First Look at DOW Component Cisco Systems (CSCO).

Today I continue my series of articles on the Dow 30 component stocks with a first look at Cisco Systems (CSCO).  Cisco just started paying a dividend last year.  They have meager dividend yield of 1.86%.  The stock is priced for investment at only 13.7 times earnings.  Best of all – Cisco has a strong balance sheet due to their large cash assets.  To see how I came to these conclusions read on.

Cisco Systems (CSCO)

Price: $17.17

Shares: 5.36 billion

Market capitalization: $91.95 billion

What does the company do: Cisco Systems is the world's leading supplier of data networking equipment and software. Its products include routers, switches, access equipment, and network-management software that allow data communication among dispersed computer networks. The firm has also entered newer markets, such as video conferencing, web-based collaboration, and data center servers.

Morningstar’s take: Significant scale advantages, meaningful customer switching costs, and a reputation as the go-to provider of enterprise-class networking equipment give Cisco a durable competitive advantage in its core markets of routing and switching. Although Cisco faced a challenging 2011 characterized by aggressive competition, restructuring, and rocky product transitions, the firm has largely recovered from missteps with its market share intact and improving operating results. We believe Cisco is well positioned in 2012 to maintain share and expand its operating margin.

Bonds: $16 billion outstanding

Times interest earned: Cisco earned 12.32 times their interest expenses in the trailing twelve months.  They earned $7.356 billion in the trailing twelve months and paid $597 million in interest expenses.  Cisco’s bonds are not a threat to their dividend.

Preferred stock: none

DIVIDEND RECORD: Cisco started paying a quarterly dividend in the first quarter of 2011.  They started paying a $0.06 quarterly dividend and have grown it to $0.08 presently.  That is 33% straight-line growth over less than two years.  If Cisco keeps growing their dividend at their present pace, then they will become a powerful dividend stock.

Dividend: $0.08 quarterly

Dividend yield: 1.86% ($0.32 annual dividend / $17.17 share price)

Dividend payout: 24% using the 2011 EPS of $1.35 –OR- 25.6% using their average adjusted earnings of $1.25

EARNING POWER: $1.25 @ 5.36 billion shares

(earnings adjusted for changes in capitalization – typically share buybacks and/or additional shares created)

	EPS	Net income	Shares	Adjusted EPS
7/2005	$0.87	$5,741 M	6,612 M	$1.07
7/2006	$0.89	$5,580 M	6,272 M	$1.04
7/2007	$1.17	$7,333 M	6,265 M	$1.37
7/2008	$1.31	$8,052 M	6,163 M	$1.50
7/2009	$1.05	$6,134 M	5,857 M	$1.14
7/2010	$1.33	$7,767 M	5,848 M	$1.45
7/2011	$1.17	$6,490 M	5,563 M	$1.21

Seven year average adjusted earnings per share is $1.25

Consider contrarian buying below $10.00 (8 times average adjusted EPS)

Consider value buying below $15.00 (12 times average adjusted EPS)

Cisco Systems (CSCO) is currently trading at 13.7 times average adjusted EPS.  This is stock is priced for investment.

Consider speculative selling above $25.00 (20 times average adjusted EPS)

BALANCE SHEET – Cisco has an strong balance sheet loaded with current assets.

Book value per share: $9.58 ($51.357 B equity / 5.36 B shares)

Price to book value ratio: 1.79 (under 1.0 is good)  ($17.17 share price / $9.58 BV)

Tangible book value per share: $6.01 (equity - $17.006 B goodwill - $2.134 B intangibles / 5.36 B shares)

Price to tangible book value: 2.86 ($17.17 share price / $6.01 TBV)

Current ratio: 3.57 latest quarter (over 2.0 is good) ($61.212 B current assets / $17.124 B current liabilities)

Quick ratio: 2.83 latest quarter (over 1.0 is good) ($48.412 B cash & equivalents / $17.124 B current liabilities)

Debt to equity ratio: 0.33 (lower is better)

Percentage of total assets in plant, property, and equipment: 3.99% (the higher the better)  Disposition of other assets categories: Current assets 67.15%, Intangibles 21.00%, and Other long term assets 7.86%

Working capital trend: Up huge.  This is what a working capital chart should look like.

CONCLUSION – As usual, the best time to buy Cisco Systems in recent years was back in March 2009 when the stock price was $14.18.  It was a value investment back then at 11.3 times average earning power.  Cisco System is a new dividend payer and grower.  Their dividend record is too short to know if they’ll keep paying and growing their dividend during the next financial crisis.  The company is priced for investment at this time as 13.7 times average earning power.  The balance sheet is strong.  Their current ratio and quick ratio are some of the only good ones in the Dow 30 stocks.  There company has plenty of cash to finance current liabilities.  They are not dependent on any banks for funding in a crisis.  I’d look to buy Cisco below 15.00 when the stock market declines from the worldwide recession just getting started.

DISCLOSURE – I don’t own Cisco Systems (CSCO).

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