Cisco SystemsXSWX:CSCO -3.87%83 Altman Z2-Score is 1.37 as of Jun. 27, 2026, which is 50% below its 10-year median of 2.72. GuruFocus rates XSWX:CSCO with a GF Score™ of 83/100 and a GF Value™ of CHF55.99 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 9 warning signs investors should review. Among 2,479 Hardware companies, Cisco Systems ranks worse than 78.14% on this metric.
Altman Z2-Score, also known as Z"-Score, is used to predict the likelihood that a non-manufacturing company (excluding property/financial company) will face bankruptcy within a two-year period.
Cisco Systems has a Altman Z2-Score of 1.37, indicating it is in Grey Zones. This implies that Cisco Systems is in some kind of financial stress. If it is below 1.1, the company may face bankrupcy risk.
The zones of discrimination were as such:
When Altman Z2-Score <= 1.1, it is in Distress Zones.
When Altman Z2-Score >= 2.6, it is in Safe Zones.
When Altman Z2-Score is between 1.1 and 2.6, it is in Grey Zones.
The historical rank and industry rank for Cisco Systems's Altman Z2-Score or its related term are showing as below:
XSWX:CSCO'
s Altman Z2-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.99 Med: 2.72 Max: 5.44
Current: 1.36
During the past 13 years, Cisco Systems's highest Altman Z2-Score was 5.44. The lowest was 0.99. And the median was 2.72.
Cisco Systems (XSWX:CSCO) Altman Z2-Score Explanation
The original Z-Score model was based on publicly traded manufacturing companies while the Z2-Score, also known as Z"-score can be used for any type of company excluding property/financial companies. Both Z-Score and Z2-Score describes the financial health of a company, and its likelihood of financial distress.
X1: The Working Capital/Total Assets (WC/TA) ratio is a measure of the net liquid assets of the firm relative to the total capitalization. Working capital is defined as the difference between current assets and current liabilities. Ordinarily, a firm experiencing consistent operating losses will have shrinking current assets in relation to total assets. Altman found this one proved to be the most valuable liquidity ratio comparing with the current ratio and the quick ratio. This is however the least significant of the five factors.
X2: Retained Earnings/Total Assets: the RE/TA ratio measures the leverage of a firm. Retained earnings is the account which reports the total amount of reinvested earnings and/or losses of a firm over its entire life. Those firms with high RE, relative to TA, have financed their assets through retention of profits and have not utilized as much debt.
X3, Earnings Before Interest and Taxes/Total Assets (EBIT/TA): This ratio is a measure of the true productivity of the firm's assets, independent of any tax or leverage factors. Since a firm's ultimate existence is based on the earning power of its assets, this ratio appears to be particularly appropriate for studies dealing with corporate failure. This ratio continually outperforms other profitability measures, including cash flow.
Altman Z2-Score does not apply to financial companies.
Cisco Systems Altman Z2-Score Related Terms
Cisco Systems Altman Z2-Score Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Cisco Systems's Altman Z2-Score can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
XSWX:CSCO vs CIEN, MSI, LITE: Altman Z2-Score Comparison
For the Communication Equipment subindustry, Cisco Systems's Altman Z2-Score, along with its competitors' market caps and Altman Z2-Score data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Cisco Systems Altman Z2-Score vs Hardware Industry
For the Hardware industry and Technology sector, Cisco Systems's Altman Z2-Score distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Cisco Systems's Altman Z2-Score falls into.
Altman Z-Score model is an accurate forecaster of failure up to two years prior to distress. It can be considered the assessment of the distress of industrial corporations.
Z2-Score, also known as Z"-Score is the Z-Score for non-manufacturing companies excluding property/financial companies.
Cisco Systems's Altman Z2-Score for today is calculated with this formula:
Z
=
6.56
*
X1
+
3.26
*
X2
+
6.72
*
X3
+
1.05
*
X4_2
=
6.56
*
-0.0238
+
3.26
*
0.0056
+
6.72
*
0.1246
+
1.05
*
0.6372
=
1.37
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency. GuruFocus does not calculate Altman Z2-Score when X4_2 value is 0.
Cisco Systems (XSWX:CSCO) has a Altman Z2-Score of 1.37 as of Jun. 27, 2026. Z2-Score is the Z-Score for non-manufacturing companies excluding property/financial companies, which measures a company's bankruptcy risk. View historical data on Cisco Systems and its competitors. This is 50% below median its historical median of 2.72. Over the past decade, Cisco Systems' Altman Z2-Score has ranged from 0.99 to 5.44. According to the industry distribution chart, Cisco Systems ranks #1937 out of 2479 companies in the Hardware industry, placing it in the top 78.1%.
Is Cisco Systems' Altman Z2-Score too high?
Cisco Systems' current Altman Z2-Score of 1.37 is 50% below median its 10-year median of 2.72. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.99 to a high of 5.44. The Hardware industry median Altman Z2-Score is 4.09. Cisco Systems' value of 1.37 is 66.5% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Cisco Systems ranks #1937 out of 2479 companies in the Hardware industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Cisco Systems has a GF Score™ of 83/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Cisco Systems' Altman Z2-Score compare to CIEN and MSI?
According to the Hardware industry distribution chart, Cisco Systems ranks #1937 out of 2479 companies for Altman Z2-Score. This places Cisco Systems in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Altman Z2-Score is 4.09. Cisco Systems' value of 1.37 is 66.5% below this benchmark. Historically, Cisco Systems' own Altman Z2-Score has ranged from 0.99 to 5.44 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 2.72 vs. the industry median of 4.09, Cisco Systems has consistently been below the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Altman Z2-Score for a Hardware company?
The median Altman Z2-Score among Hardware companies is 4.09, based on 2,479 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Altman Z2-Score significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Altman Z2-Score should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Cisco Systems's current Altman Z2-Score of 1.37 is 66.5% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Altman Z2-Score mean?
A high Altman Z2-Score can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Z2-Score is the Z-Score for non-manufacturing companies excluding property/financial companies, which measures a company's bankruptcy risk. View historical data on Cisco Systems and its competitors. For the Hardware industry, the median Altman Z2-Score is 4.09 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Cisco Systems's current Altman Z2-Score is 1.37, which is 50% below median its own 10-year median of 2.72. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Cisco Systems stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Cisco Systems (XSWX:CSCO) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is CHF55.99, compared to a current price of CHF93.27 — trading 66.6% above its estimated fair value. The current Altman Z2-Score is 1.37, which is 50% below median its 10-year median of 2.72 and 66.5% below the Hardware industry median of 4.09. Cisco Systems' overall GF Score™ is 83/100 with 9 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Altman Z2-Score calculated?
Altman Z2-Score is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Cisco Systems (XSWX:CSCO), the current Altman Z2-Score is 1.37 as of Jun. 27, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Cisco Systems (XSWX:CSCO) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Cisco Systems stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of CHF93.27 is trading 66.6% above its estimated GF Value™ of CHF55.99.
GuruFocus considers Cisco Systems to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for XSWX:CSCO:
Altman Z2-Score: 1.37 (50% below median its 10-year median of 2.72)
GF Value™: CHF55.99 vs. price of CHF93.27 (66.6% above fair value)
Industry Position: 66.5% below the Hardware median (#1937 of 2479)
No single metric tells the full story. See the XSWX:CSCO stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Cisco Systems is the largest provider of networking equipment in the world and one of the largest software companies in the world. Its largest businesses are selling networking hardware and software (where it has leading market shares) and cybersecurity software such as firewalls. It also has collaboration products, like its Webex suite, and observability tools. It primarily outsources its manufacturing to third parties and has a large sales and marketing staff—25,000 strong across 90 countries. Overall, Cisco employs 80,000 people and sells its products globally.
83GF Score
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