting stronger profitability and robust cash flow generation.
</li>
<li>
The company has higher gross profit of $8.78 Billion, which indicates 16.26x above the industry average, indicating stronger profitability and higher earnings from its core operations.
</li>
<li>
The company is witnessing a substantial decline in revenue growth, with a rate of -10.27% compared to the industry average of -4.25%, which indicates a challenging sales environment.
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Debt To Equity Ratio</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1725894047_0.png" alt="debt to equity" />
The debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio gauges the extent to which a company has financed its operations through debt relative to 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 evaluating Cisco Systems against its top 4 peers in terms of the Debt-to-Equity ratio, the following observations arise:
<ul>
<li>
When evaluating the debt-to-equity ratio, Cisco Systems is in the middle position among its top 4 peers.
</li>
<li>
The company maintains a moderate level of debt relative to its equity with a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, suggesting a relatively balanced financial structure.
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Takeaways</h3>
For Cisco Systems, the PE ratio is low compared to peers, indicating potential undervaluation. The PB ratio is also low, suggesting a possible bargain opportunity. However, the PS ratio is high, which may indicate overvaluation based on revenue. In terms of ROE, Cisco Systems shows lower profitability compared to peers. The high EBITDA and gross profit suggest strong operational performance, while the low revenue growth indicates slower expansion within the industry.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Industry Comparison: Evaluating Cisco Systems Against Competitors In Communications Equipment Industry

On CNBC's &#8220;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/video/2024/09/06/final-trades-apple-cisco-kinetik-holdings-and-the-2-year-treasury.html">Halftime Report Final Trades</a>,&#8221; Brian Belski of BMO Capital named Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), adding that it's a big <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/09/40767552/iphone-16-could-kick-off-biggest-upgrade-cycle-in-apples-history-says-dan-ives-wedbush-analyst-p">week for the company.</a>
As Apple prepares to unveil its highly anticipated iPhone 16 lineup today, prominent Wall Street analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities is forecasting a potential watershed moment for the tech giant. In a research note released on Sunday, Wedbush claims that the iPhone 16 launch could kick off "Cupertino's biggest upgrade cycle in its history."
Jim Lebenthal of Cerity Partners picked Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>).
On Aug. 16, HSBC analyst Stephen Bersey upgraded Cisco from Hold to Buy and raised the price target from $46 to $58.
Don't forget to check out our <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premarket/">premarket coverage here</a>
Jenny Van Leeuwen Harrington of Gilman Hill Asset Management, LLC said Kinetik Holdings Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KNTK#NYSE">KNTK</a>) has a 6.8% yield.
On Aug. 7, Kinetik Holdings reported quarterly earnings of 54 cents per share which beat the analyst consensus estimate of 48 cents per share. The company reported quarterly sales of $359.46 million which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $337.40 million.
Stephen Weiss of Short Hills Capital Partners named U.S. 2 Year Treasury.
Price Action:
<ul>
<li>Apple shares fell 0.7% to close at $220.82 during Friday's session.</li>
<li>Cisco shares declined 1.3% to settle at $48.50 on Friday.</li>
<li>Kinetik Holdings shares fell 0.7% to close at $44.13.</li>
</ul>
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</ul>
Image: Unsplash

Media

AAPL

KNTK

Apple, Cisco And An Energy Stock On CNBC's 'Final Trades'

Analyst Ratings

CNBC Halftime Report Final Trades: Apple, Cisco Systems, Kinetik, U.S. 2 Year Treasury

Paltalk, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PALT#NASDAQ">PALT</a>) shares are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/movers" rel="noreferrer noopener">trading lower on Friday.</a>
The company was awarded $65.7 million in a District Court verdict against Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>), which<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/08/g40647188/paltalk-holdings-inc-awarded-65-7-million-jury-verdict-against-cisco-systems-inc" rel="noreferrer noopener"> remains subject to post-trial proceedings.</a>
As previously reported, on July 23, Paltalk Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary of the company, initiated a patent infringement lawsuit against Cisco in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.
The lawsuit alleges that Cisco&#8217;s products infringe on U.S. Patent No. 6,683,858 and seeks damages for the infringement.
On August 29, the jury awarded the company $65.7 million in connection with the lawsuit, though this amount is subject to post-trial processes, including possible appeals by Cisco and final judgment by the Court.
Also Read:<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/08/40651863/whats-going-on-with-nio-shares-today" rel="noreferrer noopener"> What&#8217;s Going On With NIO Shares Today?</a>
Due to substantial litigation costs, including legal fees, the actual amount the company will receive may be less than one-third of the gross award. Susman Godfrey LLP and Waco-based Cherry Johnson Siegmund James represented Paltalk in the lawsuit.
According to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://pro.benzinga.com/?gspk=YWRhbWVja2VydDUzMzY&amp;gsxid=zBMR4PKmcgBw" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>, PALT stock has gained over 71% in the past year.
Earlier this month, Paltalk reported a 24.7% decrease in second-quarter revenue, totaling $2.2 million.
Subscription revenue declined by 26.1% to $2.1 million, while advertising revenue increased by 29.2% to $0.1 million. The company experienced a net loss of $0.9 million, a sharp contrast to the net income of $0.1 million from the previous period, marking a 788.8% decline.
Adjusted EBITDA also showed a loss of $0.9 million, compared to a minimal loss of $14,945 in the prior period. Additionally, the cash balance fell by $0.2 million from the first quarter of 2024, ending at $12.8 million.
Price Action: PALT shares are trading lower by 33.3% to $3.64 at last check Friday.
Photo by WESTOCK PRODUCTIONS on Shutterstock
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/08/40574576/rivian-or-lucid-which-of-the-two-loss-making-ev-startups-is-solving-cash-burn?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rivian Or Lucid: Which Of The Two Loss-Making EV Startups Is Solving Cash Burn?</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Legal

PALT

What's Going On With Software Developer Paltalk Stock Today?

As previously disclosed, on July 23, 2021, Paltalk Holdings, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, filed a patent infringement lawsuit&nbsp;against Cisco in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, pursuant to which the Company alleged that certain of Cisco&#39;s products infringed U.S. Patent No. 6,683,858, and that the Company was entitled to damages.

Paltalk Holdings Says District Court Jury Has Awarded Company $65.7M In Verdict Against Cisco For Infringing US Patent

<a href="https://www.rubrik.com/blog/technology/24/8/rubrik-and-cisco-to-safeguard-data-against-cyberattacks">https://www.rubrik.com/blog/technology/24/8/rubrik-and-cisco-to-safeguard-data-against-cyberattacks</a>
A <a href="https://www.rubrik.com/company/newsroom/press-releases/23/rubrik-zero-labs-fall-2023">Rubrik Zero Labs report</a> found that 66% of IT and security leaders report that data growth outpaces their ability to secure data and mitigate risk. Adversaries are noticing, increasing the sophistication of cyberattacks, and leveraging gaps in coverage to target critical data for destruction, theft, or extortion. As the volume of data continues to grow and exacerbate visibility challenges, organizations must find ways to manage and protect their constantly expanding data.&nbsp;
Organizations need to be able to address this increasingly complex challenge. Therefore, Rubrik and Cisco join forces today to enhance organizations' cyber resilience and protect mission-critical data against cyberattacks.&nbsp;
<h2>Joining Cisco SolutionsPlus</h2>
First, Rubrik joins Cisco's SolutionsPlus program, a strategic move where all of Rubrik's products–including our Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) offering–are added to Cisco's Global Price List. DSPM, which proactively and comprehensively reduces the risk of data exposure and exfiltration across on-premises, cloud, and SaaS environments, solves one of the most annoying aspects of data security: knowing where all the data is and how to secure it.
Second, as part SolutionsPlus, Cisco's direct and channel sales network can now offer <a href="https://www.rubrik.com/products">Rubrik Security Cloud</a> with <a href="https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/products/computing/servers-unified-computing-systems/index.html?team=digital_marketing&amp;medium=paid_search&amp;campaign=transform_infrastructure&amp;ccid=cc004625&amp;dtid=psexsp001647&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwoJa2BhBPEiwA0l0ImLJ9Vv2xWYZauR5TBMEbOlaZqtzMdaSyUqRPOKUrbEHae4xsDnq09RoCDiwQAvD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds">Cisco Unified Computing Systems (UCS)</a> and <a href="https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/products/security/xdr/index.html">Cisco XDR</a>. Across edge, public, and private cloud environments, our joint customers now have a validated architecture to mitigate ransomware and ensure business continuity with agility and orchestration resources.
Together, Rubrik and Cisco aim to deliver unified computing and zero trust data security, while ensuring data resilience against cyberattacks, malicious insiders, and operational disruptions–all with a seamless purchasing experience, from a single source.&nbsp;
Rubrik Security Cloud on Cisco UCS is tested and pre-engineered with Cisco Validated Designs, offering automated deployment, multi-site scaling and lifecycle management through Cisco Intersight.
<h3>Integrating with Cisco XDR&nbsp;</h3>
Rubrik now integrates with Cisco XDR, making it easier for enterprises to quickly identify targeted attacks on data and keep businesses moving forward with secure recovery.&nbsp;

RBRK

Rubrik And Cisco To Safeguard Data Against Cyberattacks

The Nasdaq 100 closed lower by over 1% during Wednesday's session. Investors, meanwhile, focused on some notable insider trades.
When insiders sell shares, it could be a preplanned sale, or could indicate their concern in the company's prospects or that they view the stock as being overpriced. Insider sales should not be taken as the only indicator for making an investment or trading decision. At best, it can lend conviction to a selling decision.
Below is a look at a few recent notable insider sales. For more, check out <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/sec/insider-trades/">Benzinga&#8217;s insider transactions</a> platform.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Electronic Arts</h3>
<ul>
<li>The Trade: Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EA#NASDAQ">EA</a>) Chairman and CEO Andrew Wilson <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/sec/insider-trades/">sold a total of 2,500 shares</a> at an average price of $148.88. The insider received around $372,192 from selling those shares.</li>
<li>What's Happening: On July 30, Electronic Arts reported first-quarter net bookings of $1.26 billion, down from $1.58 billion in last year's first quarter total of $1.58 billion, according to data from Benzinga Pro.</li>
<li>What Electronic Arts Does: EA is one of the world&#8217;s largest third-party video game publishers and has transitioned from a console-based video game publisher to the one of the largest publishers on consoles, PC, and mobile.</li>
<li>Benzinga Pro's real-time newsfeed alerted to<a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent082924&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"> latest EA news. </a></li>
</ul>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent082924&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="901" height="837" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/29044903/image-290.png" alt="" class="wp-image-520092" style="width:685px;height:auto" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/29044903/image-290.png 901w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/29044903/image-290-300x279.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/29044903/image-290-768x713.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 901px) 100vw, 901px" /></a></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Cisco Systems</h3>
<ul>
<li>The Trade: Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) SVP &amp; Chief Acctg Officer Maria Victoria Wong <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/sec/insider-trades/">sold a total of 3,379 shares</a> at an average price of $50.36. The insider received around $170,166 from selling those shares.</li>
<li>What's Happening: On Aug. 16, HSBC analyst Stephen Bersey upgraded Cisco from Hold to Buy and raised the price target from $46 to $58.</li>
<li>What Cisco Does: Cisco Systems is the largest provider of networking equipment in the world and one of the largest software companies in the world.</li>
<li>Benzinga Pro&#8217;s charting tool helped identify the<a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent082924&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"> trend in CSCO stock. </a></li>
</ul>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent082924&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="916" height="837" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/29045011/image-291.png" alt="" class="wp-image-520095" style="width:663px;height:auto" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/29045011/image-291.png 916w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/29045011/image-291-300x274.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/29045011/image-291-768x702.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 916px) 100vw, 916px" /></a></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Target</h3>
<ul>
<li>The Trade: Target Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TGT#NYSE">TGT</a>) Executive Officer Brian C Cornell <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/sec/insider-trades/">sold a total of 45,000 shares</a> at an average price of $158.67. The insider received around $7.1 million from selling those shares.</li>
<li>What's Happening: On Aug. 21, Target reported better-than-expected second-quarter financial results and raised FY24 EPS outlook.</li>
<li>What Target Does: Target serves as the nation&#8217;s sixth-largest retailer, with its strategy predicated on delivering a gratifying in-store shopping experience and a wide product assortment of trendy apparel, home goods, and household essentials at competitive prices. </li>
<li>Benzinga Pro&#8217;s signals feature notified of a potential <a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent082924&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">breakout in TGT shares. </a></li>
</ul>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent082924&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="901" height="843" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/29045103/image-292.png" alt="" class="wp-image-520097" style="width:658px;height:auto" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/29045103/image-292.png 901w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/29045103/image-292-300x281.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/29045103/image-292-768x719.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 901px) 100vw, 901px" /></a></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Palo Alto Networks</h3>
<ul>
<li>The Trade: Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PANW#NASDAQ">PANW</a>) Director Mary Pat McCarthy <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/sec/insider-trades/">sold a total of 10,000 shares</a> at an average price of $348.49. The insider received around $3.5 million from selling those shares.</li>
<li>What's Happening: On Aug. 19, Palo Alto reported fourth-quarter revenue of $2.189 billion, beating the consensus estimate of $2.162 billion.</li>
<li>What Palo Alto Networks Does: Palo Alto Networks is a platform-based cybersecurity vendor with product offerings covering network security, cloud security, and security operations.</li>
<li>Benzinga Pro&#8217;s earnings calendar was used in monitoring upcoming <a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent082924&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">PANW&#8217;s earnings reports. </a></li>
</ul>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent082924&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="855" height="822" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/29045227/image-293.png" alt="" class="wp-image-520102" style="width:608px;height:auto" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/29045227/image-293.png 855w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/29045227/image-293-300x288.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/29045227/image-293-768x738.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 855px) 100vw, 855px" /></a></figure>
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</ul>

Insider Trades

PANW

Cisco, Target And 2 Other Stocks Executives Are Selling

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>).
And retail traders should know.
We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.
Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with CSCO, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.
So how do we know what these investors just did? 
Today, <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/?utm_source=insights">Benzinga</a>'s options scanner spotted 10 uncommon options trades for Cisco Systems.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 60% bullish and 40%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 7 are puts, for a total amount of $290,948, and 3 are calls, for a total amount of $93,975.
<h3>What's The Price Target?</h3>
Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $25.0 to $55.0 for Cisco Systems over the recent three months. 
<h3>Volume &amp; Open Interest Trends</h3>
Examining the volume and open interest provides crucial insights into stock research. This information is key in gauging liquidity and interest levels for Cisco Systems's options at certain strike prices. Below, we present a snapshot of the trends in volume and open interest for calls and puts across Cisco Systems's significant trades, within a strike price range of $25.0 to $55.0, over the past month.
<h3>Cisco Systems Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1724791551_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>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$6.95</td>
<td>$6.9</td>
<td>$6.9</td>
<td>$55.00</td>
<td>$69.0K</td>
<td>1.7K</td>
<td>100</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$4.4</td>
<td>$4.3</td>
<td>$4.38</td>
<td>$50.00</td>
<td>$43.9K</td>
<td>1.4K</td>
<td>100</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>11/15/24</td>
<td>$0.79</td>
<td>$0.78</td>
<td>$0.76</td>
<td>$47.50</td>
<td>$42.4K</td>
<td>3.2K</td>
<td>2.4K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/17/25</td>
<td>$2.03</td>
<td>$2.0</td>
<td>$2.02</td>
<td>$50.00</td>
<td>$40.4K</td>
<td>26.0K</td>
<td>696</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/17/25</td>
<td>$0.96</td>
<td>$0.92</td>
<td>$0.95</td>
<td>$55.00</td>
<td>$36.3K</td>
<td>29.2K</td>
<td>777</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 such as 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 employs 80,000 people and sells its products globally.
<h3>Present Market Standing of Cisco Systems</h3>
<ul>
<li>Currently trading with a volume of 10,087,648, the CSCO's price is down by -0.2%, now at $50.69. </li>
<li>RSI readings suggest the stock is currently may be approaching overbought.</li>
<li>Anticipated earnings release is in 78 days.</li>
</ul>
Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely.
If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Cisco Systems, <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a> gives you real-time options trades alerts.

Options

Spotlight on Cisco Systems: Analyzing the Surge in Options Activity

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>NVDA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>08/30/24</td>
<td>$130.00</td>
<td>$28.6K</td>
<td>125.5K</td>
<td>92.9K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMD</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>10/18/24</td>
<td>$155.00</td>
<td>$359.9K</td>
<td>7.6K</td>
<td>4.5K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SMCI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>08/30/24</td>
<td>$570.00</td>
<td>$25.6K</td>
<td>241</td>
<td>2.2K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MU</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>08/30/24</td>
<td>$99.00</td>
<td>$25.2K</td>
<td>1.2K</td>
<td>2.1K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>OKTA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>01/17/25</td>
<td>$130.00</td>
<td>$29.3K</td>
<td>15.3K</td>
<td>1.3K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MSTR</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>08/30/24</td>
<td>$152.00</td>
<td>$72.4K</td>
<td>1.2K</td>
<td>1.1K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>11/15/24</td>
<td>$205.00</td>
<td>$172.2K</td>
<td>5.3K</td>
<td>976</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ENPH</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>08/30/24</td>
<td>$125.00</td>
<td>$32.0K</td>
<td>1.4K</td>
<td>909</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NTGR</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$17.00</td>
<td>$43.0K</td>
<td>20</td>
<td>900</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$51.50</td>
<td>$27.8K</td>
<td>1.8K</td>
<td>770</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These itemized elaborations have been created using the accompanying table. 
• For NVDA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 4 day(s) on August 30, 2024. This event was a transfer of 50 contract(s) at a $130.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 4 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $28.6K, with a price of $572.0 per contract. There were 125581 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 92999 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 call option trade with neutral sentiment. It expires in 53 day(s) on October 18, 2024. Parties traded 387 contract(s) at a $155.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $359.9K, with a price of $930.0 per contract. There were 7699 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 4527 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 4 day(s) on August 30, 2024. This event was a transfer of 10 contract(s) at a $570.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 4 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $25.6K, with a price of $2560.0 per contract. There were 241 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2296 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 trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 4 day(s) on August 30, 2024. This event was a transfer of 100 contract(s) at a $99.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $25.2K, with a price of $253.0 per contract. There were 1210 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2163 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding OKTA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OKTA#NASDAQ">OKTA</a>), we observe a call option sweep with neutral sentiment. It expires in 144 day(s) on January 17, 2025. Parties traded 107 contract(s) at a $130.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 12 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $29.3K, with a price of $275.0 per contract. There were 15303 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1339 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding MSTR (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 4 day(s) on August 30, 2024. Parties traded 130 contract(s) at a $152.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 8 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $72.4K, with a price of $555.0 per contract. There were 1206 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1179 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding IBM (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 81 day(s) on November 15, 2024. Parties traded 287 contract(s) at a $205.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 47 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $172.2K, with a price of $600.0 per contract. There were 5337 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 976 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For ENPH (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ENPH#NASDAQ">ENPH</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 4 day(s) on August 30, 2024. This event was a transfer of 100 contract(s) at a $125.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $32.0K, with a price of $320.0 per contract. There were 1496 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 909 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For NTGR (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NTGR#NASDAQ">NTGR</a>), we notice a put option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 207 day(s) on March 21, 2025. This event was a transfer of 200 contract(s) at a $17.00 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 $43.0K, with a price of $215.0 per contract. There were 20 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 900 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 call option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 25 day(s) on September 20, 2024. Parties traded 464 contract(s) at a $51.50 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 $27.8K, with a price of $60.0 per contract. There were 1811 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 770 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.

ENPH

MSTR

NTGR

OKTA

SMCI

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

In the ever-evolving and intensely competitive business landscape, conducting a thorough company analysis is of utmost importance for investors and industry followers. In this article, we will carry out an in-depth industry comparison, assessing Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) alongside its primary competitors in the Communications Equipment industry. By meticulously examining key financial metrics, market positioning, and growth prospects, we aim to offer valuable insights to 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 such as 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 employs 80,000 people 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>19.98</td>
<td>4.50</td>
<td>3.83</td>
<td>4.74%</td>
<td>$3.64</td>
<td>$8.78</td>
<td>7.4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Motorola Solutions Inc</td>
<td>50.40</td>
<td>89.54</td>
<td>7.06</td>
<td>66.97%</td>
<td>$0.75</td>
<td>$1.34</td>
<td>9.36%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nokia Oyj</td>
<td>21.99</td>
<td>0.97</td>
<td>1.03</td>
<td>-0.69%</td>
<td>$0.7</td>
<td>$1.94</td>
<td>-17.87%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Juniper Networks Inc</td>
<td>54.65</td>
<td>2.84</td>
<td>2.50</td>
<td>0.76%</td>
<td>$0.11</td>
<td>$0.69</td>
<td>-16.82%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ubiquiti Inc</td>
<td>33.50</td>
<td>123.38</td>
<td>6.08</td>
<td>1503.1%</td>
<td>$0.12</td>
<td>$0.17</td>
<td>7.69%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>F5 Inc</td>
<td>21.45</td>
<td>3.85</td>
<td>4.27</td>
<td>4.85%</td>
<td>$0.19</td>
<td>$0.56</td>
<td>-1.02%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ciena Corp</td>
<td>54.37</td>
<td>2.82</td>
<td>2.01</td>
<td>-0.58%</td>
<td>$0.04</td>
<td>$0.39</td>
<td>-19.58%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Calix Inc</td>
<td>1251.33</td>
<td>3.28</td>
<td>2.65</td>
<td>-1.06%</td>
<td>$-0.01</td>
<td>$0.11</td>
<td>-24.09%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Harmonic Inc</td>
<td>30.02</td>
<td>4.27</td>
<td>2.98</td>
<td>-3.13%</td>
<td>$-0.01</td>
<td>$0.07</td>
<td>-11.04%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Digi International Inc</td>
<td>64.07</td>
<td>1.91</td>
<td>2.52</td>
<td>1.74%</td>
<td>$0.02</td>
<td>$0.06</td>
<td>-6.27%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Aviat Networks Inc</td>
<td>24.75</td>
<td>1.35</td>
<td>0.88</td>
<td>1.33%</td>
<td>$0.01</td>
<td>$0.04</td>
<td>33.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Average</td>
<td>160.65</td>
<td>23.42</td>
<td>3.2</td>
<td>157.33%</td>
<td>$0.19</td>
<td>$0.54</td>
<td>-4.59%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<style>
 table {
 width: 100%;
 border-collapse: collapse;
 font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
 font-size: 14px;
 }

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 padding: 8px;
 text-align: left;
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 </style>Through a thorough examination of Cisco Systems, we can discern the following trends: 
<ul>
<li>
With a Price to Earnings ratio of 19.98, which is 0.12x less than the industry average, the stock shows potential for growth at a reasonable price, making it an interesting consideration for market participants.
</li>
<li>
With a Price to Book ratio of 4.5, significantly falling below the industry average by 0.19x, it suggests undervaluation and the possibility of untapped growth prospects.
</li>
<li>
With a relatively high Price to Sales ratio of 3.83, which is 1.2x the industry average, the stock might be considered overvalued based on sales performance.
</li>
<li>
The Return on Equity (ROE) of 4.74% is 152.59% below the industry average, suggesting potential inefficiency in utilizing equity to generate profits.
</li>
<li>
Compared to its industry, the company has higher Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) of $3.64 Billion, which is 19.16x above the industry average, indicating stronger profitability and robust cash flow generation.
</li>
<li>
The gross profit of $8.78 Billion is 16.26x above that of its industry, highlighting stronger profitability and higher earnings from its core operations.
</li>
<li>
The company is experiencing remarkable revenue growth, with a rate of 7.4%, outperforming the industry average of -4.59%.
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Debt To Equity Ratio</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1724684433_0.png" alt="debt to equity" />
The debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio measures the financial leverage of a company by evaluating its debt relative 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.
When assessing Cisco Systems against its top 4 peers using the Debt-to-Equity ratio, the following comparisons can be made:
<ul>
<li>
Cisco Systems is positioned in the middle in terms of the debt-to-equity ratio compared to its top 4 peers.
</li>
<li>
This suggests a balanced financial structure, where the company maintains a moderate level of debt while also relying on equity financing with a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Takeaways</h3>
For Cisco Systems, the PE and PB ratios are low compared to peers, indicating potential undervaluation. However, the high PS ratio suggests overvaluation based on revenue. The low ROE may indicate lower profitability compared to peers, while high EBITDA and gross profit levels suggest strong operational performance. Additionally, the high revenue growth rate indicates potential for future expansion in the Communications Equipment industry.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

The Nasdaq 100 closed lower by over 300 points during Thursday's session. Investors, meanwhile, focused on some notable insider trades.
When insiders sell shares, it could be a preplanned sale, or could indicate their concern in the company's prospects or that they view the stock as being overpriced. Insider sales should not be taken as the only indicator for making an investment or trading decision. At best, it can lend conviction to a selling decision.
Below is a look at a few recent notable insider sales. For more, check out <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/sec/insider-trades/">Benzinga&#8217;s insider transactions</a> platform.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Synchronoss Technologies</h3>
<ul>
<li>The Trade: Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SNCR#NASDAQ">SNCR</a>) 10% owner Bryant R Riley <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/sec/insider-trades/">sold a total of 12,210 shares</a> at an average price of $12.82. The insider received around $156,494 from selling those shares.</li>
<li>What's Happening: On Aug. 6, Synchronoss Technologies posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings.</li>
<li>What Synchronoss Technologies Does: Synchronoss Technologies Inc is a leading provider of white-label cloud, messaging, digital and network management solutions that enable its customers to keep subscribers, systems, networks and content in sync.</li>
<li>Benzinga Pro's real-time newsfeed alerted to latest <a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent082324&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">SNCR news.</a></li>
</ul>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent082324&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="897" height="828" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/23052026/image-213.png" alt="" class="wp-image-510249" style="width:583px;height:auto" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/23052026/image-213.png 897w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/23052026/image-213-300x277.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/23052026/image-213-768x709.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 897px) 100vw, 897px" /></a></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Meta Platforms</h3>
<ul>
<li>The Trade: Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Newstead <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/sec/insider-trades/">sold a total of 905 shares</a> at an average price of $528.38. The insider received around $478,184 from selling those shares.</li>
<li>What's Happening: Meta's social media platform Threads is reportedly exploring the integration of advertisements to generate revenue. However, the company has stated that it is not currently testing ads in Threads and has no immediate plans for monetization.</li>
<li>What Meta Platforms Does: Meta is the world&#8217;s largest online social network, with nearly 4 billion family of apps monthly active users.</li>
<li>Benzinga Pro&#8217;s charting tool helped identify the <a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent082324&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">trend in META stock</a>.</li>
</ul>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent082324&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="911" height="836" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/23062007/image-215.png" alt="" class="wp-image-510350" style="width:642px;height:auto" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/23062007/image-215.png 911w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/23062007/image-215-300x275.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/23062007/image-215-768x705.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 911px) 100vw, 911px" /></a></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Cisco</h3>
<ul>
<li>The Trade: Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) EVP, Operations Thimaya K. Subaiya <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/sec/insider-trades/">sold a total of 8,270 shares</a> at an average price of $50.33. The insider received around $416,248 from selling those shares.</li>
<li>What's Happening: On Aug. 14, Cisco reported fiscal fourth-quarter revenue of $13.64 billion, beating the consensus estimate of $13.537 billion.</li>
<li>What Cisco Does: Cisco Systems is the largest provider of networking equipment in the world and one of the largest software companies in the world.</li>
<li>Benzinga Pro&#8217;s signals feature notified of a potential<a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent082324&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"> breakout in CSCO shares</a>. </li>
</ul>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent082324&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="875" height="817" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/23062440/image-218.png" alt="" class="wp-image-510366" style="width:539px;height:auto" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/23062440/image-218.png 875w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/23062440/image-218-300x280.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/23062440/image-218-768x717.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 875px) 100vw, 875px" /></a></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">LyondellBasell Industries</h3>
<ul>
<li>The Trade: LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LYB#NYSE">LYB</a>) EVP, Ops Excellence, HSE Dale D Friedrichs <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/sec/insider-trades/">sold a total of 4,970 shares</a> at an average price of $96.78. The insider received around $480,997 from selling those shares.</li>
<li>What's Happening: On Aug. 22, LyondellBasell entered into an agreement to acquire full ownership of APK AG in Merseburg, Germany.</li>
<li>What LyondellBasell Industries Does: LyondellBasell is a petrochemical producer with operations in the United States, Europe, and Asia.</li>
<li>Benzinga Pro&#8217;s earnings calendar was used to track upcoming <a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent082324&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">LYB&#8217;s earnings reports</a>.</li>
</ul>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent082324&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="873" height="822" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/23062240/image-217.png" alt="" class="wp-image-510356" style="width:614px;height:auto" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/23062240/image-217.png 873w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/23062240/image-217-300x282.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/23062240/image-217-768x723.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 873px) 100vw, 873px" /></a></figure>
Check This Out: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/08/40521881/nasdaq-s-p-500-close-lower-as-investors-await-jerome-powells-jackson-hole-address-fear-greed-index-">Nasdaq, S&amp;P 500 Close Lower As Investors Await Jerome Powell&#8217;s Jackson Hole Address: Fear &amp; Greed Index Stays In &#8216;Neutral&#8217; Zone</a></li>
</ul>

SNCR

Meta, Cisco And 2 Other Stocks Executives Are Selling

Market strategist Jay Woods has identified two sectors and several investment opportunities that could thrive regardless of whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris wins <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/2024-election">the 2024 election.</a>
Defense Stocks: Woods, who is the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/jay-woods">Chief Global Strategist</a> for Freedom Capital Markets, sees the defense sector as one that could benefit no matter who wins the upcoming election.
Woods said that Boeing Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BA#NYSE">BA</a>) is one defense stock that has held back the sector and hurt ETFs like the iShares US Aerospace &amp; Defense ETF (BATS:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ITA#BATS">ITA</a>).
The market strategist named stocks like Northrop Grumman (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOC#NYSE">NOC</a>), General Dynamics (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GD#NYSE">GD</a>), Lockheed Martin (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LMT#NYSE">LMT</a>), RTX Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RTX#NYSE">RTX</a>) and GE Aerospace (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GE#NYSE">GE</a>) as companies to watch in the defense sector.
"These stocks are our best in class and they're making new highs," Woods said.
On GE Aerospace, Woods said this is a good example of what splitting up companies can do, noting it could be a potential precursor to what could be in store for Alphabet Inc.
"GE had done nothing. It was dead money for years."
Woods said the sum of the parts was greater than the whole for GE.
The defense sector could continue to benefit from geopolitical concerns and a lot of bad things happening in the world, Woods said.
"I think you&#8217;ve got to watch this sector closely."
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs/broad-u-s-equity-etfs/24/07/40025773/bad-news-ahead-for-investors-august-september-are-worst-two-months-over-past-20-years-">Bad News Ahead For Investors? August, September Are Worst Two Months Over Past 20 Years — But 2024 Could Be Different</a>
Cybersecurity Stocks: Woods said the cybersecurity sector could also benefit no matter who wins the 2024 election.
"We know how important that is," Woods said of cybersecurity.
Woods named CrowdStrike Holdings (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRWD#NASDAQ">CRWD</a>) as the cybersecurity stock that has weighed down the sector and ETFs like the Amplify Cybersecurity ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HACK#NYSE">HACK</a>).
The market strategist said it is going to take time for CrowdStrike to come back, and investors might not want to jump back in.
Other names in the cybersecurity sector Woods likes are Fortinet (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FTNT#NASDAQ">FTNT</a>), Check Point Software Technologies (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CHKP#NASDAQ">CHKP</a>), Palo Alto Networks Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PANW#NASDAQ">PANW</a>), Cloudflare Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NET#NYSE">NET</a>) and Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>).
Palo Alto Networks was highlighted as a stock with a strong long-term trend. Woods noted that while the stock has been hit hard on earnings in the past, it&#8217;s poised for a comeback in the near future.
Woods mentioned that naming Cisco often catches people off guard, given the stock has done nothing over the last 20 years. However, in the short term, Woods said that the stock appears to have broken out of a downtrend.
An acquisition of Splunk is still being digested by Cisco, but could help in its cybersecurity efforts, Woods said.
"I think they're starting to reap the benefits of that. Cisco to me looks like something's changed. It's worth taking a flyer."
Woods said Cisco isn't a popular recommendation, but there could be something there.
"If you like boring, I give you Cisco."
The market strategist said picking individual stocks could outperform the overall cybersecurity sector, but the CrowdStrike drop also shows the impact one bad stock can have on a portfolio.
"I think the safest way to play cyber is the ETFs."
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Investing In Defense Stocks: ETFs or Individual Names?" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NTM2J1dfM6M?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div>
</figure>
Watch the full PreMarketPrep episode <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGXosi2hWTQ">here</a>.
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/exclusives/24/07/39886192/exclusive-tesla-an-elon-musk-and-a-technology-story-first-ev-story-last-market-strategist-explains-w">EXCLUSIVE: Tesla &#8216;An Elon Musk And A Technology Story First, EV Story Last&#8217; — Market Strategist Explains Why To Buy The Stock</a></li>
</ul>
Photo created with images from Benzinga and artificial intelligence using Midjourney.

Sector ETFs

Exclusives

ETFs

CHKP

CRWD

FTNT

HACK

iShares Dow Jones US Aerospace & Defense Index Fund

EXCLUSIVE: Trump Or Harris? 12 Stocks, 2 ETFs Could Win No Matter Who's President, Says Market Strategist

Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/csco#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) reported its fiscal fourth quarter results that revealed declining earnings and revenue. The networking company still&nbsp;managed to surpass estimates despite revenue decline for the third continous&nbsp;time this year. Partnered with Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nvda#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), Cisco remains confident of being equipped to break new ground in AI. In order to secure the new era, Cisco is undergoing a significant restructuring, during which it is realigning its portfolio and trimming its workforce for the second time this year.
<h3>Fiscal Fourth Quarter Highlights</h3>
For the quarter ended on&nbsp;July 27th, revenue&nbsp;dropped 10%&nbsp;YoY to $13.64 billion, slightly above LSEG&rsquo;s estimate of&nbsp;$13.54 billion.&nbsp;Sales fell for a third straight quarter, with full fiscal year revenue declining&nbsp;&nbsp;for the first time since 2020.&nbsp;Security revenue surged 81% to $1.8 billion, but networking revenue slumped 28% to $6.8 billion.&nbsp;Collaboration revenue remained&nbsp;flat&nbsp;at $1 billion.
Net income in the quarter dropped to 45% to $2.2 billion, or 54 cents a share. Adjusted earnings per share fell 24% as they amounted to 87 cents per share, also surpassing LSEG&rsquo;s 85 cents per share.
<h3>Guidance</h3>
The revenue decline trend is projected to last for one more period.&nbsp;For the current quarter, Cisco guided for revenue between $13.65 billion and $13.85 billion, down from $14.7 billion reported for previous year&#39;s comparable quarter.&nbsp;LSEG guided for $13.7 billion.
<h3>The AI Push Continues</h3>
Supported by its partnership with Nvidia,&nbsp;Cisco will be investing in key high growth opportunities like AI cybersecurity as it focuses to improve its business efficiencies.&nbsp;Cisco continues to trim its workfroce with the second major round of layoffs this year. Following February&rsquo;s 5% workforce reduction, Cisco announced another 7% cut.
This is part of Cisco&rsquo;s&nbsp;restructuring plan that will result in $1 billion in pretax charges to its financial results. During the current quarter, $700 million to $800 million of charges will be recognized, with rest being distributed over fiscal 2025.
Despite sales continuing to drop for third consecutive quarter, Cisco suprassed estiamtes fueled by its&nbsp;&nbsp;biggest deal ever, the $28 billion&nbsp;acquisition of Splunk, which closed in March and brought&nbsp;increased subscription revenue. Splunk brought in revenue of $960 million.&nbsp;
The networking giant remains focused&nbsp;on high-growth areas.
Cisco has shifted away from its core business of selling network switches and routers, increasing revenue from software and services through acquisitions. However,&nbsp;CFO Scott Herren&nbsp;insisted that the restructuring plan is more about reallocating as opposed to pursuing cost savings.&nbsp;&nbsp;
DISCLAIMER: This content is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as investing advice.
This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga&#39;s reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.

Tech

Cisco Is Making Its AI Push Through Realignment

To gain an edge, this is what you need to know today.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://thearorareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024-08-19_08h24_48.png" alt="" style="width:624px" /></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Stock Market At Resistance</h3>
Please <a href="https://thearorareport.com/chart-analysis-stock-market-rebounds-amd-competes-nvda-spy-mc-08192024">click here</a> for an enlarged chart of SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) which represents the benchmark stock market index S&amp;P 500 (SPX).
Note the following:
<ul>
<li>The chart shows that the stock market touched the low band of the support zone during the carry trade related drop.</li>
<li>The chart shows that the stock market has aggressively rebounded after touching the low band of the support zone.</li>
<li>The chart shows that the stock market is now touching the low band of the resistance zone.</li>
<li>The momo crowd appears to be oblivious to the resistance zone and aggressively buying. However, smart money's pattern is to trim when the stock market is in the resistance zone.</li>
<li>RSI on the chart shows that the stock market is overbought. In spite of aggressive momo crowd buying, overbought markets tend to be vulnerable to a pullback.</li>
<li>The most important event this week is Fed Chair Powell's speech at Jackson Hole on Friday.</li>
<li>Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee is cautious against inflation arguments from both Trump and Harris.
<ul>
<li>Trump plans to increase tariffs. However, Goolsbee said that while tariffs increase inflation such increase is not prolonged.</li>
<li>Harris proposes to ban price gouging in food and grocery.&nbsp; Goolsbee said that high prices are not due solely to price gouging.&nbsp; In an interview, Goolsbee is careful not to take sides.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) stock has been the leader driving the AI frenzy. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>) has been trying to catch up but is far behind.  To strengthen its AI strategy, AMD is acquiring ZT Systems for $4.9B.  ZT Systems designs and optimizes cloud computing solutions. ZT Systems will help AMD deploy AMD powered infrastructure at scale.
<ul>
<li>The media headlines about AMD competing with NVDA are highly misleading.&nbsp; In The Arora Report analysis, AMD buying ZT Systems is only a very small step and will not meaningfully impact Nvidia's market share.</li>
<li>Without a deep understanding, the momo crowd is aggressively buying AMD stock on the news.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Layoffs in IT continue to expand. General Motors Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GM#NYSE">GM</a>) is planning to cut 1,000 software jobs.  Last week, Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>), the networking giant, announced 4,000 job cuts.</li>
<li>There has been a lot of concern about Mpox. Mpox is now spreading beyond Africa. The latest expert analysis is that Mpox will not have a severe impact in the U.S. However, prudent investors should keep a close eye on the spread of Mpox.</li>
</ul>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Magnificent Seven Money Flows</h3>
In the early trade, money flows are positive in NVDA, Apple Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), Alphabet Inc Class C (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>), Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), and Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>).
In the early trade, money flows are neutral in Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>).
In the early trade, money flows are mixed in SPY and Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1 (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>).
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Momo Crowd And Smart Money In Stocks</h3>
Investors can gain an edge by knowing money flows in SPY and QQQ. Investors can get a bigger edge by knowing when smart money is buying stocks, gold, and oil.  The most popular ETF for gold is SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GLD#NYSE">GLD</a>). The most popular ETF for silver is iShares Silver Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SLV#NYSE">SLV</a>). The most popular ETF for oil is United States Oil ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/USO#NYSE">USO</a>).
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Bitcoin</h3>
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) is below $60,000. There is a disappointment that bitcoin whales did not take advantage of low liquidity during the weekend to run up bitcoin.
Normally, buying in bitcoin and buying in speculative stocks go together. However, recently a disconnect developed between the two.  The disconnect continues to persist in the early trade.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Protection Band And What To Do Now</h3>
It is important for investors to look ahead and not in the rearview mirror.
Consider continuing to hold good, very long term, existing positions. Based on individual risk preference, consider a protection band consisting of cash or Treasury bills or short-term tactical trades as well as short to medium term hedges and short term hedges. This is a good way to protect yourself and participate in the upside at the same time.
You can determine your protection bands by adding cash to hedges. The high band of the protection is appropriate for those who are older or conservative. The low band of the protection is appropriate for those who are younger or aggressive. If you do not hedge, the total cash level should be more than stated above but significantly less than cash plus hedges.
A protection band of 0% would be very bullish and would indicate full investment with 0% in cash.&nbsp; A protection band of 100% would be very bearish and would indicate a need for aggressive protection with cash and hedges or aggressive short selling.
It is worth reminding that you cannot take advantage of new upcoming opportunities if you are not holding enough cash.&nbsp; When adjusting hedge levels, consider adjusting partial stop quantities for stock positions (non ETF); consider using wider stops on remaining quantities and also allowing more room for high beta stocks.&nbsp; High beta stocks are the ones that move more than the market.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Traditional 60/40 Portfolio</h3>
Probability based risk reward adjusted for inflation does not favor long duration strategic bond allocation at this time.
Those who want to stick to traditional 60% allocation to stocks and 40% to bonds may consider focusing on only high quality bonds and bonds of five year duration or less. Those willing to bring sophistication to their investing may consider using bond ETFs as tactical positions and not strategic positions at this time.
The Arora Report is known for its accurate calls. The Arora Report correctly called the big artificial intelligence rally before anyone else, the new bull market of 2023, the bear market of 2022, new stock market highs right after the virus low in 2020, the virus drop in 2020, the DJIA rally to 30,000 when it was trading at 16,000, the start of a mega bull market in 2009, and the financial crash of 2008. Please click here to sign up for a free forever <a href="https://thearorareport.com/generate-wealth-newsletter-benzinga">Generate Wealth Newsletter</a>.

GOOG

MSFT

TSLA

Stock Market Rebounds To Resistance Zone, AMD's AI Strategy To Compete With Nvidia

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>).
And retail traders should know.
We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.
Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with CSCO, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.
So how do we know what these investors just did? 
Today, <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/?utm_source=insights">Benzinga</a>'s options scanner spotted 8 uncommon options trades for Cisco Systems.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 37% bullish and 50%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 2 are puts, for a total amount of $61,235, and 6 are calls, for a total amount of $278,636.
<h3>Projected Price Targets</h3>
After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $45.0 and $52.5 for Cisco Systems, spanning the last three months.
<h3>Volume &amp; Open Interest Development</h3>
Assessing the volume and open interest is a strategic step in options trading. These metrics shed light on the liquidity and investor interest in Cisco Systems's options at specified strike prices. The forthcoming data visualizes the fluctuation in volume and open interest for both calls and puts, linked to Cisco Systems's substantial trades, within a strike price spectrum from $45.0 to $52.5 over the preceding 30 days.
<h3>Cisco Systems Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1724083229_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Biggest Options Spotted:</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>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>08/30/24</td>
<td>$0.39</td>
<td>$0.37</td>
<td>$0.38</td>
<td>$50.00</td>
<td>$76.0K</td>
<td>3.7K</td>
<td>2.2K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>10/18/24</td>
<td>$0.37</td>
<td>$0.35</td>
<td>$0.36</td>
<td>$52.50</td>
<td>$56.8K</td>
<td>12.5K</td>
<td>1.6K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$4.8</td>
<td>$4.8</td>
<td>$4.8</td>
<td>$45.00</td>
<td>$48.0K</td>
<td>3.6K</td>
<td>23</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$0.87</td>
<td>$0.81</td>
<td>$0.81</td>
<td>$50.00</td>
<td>$43.1K</td>
<td>19.2K</td>
<td>641</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/17/25</td>
<td>$2.61</td>
<td>$2.58</td>
<td>$2.6</td>
<td>$50.00</td>
<td>$34.5K</td>
<td>22.1K</td>
<td>292</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 such as 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 employs 80,000 people and sells its products globally.
<h3>Current Position of Cisco Systems</h3>
<ul>
<li>Currently trading with a volume of 3,980,924, the CSCO's price is up by 0.14%, now at $49.53. </li>
<li>RSI readings suggest the stock is currently may be approaching overbought.</li>
<li>Anticipated earnings release is in 86 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Expert Opinions on Cisco Systems</h3>
In the last month, 5 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $55.0.
<ul>
<li>An analyst from Rosenblatt has decided to maintain their Neutral rating on Cisco Systems, which currently sits at a price target of $58. </li>
<li>Showing optimism, an analyst from New Street Research upgrades its rating to Buy with a revised price target of $57. </li>
<li>An analyst from Jefferies has decided to maintain their Buy rating on Cisco Systems, which currently sits at a price target of $53. </li>
<li>An analyst from Barclays has decided to maintain their Equal-Weight rating on Cisco Systems, which currently sits at a price target of $49. </li>
<li>An analyst from HSBC upgraded its action to Buy with a price target of $58. </li>
</ul>
Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for Cisco Systems with <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a> for real-time alerts.

Unpacking the Latest Options Trading Trends in Cisco Systems

The S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indices notched their seventh consecutive day of gains on Friday, culminating in their strongest weekly performance since late October 2023 as investor sentiment toward risk assets improved in response to a string of upbeat economic indicators <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/economic">released throughout the week.</a>
Tracking these indices, the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and the Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) closed with modest daily gains of 0.2% and 0.1%, respectively. For the week, the S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq 100 soared 4% and 5.5%, marking their best weekly performances in 10 months.
The Dow Jones Index, as tracked by the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIA#NYSE">DIA</a>), closed 0.2% higher, marking its fourth straight session of gains and the best week since December 2023.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Wall Street Extends Winning Streak On Bullish Economic Data, Record-High Earnings</h3>
On Friday, traders welcomed a better-than-expected consumer sentiment reading from the University of Michigan, which signaled <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/econ-s/24/08/40419637/us-consumer-confidence-rebounds-in-august-expectations-are-subject-to-change-as-presidential-campaig">growing optimism among consumers.</a>
A day earlier, initial jobless claims for the week ending Aug. 10 surprised to the downside, indicating fewer concerns about the resilience of the labor market, while retail sales spiked more than expected by 1% on a month-over-month basis in July, marking the strongest month since January 2023.
Softer-than-anticipated inflation data for both consumers and producers released earlier this week further fueled market enthusiasm, cementing expectations for an interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve next month.
The upbeat data has tempered bets on a larger rate reduction, with market participants now leaning toward a more modest 25-basis-point cut. Market-implied probabilities for a larger 50-basis-point reduction have tumbled to 23%, according to CME Group&#8217;s FedWatch tool, as economic data signals no rush for <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/24/08/40405406/interest-rate-markets-rethink-fed-strategy-as-economic-data-signals-no-rush-for-m">an overly loose monetary policy. </a>
&#8220;The latest data support our view that betting against consumers when jobs are expanding is a bad bet. Even bad weather didn&#8217;t stop them from going to the malls last month,&#8221; said Ed Yardeni, president at Yardeni Research.
The latest earnings season provides no indication of an impending recession, Yardeni said. With over 90% of S&amp;P 500 companies having reported second-quarter results, collective operating earnings per share for the index surged 10.9% year-over-year to a record high of $60.19.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">S&amp;P 500&#8217;s Top 5 Movers On Friday</h3>
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Company</td>
<td>1-day return (%)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ulta Beauty, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ULTA#NASDAQ">ULTA</a>)</td>
<td>3.21</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DexCom, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DXCM#NASDAQ">DXCM</a>)</td>
<td>3.16</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tapestry, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TPR#NYSE">TPR</a>)</td>
<td>3.06</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WST#NYSE">WST</a>)</td>
<td>2.67</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bath &amp; Body Works, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BBWI#NYSE">BBWI</a>)</td>
<td>2.47</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Nasdaq 100&#8217;s Top 5 Movers On Friday</h3>
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Security Name</td>
<td>1-day return (%)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Atlassian Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TEAM#NASDAQ">TEAM</a>)</td>
<td>5.05</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DexCom, Inc.</td>
<td>3.16</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PDD Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PDD#NASDAQ">PDD</a>)</td>
<td>2.90</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TTWO#NASDAQ">TTWO</a>)</td>
<td>2.43</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WBD#NASDAQ">WBD</a>)</td>
<td>2.36</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/08/40399595/bill-ackman-cuts-chipotle-stake-right-before-stock-drop-did-billionaire-see-what-the-market-coul">Bill Ackman Cuts Chipotle Stake Right Before Stock Drop: Did Billionaire See What The Market Couldn&#8217;t?</a></li>
</ul>
Photo generated using artificial intelligence via MidJourney.

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