Markets
markets

Cisco beats expectations for Q2 sales and EPS; Q3 margin forecast is light

Cisco is dropping in Thursday’s premarket, down 8% at 4:45 a.m. ET, after a middling Q3 margin forecast offset sales and earnings beats in its second-quarter results yesterday.

For the fiscal second quarter of 2026, the computer networking equipment giant reported:

  • Non-GAAP earnings per share of $1.04 vs. the $1.02 expected by Wall Street analysts, according to FactSet.

  • Sales of $15.35 billion vs. the $15.11 billion consensus estimate.

  • AI infrastructure orders from hyperscalers of $2.1 billion vs. $1.3 billion in the previous quarter.

  • Revenue guidance for fiscal Q3 of between $15.4 billion and $15.6 billion vs. the $15.19 billion consensus estimate. 

  • Adjusted gross margins guidance for fiscal Q3 of 65.5% to 66.5%, compared with analysts’ forecasts for 68.2%.

  • Fiscal year 2026 sales guidance of $61.2 billion to $61.7 billion vs. previous guidance of between $60.2 billion and $61.0 billion.

Along with other companies like Lumentum, Corning, and new S&P 500 member Ciena, which provide things like the wiring and networking equipment needed to connect server racks, Cisco shares had been enjoing a strong start to 2026 as the AI data center boom continues to roll.

More Markets

See all Markets
markets

SpaceX gets a wave of bullish ratings from Wall Street analysts

SpaceX received more than a dozen positive analyst calls on Tuesday — including from major Wall Street banks — as they initiate coverage on Elon Musk’s space and AI company.

SpaceX went public on June 12 at a $2.2 trillion valuation, the largest debut in history. While the company hasn’t yet posted a profit, it seems to have convinced Wall Street that it will get there and grow its valuation on the way.

Of the at least 17 analysts that gave a rating on Tuesday, all but one gave it a “buy” or “outperform” rating. MoffettNathanson was "neutral."

The ratings come as SpaceX joined the Nasdaq 100 index, a benchmark tech-heavy basket of companies that underpins millions of portfolios. The inclusion adds built-in demand for the stock from index funds and ETFs.

Still, SpaceX fell more than 5% on Tuesday amid a broader sell-off, and is currently effectively flat from its opening price of $150 a share.

Latest Stories

Sherwood Media, LLC and Chartr Limited produce fresh and unique perspectives on topical financial news and are fully owned subsidiaries of Robinhood Markets, Inc., and any views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of any other Robinhood affiliate, including Robinhood Markets, Inc., Robinhood Financial LLC, Robinhood Securities, LLC, Robinhood Crypto, LLC, Robinhood Money, LLC, Robinhood U.K. Ltd, Robinhood Derivatives, LLC, Robinhood Gold, LLC, Robinhood Asset Management, LLC, Robinhood Credit, Inc., Robinhood Ventures DE, LLC and, where applicable, its managed investment vehicles.