Click Here . To order reprints of this article, click here . The networking giant will report quarterly earnings after the markets close today.
Analysts expect results to be weak.
Still, the market will closely watch what chief executive officer John Chambers says about the economy and the company's prospects for the rest of the year because Cisco is the leading provider of Internet infrastructure gear. Investors should keep an ear open for notes of optimism about the current quarter, which ends in July, said Morningstar stock analyst Jay Ritter. At this point the market seems to expect Cisco to be at least cautiously optimistic about the current quarter and the rest of the year, and much of that optimism may already be priced into the stock. If Cisco sticks to its cautious estimates for the current quarter, it may not be much of an event, Ritter said. If Chambers sounds more pessimistic, Cisco shares could take a hit.