Stock · Technology
CSCO Cisco Systems, Inc.
Cisco Systems, Inc. scores well across yield, structure, and size — a typical strong-safety profile.
Why we rate it 8.3
- Low yield of 1.45% — typical of growth-tilted stocks
- Payout ratio of 55% is comfortable — typical for mature dividend payers
- Current yield is below the 5-year average (2.79%), often a sign that price has appreciated faster than dividend growth
- Mega-cap scale (>$200B) — market dominance reduces dividend pressure
Where CSCO ranks
We compute the same 0–10 safety score across 53 dividend-paying stocks and ETFs. Here's where CSCO lands inside that universe.
The universe is curated to the most-searched US dividend payers. We'll expand it as the data layer grows; sector percentiles only appear when we have at least 5 comparable peers.
The two questions a safety score doesn't answer
A safety score tells you how durable CSCO's payout looks. It does not tell you what you keep after tax, or whether something else does the same job better.
On tax: what you actually pocket depends on whether CSCO dividends are qualified — qualified distributions are taxed at 0%, 15%, or 20%, while ordinary ones are taxed at your full marginal rate, a gap that can reach 22 percentage points of the income on the same headline yield.
On substitutes: if CSCO's 8.3/10 score is lower than you want, see CSCO alternatives — same-sector stocks ranked by how closely they match CSCO on both yield and safety, so you can see what a swap actually costs you.
About Cisco Systems, Inc.
Cisco Systems, Inc. designs, develops, and sells technologies that help to power, secure, and draw insights from the internet in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, Japan, and China. The company offers data center switching; network security, identity and access management, and secure access service edge; threat intelligence, detection, and response solutions; interconnects public and private wireline and mobile networks, delivering connectivity to campus, data center, and branch networks; WEBEX suite, collaboration devices, and contact center; communication platform as a service software, including perpetual licenses, subscription arrangements, and hardware solutions; network assurance, monitoring and analytics, and observability suite; issue resolution, software support, and hardware replacement; professional services, such as planning, design, implementation, and high-value consulting; service and support packages, financing, and managed network services; and regional, national, and international wireline carriers, webscale products, internet, and cable. It also delivers connectivity to campus, data center, and branch networks; wireless products, including indoor and outdoor wireless coverage designed for seamless roaming use of voice, video, and data applications; end-to-end collaboration solutions through cloud, on-premise, or within hybrid cloud environments, transition collaboration solutions from on-premise to the cloud; and network assurance, monitoring and analytics, and observability suite. In addition, it offers technical support and advisory services. The company serves businesses, public institutions, governments, and service providers. It sells its products and services directly, through systems integrators, service providers, resellers, and distributors. Cisco Systems, Inc. was incorporated in 1984 and is headquartered in San Jose, California.
How we score dividend safety
The Infnits dividend safety score is a 0–10 rating derived from yield zone, payout ratio (when applicable), yield trend versus 5-year average, instrument type, and company size. Each factor is independently transparent — see the reasons above for exactly which factors contributed to CSCO's score.
For the full methodology including the in-app version that uses ETF look-through and historical cut data, see our methodology page.
This is educational, not investment advice. Dividend safety scores reflect a snapshot of public data on the "as of" date shown. Verify current data on the issuer's investor relations page or your brokerage before making decisions.
Frequently asked questions
Is CSCO safe?
On dividend safety specifically, Infnits scores CSCO 8.3/10 — strong. Cisco Systems, Inc. scores well across yield, structure, and size — a typical strong-safety profile. That score measures how durable the payout looks based on yield zone, payout ratio, yield trend, and instrument type; it does not measure price risk, valuation, or whether CSCO suits your portfolio.
Is CSCO's dividend safe?
Based on snapshot data — yield 1.45%, payout ratio 55%, instrument type stock — Infnits rates CSCO's dividend safety profile as strong (8.3/10). This is one signal, not a recommendation.
What is CSCO's current dividend yield?
CSCO has a current dividend yield of 1.45% as of August 2, 2026. Its 5-year average yield is 2.79%.
How is CSCO's safety score calculated?
The score combines yield zone (yields above 7% historically carry elevated cut risk), payout ratio (lower is safer), trend vs. 5-year average yield, instrument type (ETFs are inherently more diversified), and size (larger companies have more stable cash flows). Each factor is scored 0-2.5 and summed to a 0-10 result.
Where does this data come from?
Fundamentals are sourced from public market data and refreshed regularly. The "as of" date on each page reflects the snapshot used for the score. For real-time data, check the issuer's investor relations page or your brokerage.
Should I buy CSCO based on this score?
No — this is an educational score based on a handful of public signals, not investment advice. Use it as one input among many. For a portfolio-aware analysis with ETF look-through and personalized insights, install the Infnits app.
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CSCO head-to-head comparisons
See CSCO compared side-by-side with the most-searched peer tickers — yield, safety, growth trend, expense ratio, and tax treatment.
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