We recently compiled a list of the 12 Most Undervalued Cybersecurity Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) stands against the other undervalued cybersecurity stocks.
With businesses facing a significantly complex cyber threat landscape, it is of utmost importance to stay ahead of trends in cybersecurity. Industry experts believe that, in 2025, the integration of AI in threat detection and acceleration in post-quantum encryption should define the landscape of the broader cybersecurity industry. Splashtop reported that the transition to a Zero-Trust framework demonstrates a significant shift in cybersecurity, emphasizing continuous verification and minimal access to enhance overall network security.
Global X Cybersecurity ETF saw an increase of more than 20% over the past year. What has led to this rally? Given the recent adoption of AI technology, market experts believe that the need for cybersecurity is significantly important. With several companies integrating GenAI into their operations, there has been a significant increase in cyberattacks. This led to increased demand for product offerings of cybersecurity companies.
Cybersecurity Industry- The Road Ahead
As per Fortune Business Insights, the global cybersecurity market size was pegged at US$172.24 billion in 2023. This market should grow from USD 193.73 billion in 2024 to USD 562.72 billion by 2032, demonstrating a CAGR of 14.3%. Furthermore, the US cyber security market should see strong growth, touching an estimated value of US$166.73 billion in 2032. This should stem from an increased number of e-commerce platforms. The strong adoption of enterprise security solutions in manufacturing, BFSI, and healthcare should fuel market growth up to 2032.
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Prevention of Cyberattacks
As per EIN Presswire, the quicker expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) offers a significant opportunity for the broader cybersecurity market. As IoT devices—which range from smart home appliances to industrial sensors— become critical to business operations, there seems to be an increased requirement for effective cybersecurity measures. Several devices often lack strong security protocols. This leads to hacking, unauthorized access, and exploitation.
EIN Presswire added that, amidst these challenges, the cybersecurity industry has a unique opportunity to develop specialized solutions established to secure the IoT ecosystem effectively. This might consist of implementing advanced encryption protocols to protect data transmission, and developing device authentication mechanisms so that only authorized devices can connect to the network. Also, intrusion detection systems can be deployed tailored to monitor and protect against threats related to interconnected devices.
NGFWs (Next Generation Firewalls) protect against evolving practices that use AI to bypass traditional defences, as per Juniper Research. It added that the network layer is the most critical element of IoT networks to protect, with more than 45% of global cybersecurity spending inclined towards protecting the network layer in 2025.
Our Methodology
To list the 12 Most Undervalued Cybersecurity Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds, we sifted through numerous online rankings and combed through cybersecurity-focused ETFs, such as First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF and Amplify Cybersecurity ETF. After getting an initial list of 25-30 stocks, we extracted the ones trading lower than the forward P/E of ~20.0x, as of November 20. Finally, the stocks were ranked in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiments, as of Q3 2024.
At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
Engineers using the latest Cisco TelePresence technology to collaborate with colleagues around the world.
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)
Forward P/E as of November 20: ~15.8x
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 60
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) provides enterprise network security, software development, data collaboration, and other related services.
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)’s focus on AI infrastructure and security seems to be paying off, with strong demand from webscale customers and a more than doubling of security orders, partly because of the integration of Splunk. Excluding Splunk, growth in security product orders was fueled by Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)’s renewed security strategy and new product pipeline.
The company continues to see momentum around its new security products like XDR, Secure Access, and Multicloud Defense with more than 1,000 customers deploying these products. Wall Street analysts remain optimistic about Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)’s acquisition of Spunk. This will enhance Cisco’s capabilities in data analytics and security and open up new revenue streams.
As cyber threats become more sophisticated, Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)’s integrated security solutions might see higher demand, fueling customer loyalty. The company’s platform-centric approach, primarily in security, should simplify customer experiences and drive increased sales. This strategy can result in improved customer retention and upselling opportunities, resulting in sustained profitability.
The London Company, an investment management company, released Q3 2024 investor letter. Here is what the fund said:
“Exited: Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) – Sale reflects slowing growth prospects and risk of value-destroying M&A. Valuation of the shares is attractive, and CSCO offers a 3.3% dividend yield at the current price, which makes it a more attractive holding for our Income Equity portfolio.”
Overall, CSCO ranks 1st on our list of the most undervalued cybersecurity stocks to buy according to hedge funds. While we acknowledge the potential of CSCO as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some deeply undervalued AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for a deeply undervalued AI stock that is more promising than CSCO but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.