Analysts expect Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) to report adjusted earnings of $0.49 per share on sales of $12.2 billion. Both results would show year-over-year percentage growth in the low single digits. That would be right in line with last quarter’s modest 5% revenue growth but far below the 47% earnings jump that Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) reported three months ago.
For what it’s worth, management’s earnings and revenue guidance straddles the Wall Street estimate, with one foot firmly planted on each side of the average estimates. Mind you, Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) tends to lowball guidance figures and has beaten earnings estimates in each of the last 18 quarters. So you should expect another positive surprise tonight, to use an oxymoron.
The networking industry is going through a rough patch right now. Alcatel Lucent SA (ADR) (NYSE:ALU) has seen so many tough quarters that the company is fighting for its very survival despite a strong technology portfolio. Juniper Networks, Inc. (NYSE:JNPR) crushes analyst targets left and right, but the stock never soars on these results. In fact, Juniper Networks, Inc. (NYSE:JNPR) shares traded sideways over the last 12 months and missed the 2013 market rally entirely.
Investors in this sector are keeping their distance, expecting another big plunge any minute. And why not? All three of these stocks have underperformed the Dow Jones Industrial Average (Dow Jones Indices:.DJI) in the last five years, trading down while the Dow trended up.
So what does this boil down to for Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) tonight? For one, Cisco shares took some corrective medicine after the second-quarter report, which only edged out analyst estimates and didn’t jack up next-quarter expectations sky-high. They’ve been treading water ever since, but I don’t think Cisco’s business has done the same.
The company has restructured its entire business model in recent years, and some of the craziest moves are starting to pay off. Keep an eye on growth in the unified computing server line, which jumped 87% year over year last quarter. And these server systems are often sold as a package deal with high-end network routers. That’s exactly the high-margin division that Cisco would love to see improving.
Juniper said a couple of weeks ago that enterprise sales was a challenging market. I think Cisco is grabbing market share in that high-end segment. If so, this report should be a turning point for Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) investors as margin-boosting wins unlock a catalyst for share prices.
And that’s why I think Cisco is one of the best Dow stocks you can buy today. This stock is about to enter another growth phase.
The article Is Cisco One of the Best Dow Stocks for New Investors? originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Anders Bylund.
Fool contributor Anders Bylund holds no position in any company mentioned. Check out Anders’ bio and holdings or follow him on Twitter and Google+. The Motley Fool owns shares of Cisco Systems. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.
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