Can Cisco Reach $20 Again? (CSCO)

Now that Cisco Cystems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) appears to have put its restructuring in the rear-view mirror, it might be worth looking at whether or not the stock is headed toward $20/share again. The first thing the company could do…

Published January 4, 2012, 1:40pm ET · 1 min read

Now that Cisco Cystems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) appears to have put its restructuring in the rear-view mirror, it might be worth looking at whether or not the stock is headed toward $20/share again.

The first thing the company could do is raise its annual dividend above the paltry $0.24/share where it now stands. To help fund that, the company could stop wasting cash on share buybacks. So far, Cisco has spent about $70 billion on buybacks.

The second thing the company could do is make every effort to have a successful turnaround in its operations. If Cisco can succeed at that, then perhaps John Chambers will declare victory and retire.

Cisco shares are trading at around $18.78 in the early afternoon today. The consensus target price for the stock is $21.20 and its forward P/E is 9.65. The 52-week range is $13.30-$22.34. The potential upside from the 52-week low is about 41%.

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Paul Ausick

Paul Ausick has been writing for 247Wallst.com for more than a decade. He has written extensively on investing in the energy, defense, and technology sectors. In a previous life, he wrote technical documentation and managed a marketing communications group in Silicon Valley.

He has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Chicago and now lives in Montana, where he fishes for trout in the summer and stays inside during the winter.

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