By David Moadel
Publication Date: 2026-05-26 19:24:00
The AI networking trade has produced one of the sharpest leadership shifts of the year, and it favors the name many investors had written off. Over the past month, Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO | CSCO Price Prediction) stock has surged 32%, while Arista Networks (NYSE:ANET) stock has slumped 10% and Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) stock has essentially drifted sideways.
Today’s midday session is partially reversing that pattern. Arista is bouncing 3% to 4%, Cisco is down 2.5%, and Broadcom is up 2%. The intraday picture is a useful reminder that AI networking leadership can rotate fast, but it doesn’t undo the dispersion that has built up over the past month.
The setup matters because all three names are exposed to the same hyperscaler capex cycle. Yet, over the most recent month, the market has chosen a winner, and it’s the legacy incumbent rather than the AI native pure-play.
Cisco’s Old Guard Comeback
Cisco’s run accelerated after a strong fiscal Q3 FY2025 earnings report. The…
