Cisco Systems Option Alert: Fri $62 Puts Sweep (55) near the Ask: 2699 vs 86 OI; Earnings 5/14 After Close 

Cisco Systems Option Alert: Fri $62 Puts Sweep (55) near the Ask: 2699 @ $1.871 vs 86 OI; Earnings 5/14 After Close Ref=$61.39

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) Bolsa

CISCO SYSTEMS INC

Cisco Systems

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.

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Nvidia lidera las apuestas finales de CNBC. Cisco, Rio Tinto y Chipotle también destacan antes de sus próximos movimientos clave.

CNBC Halftime Report: Nvidia, Cisco, Rio Tinto y Chipotle entre las apuestas clave antes de los resultados

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Aquí tienes cinco acciones estadounidenses que podrían llamar la atención de los inversores este jueves: BABA, CSCO, DE, BOOT y WMT.

5 acciones en el foco este jueves: BABA, CSCO, DE, BOOT y WMT

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La inversión en IA y centros de datos podría dispararse si disminuyen las tensiones comerciales y reaparece el optimismo.

Jim Cramer recomienda comprar estas acciones de IA si bajan los aranceles

Cisco Systems Inc

In the current session, the stock is trading at $66.15, after a 0.14% spike. Over the past month, Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) stock increased by 7.07%, and in the past year, by 44.53%. With performance like this, long-term shareholders are optimistic but others are more likely to look into the price-to-earnings ratio to see if the stock might be overvalued.

<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1749492020_0_0.png" alt="Past Year Chart" />

<h3>Cisco Systems P/E Compared to Competitors</h3>
The P/E ratio is used by long-term shareholders to assess the company's market performance against aggregate market data, historical earnings, and the industry at large. A lower P/E could indicate that shareholders do not expect the stock to perform better in the future or it could mean that the company is undervalued. 
Compared to the aggregate P/E ratio of the 86.16 in the Communications Equipment industry, Cisco Systems Inc. has a lower P/E ratio of 26.96. Shareholders might be inclined to think that the stock might perform worse than it's industry peers. It's also possible that the stock is undervalued. 

<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1749492020_1.png" alt="Guage" />

In conclusion, the price-to-earnings ratio is a useful metric for analyzing a company's market performance, but it has its limitations. While a lower P/E can indicate that a company is undervalued, it can also suggest that shareholders do not expect future growth. Additionally, the P/E ratio should not be used in isolation, as other factors such as industry trends and business cycles can also impact a company's stock price. Therefore, investors should use the P/E ratio in conjunction with other financial metrics and qualitative analysis to make informed investment decisions.

Intraday Update

Price Over Earnings Overview: Cisco Systems

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Shares of companies within the broader technology sector are trading higher, supported by broad market strength, after better-than-expected nonfarm payrolls data eased concerns about an imminent economic slowdown.

In any other circumstances, Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) ordinarily wouldn't trigger intense intrigue. While Cisco's digital communications business — which includes a comprehensive suite of cybersecurity products and services — is incredibly relevant, it's not the most headline-friendly endeavor. That changed earlier this week and it may positively affect the forward trajectory of CSCO stock.
On Tuesday, Victoria's Secret (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VSCO#NYSE">VSCO</a>) reported a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs/sector-etfs/25/06/45756325/why-victorias-secrets-breach-is-a-wake-up-call-for-cybersecurity-etf-investors">cybersecurity breach</a>, which forced the company to shut its website down for three days in late May. At the time, the fashion industry didn't raise much fuss about the matter but for stakeholders, the breach presents a major concern. It's the latest, high-profile example of an increasing wave of corporate cyberattacks that are dragging sales, reputations and even entire business models.
On the other hand, the somewhat cynical — but ultimately pragmatic — response is to consider cybersecurity-focused investments such as CSCO stock. Fundamentally, companies in the space stand to benefit from an expanding total addressable market. Per Statista, the U.S. government has <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/675399/us-government-spending-cyber-security/">allocated</a> almost $13 billion of budgetary spending on cybersecurity, a 10% bump from last fiscal year. It's a clear sign that cybersecurity is a necessity, not a luxury.
The catalyst of need harkens back to an argument that Ritholtz Wealth Management's Josh Brown made earlier this year. IN the first few months of 2025, the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/03/44501515/cybersecurity-stocks-to-outperform-its-the-one-line-item-that-no-company-in-the-world-is-cutting-josh-brown">cybersecurity sector was outperforming</a> the broader tech index. Brown gave a blunt assessment for the superior returns.
"This is the one line item that no company in the world is cutting. I don't give a sh-t how bad the recession gets. This is out-of-business risk," Brown said Tuesday on an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZomfI76veg&amp;tblci=GiBHQ5jGSz2tTIA8W0d9W_RJMHgkmUPdKPzylaI48Ac4RiCN1Vcomc3V5NGfyeiJATDviEo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">episode</a>&nbsp;of The Compound's "What Are Your Thoughts?"
Essentially, the Victoria's Secret breach reminded investors why cybersecurity matters and CSCO stock is tagging along for the ride.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Statistical Argument Shines A Bright Spotlight On CSCO Stock</h2>
Although the underlying narrative of CSCO stock implies forward progress, storylines and even price action are not the most reliable predictors of equity performance. That's because the traditional approaches of fundamental and technical analysis — though they have their utility in certain contexts — suffer from the non-stationarity problem.
Essentially, metrics such as earnings per share or share price tend to drift or fluctuate, especially with long passages of time or shifts in sentiment regimes. In addition, administrative factors such as dilution and buybacks can distort the meaning of the metrics that are being used for comparison. At the end of the day, it's difficult to make apples-to-apples comparisons over time and context.
On the flipside, market breadth — which basically boils down to studying patterns of accumulation and distribution — is a discrete state or concept. Market breadth is a representation of demand and demand is binary. It's either happening or it's not. Binary events can be easily categorized and quantified, therefore facilitating projectability.
In statistical language, market breadth features stationarity: the core statistical property of market demand does not evolve over time. What does evolve are the patterns of demand — and these patterns can be analyzed to better determine probabilistic frameworks.
For CSCO stock, the security is currently printing a "6-4-U" sequence: six up weeks, four down weeks, with a net positive trajectory across the 10-week period. Over the past decade, in 56.76% of cases, the following week's price action results in upside, with a median return of 1.53%.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/06145953/CSCO-stock-10wk-forecast-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-941768" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/06145953/CSCO-stock-10wk-forecast-1024x576.jpg 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/06145953/CSCO-stock-10wk-forecast-300x169.jpg 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/06145953/CSCO-stock-10wk-forecast-768x432.jpg 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/06145953/CSCO-stock-10wk-forecast.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image by author</figcaption></figure>
Assuming that this week closes at $66, CSCO is on track to reach $67 in short order, perhaps in a week or two. If the bulls maintain control of the market, it's not inconceivable that the optimists will attempt to push the price toward the $67 level.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Setting Up A Tempting Call Spread On Cisco</h2>
For traders willing to roll the dice on the above statistical framework, the 66/67 bull call spread expiring June 27 is particularly tempting. This transaction involves buying the $66 call and simultaneously selling the $67 call, for a net debit paid of $52. Should CSCO stock rise through the short strike price at expiration, the maximum reward is $48, a payout of over 92%.
Notably, the high payout suggests that market makers believe the upswing in CSCO is a fluke, which isn't an unreasonable assessment. As a baseline, the chance that a long position in the security will be profitable over any given week is 53.12%. That's an upward bias but a modest one. What makes the 6-4-U sequence appealing is the implied sentiment shift. Here, the bulls receive nearly 4 percentage points of free odds in their favor.
To be clear, the chance of downside is still high at over 43%. Nevertheless, in blackjack terms, the deck is warm, which in this case incentivizes a bullish debit-based strategy.
The opinions and views expressed in this content are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Benzinga. Benzinga is not responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any information provided herein. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be misconstrued as investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Readers are asked not to rely on the opinions or information herein, and encouraged to do their own due diligence before making investing decisions.
Read Next:
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Photo: Shutterstock

Options

VSCO

Options Corner: Why Cisco Could Be The Silent Winner Of The Cybersecurity Surge

Deep-pocketed investors have adopted a bearish approach towards Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>), and it's something market players shouldn't ignore. Our tracking of public options records at Benzinga unveiled this significant move today. The identity of these investors remains unknown, but such a substantial move in CSCO usually suggests something big is about to happen.
We gleaned this information from our observations today when Benzinga's options scanner highlighted 11 extraordinary options activities for Cisco Systems. This level of activity is out of the ordinary.
The general mood among these heavyweight investors is divided, with 27% leaning bullish and 63% bearish. Among these notable options, 3 are puts, totaling $136,940, and 8 are calls, amounting to $575,202.
<h3>Projected Price Targets</h3>
Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $62.5 to $65.0 for Cisco Systems over the last 3 months. 
<h3>Volume &amp; Open Interest Trends</h3>
Examining the volume and open interest provides crucial insights into stock research. This information is key in gauging liquidity and interest levels for Cisco Systems's options at certain strike prices. Below, we present a snapshot of the trends in volume and open interest for calls and puts across Cisco Systems's significant trades, within a strike price range of $62.5 to $65.0, over the past month.
<h3>Cisco Systems Option Volume And Open Interest Over Last 30 Days</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1749154025_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Largest Options Trades Observed:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$0.7</td>
<td>$0.65</td>
<td>$0.66</td>
<td>$65.00</td>
<td>$178.2K</td>
<td>37.6K</td>
<td>2.7K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/20/26</td>
<td>$7.05</td>
<td>$6.85</td>
<td>$7.05</td>
<td>$62.50</td>
<td>$123.3K</td>
<td>804</td>
<td>182</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/06/25</td>
<td>$0.61</td>
<td>$0.6</td>
<td>$0.61</td>
<td>$64.00</td>
<td>$116.7K</td>
<td>11.1K</td>
<td>2.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>06/06/25</td>
<td>$0.56</td>
<td>$0.51</td>
<td>$0.56</td>
<td>$65.00</td>
<td>$57.6K</td>
<td>141</td>
<td>85</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>03/20/26</td>
<td>$4.0</td>
<td>$2.15</td>
<td>$4.0</td>
<td>$62.50</td>
<td>$43.6K</td>
<td>730</td>
<td>109</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About Cisco Systems</h3>
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.
After a thorough review of the options trading surrounding Cisco Systems, we move to examine the company in more detail. This includes an assessment of its current market status and performance.
<h3>Present Market Standing of Cisco Systems</h3>
<ul>
<li>With a trading volume of 12,228,745, the price of CSCO is up by 0.58%, reaching $64.77.</li>
<li>Current RSI values indicate that the stock is may be overbought.</li>
<li>Next earnings report is scheduled for 69 days from now.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What The Experts Say On Cisco Systems</h3>
5 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $68.4.
Turn $1000 into $1270 in just 20 days?
20-year pro options trader reveals his one-line chart technique that shows when to buy and sell. Copy his trades, which have had averaged a 27% profit every 20 days. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/options-moneyline-2/?t=Moop1arja3be22op14&amp;adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=options-activity&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Click here for access</a>. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Piper Sandler has decided to maintain their Neutral rating on Cisco Systems, which currently sits at a price target of $64. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Barclays has decided to maintain their Equal-Weight rating on Cisco Systems, which currently sits at a price target of $66. 
&#x2A; Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from JP Morgan keeps a Overweight rating on Cisco Systems with a target price of $73. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Morgan Stanley has decided to maintain their Overweight rating on Cisco Systems, which currently sits at a price target of $67. 
&#x2A; Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Evercore ISI Group keeps a Outperform rating on Cisco Systems with a target price of $72. 
Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely.
If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Cisco Systems, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a> gives you real-time options trades alerts.

Cisco Systems Unusual Options Activity For June 05

Analyst Ratings

QCOM

Live On CNBC, Jim Lebenthal Announced Bought More Cisco Systems; Bought More Qualcomm

When Victoria&#8217;s Secret (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VSCO#NYSE">VSCO</a>) reported a cybersecurity breach on Tuesday that caused it to take its website offline for three days in late May, the fashion industry hardly batted an eyelash. 
But shareholders ought to take heed. The attack is just the latest in an increasingly high tide of corporate cyberattacks that are stripping revenues, reputations, and sometimes entire business models, away. 
As cyber threats keep pace with AI adoption, investors are increasingly looking to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs">cybersecurity ETFs</a>.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs/broad-u-s-equity-etfs/25/06/45755138/small-caps-surge-dollar-general-stock-eyes-best-day-crude-hits-2-week-highs-whats-driving-markets-tuesday">Small Caps Surge, Dollar General Stock Eyes Best Day, Crude Hits 2-Week Highs: What&#8217;s Driving Markets Tuesday?</a>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Cybersecurity ETFs To Consider</h3>
The worldwide cybersecurity industry is <a href="https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/cyber-security-market-101165">projected </a>to grow to $562.72 billion by 2032, registering a CAGR of 14.3%, as per Fortune Business Insights. This broader secular trend has yielded compelling opportunities for investors through sector-specific ETFs. A brief summary of the major players follows:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CIBR#NASDAQ">CIBR</a>): With a one-day average volume of around 565,000 shares, this is the most liquid cybersecurity ETF. It has returned 39% over the past year, making it a strong contender for both active traders and long-term holders. The fund carries an expense ratio of 0.59%.</li>
</ul>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Amplify Cybersecurity ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HACK#NYSE">HACK</a>): Another top-performing ETF, up 41% in the past year. From Broadcom (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>) and Cisco (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) to Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PANW#NASDAQ">PANW</a>) and Fortinet (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FTNT#NASDAQ">FTNT</a>), HACK offers diversified exposure to cybersecurity firms globally. The ETF carries an expense ratio of 0.6%.</li>
</ul>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>iShares Cybersecurity &amp; Tech ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IHAK#NYSE">IHAK</a>) and Global X Cybersecurity ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BUG#NASDAQ">BUG</a>): Good choices for those seeking diversified, low-cost exposure with a bias toward tech. The funds have expense ratios of 0.47% and 0.51%, respectively. The ETFs are up 18% and 29% in the past year, respectively.</li>
</ul>
As per a Statista <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/675399/us-government-spending-cyber-security/">report</a>, for FY 2025, the US government has put forward close to $13 billion of budgetary spending on cybersecurity, an increase of 10% from last fiscal year. It&#8217;s a sign that cybersecurity is now viewed as core infrastructure.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Back To Victoria&#8217;s Secret</h3>
Although Victoria&#8217;s Secret denies the three-day website shutdown affected Q1 profits, the company highlights one of the most important risks that have become far too commonplace: digital-platform-based businesses are one hack away from customer pandemonium and market cap loss.
Retail is not singular. Marks &amp; Spencer was recently hit by a ransomware <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0el31nqnpvo">attack </a>that froze online orders for weeks. The company lost an estimated £300 million, cutting its profits by nearly a third. That is not merely a technology problem, it is a complete financial debacle.
And then there&#8217;s the health sector, with 440+ ransomware attacks in 2024, the highest in any of the key infrastructure sectors, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/20/politics/ransomware-attack-medical-centers">according </a>to CNN, deducing from IC3 report. In 2024, losses <a href="https://www.ic3.gov/AnnualReport/Reports/2024_IC3Report.pdf">reported </a>to IC3 totaled a staggering $16.6 billion, with ransomware as the most &#8220;pervasive threat to critical infrastructure, with complaints rising 9% from 2023.&#8221;
The irony? A lot of the risk is being fueled by the same technology companies are adopting to improve operations: AI. As companies use AI tools to automate processes and track customer behavior, they simultaneously create new <a href="https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2024/PSA241203">threats</a>.
That duality is fueling both fear and money, and ETF investors are surfing that trend.
Bottom Line: The cybersecurity theme has matured from a defensive hedge to a bona fide growth opportunity. Investors who want to future-proof their portfolios would do well to consider investing in ETFs that target this sector. Whether retail, healthcare, or geopolitics, cyberattacks aren&#8217;t disappearing. But with the proper investments, the prospect of returns could be just as enduring.
Read Next: 
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Image: Shutterstock

Sector ETFs

ETFs

CIBR

HACK

IHAK

Why Victoria's Secret's Breach Is A Wake-Up Call For Cybersecurity ETF Investors

Rubrik (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RBRK#NYSE">RBRK</a>) announced on Tuesday that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/06/b45744288/rubrik-expands-use-of-amd-epyc-cpus-to-enhance-and-accelerate-ai-ready-cloud-deployment" rel="noreferrer noopener">it is integrating</a> Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>) EPYC processors into its data security platform.
AMD EPYC processors will enable Rubrik to deliver cost-effective, power-efficient, and AI-ready solutions for enterprise customers while expanding deployment options in cloud environments.
This move reflects a broader trend in enterprise computing, where organizations are transitioning from on-premises to hybrid cloud environments and increasingly adopting AI-powered solutions, the company said. Rubrik&#8217;s 2025 State of Data Security report indicates that 90% of IT leaders manage distributed hybrid environments.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/45740135" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nvidia&#8217;s 20-Year AI Bet Creates &#8216;Unassailable&#8217; Moat, Warns Ex-AMD Engineer</a>
Arvind Nithrakashyap, Rubrik&#8217;s co-founder and CTO, highlighted the importance of the transition to hybrid environments and the clear advantages of AMD technology in performance efficiency.
Derek Dicker, Corporate Vice President, Enterprise and HPC Business at AMD, emphasized the exceptional performance and energy efficiency of AMD EPYC processors in meeting data security demands and reducing environmental impact.
In order to meet growing customer demand for lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) without compromising performance or security, Rubrik is building on a relationship that began in 2018 with the E1000 appliance and currently includes nearly 50% of Cloud Native Protection being run on AMD instances in Amazon.Com Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) AWS, Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) Azure and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) GCP with more support continuously being added.
Rubrik is now planning to significantly expand AMD EPYC processor availability across its third-party hardware ecosystem, with solutions currently available on Dell Technologies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DELL#NYSE">DELL</a>) and Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HPE#NYSE">HPE</a>) platforms and a Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>)-based solution launching in the coming quarter.
Rubrik has two cloud offerings &#8211; Cloud Native Protection and Rubrik Cloud Cluster. Today, ~50% of Cloud Native Protection runs on AWS, Azure, and GCP AMD instances. Rubrik is adding AMD instance support to Rubrik Cloud Cluster in AWS, Azure, GCP and OCI by the end of July.
Rubrik&#8217;s move reflects continued demand for AMD despite Nvidia Corp&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) dominance.
Even in a market largely dominated by NVIDIA&#8217;s AI accelerator solutions, analyst Vivek Arya from Bank of America Securities maintains <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/price-target/25/05/45548891/amd-could-see-eps-upside-by-2027-despite-nvidias-over-80-market-share-analyst" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a favorable perspective on AMD</a>, highlighting its significant server and PC CPU market share gains, alongside promising growth in AI with new rack-scale pipelines and substantial Middle East contracts.
This indicates a strong and growing demand for AMD&#8217;s compute capabilities, which Rubrik is strategically leveraging to deliver versatile, cost-effective, and AI-ready cloud security offerings, catering to a diverse range of enterprise customers seeking performance without compromise.
Price Actions: AMD stock is trading higher by 2.46% to $117.45 at last check Tuesday. RBRK is down 0.62%.
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Image via Shutterstock

DELL

GOOG

GOOGL

INTC

RBRK

Rubrik Teams Up With AMD To Power AI-Ready, Cost-Effective Cloud Security Solutions

In the age of meme stocks, moonshot tech plays, and crypto quick wins, it might seem out of character for a young investor to get excited about Coca-Cola (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KO#NYSE">KO</a>), or Lockheed Martin (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LMT#NYSE">LMT</a>), or a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs">dividend ETF</a> that doesn't promise to 10x your money overnight.
But a revolution is quietly cooking in the portfolios of Gen-Z&#8217;ers and Millennials who follow the FIRE philosophy — Financial Independence, Retire Early. And large part of this movement is a tactic your financial advisor&#8217;s father may have suggested: dividend growth investing. In that context, Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SCHD#NYSE">SCHD</a>) is emerging as a solid contender for <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs/specialty-etfs/25/05/45532640/schd-the-dividend-etf-turning-quiet-compounding-into-long-term-wealth">passive income investing</a>.
Let&#8217;s explore the mood further. SCHD has a low 0.06% expense ratio, pays a 4% dividend yield, and owns stalwarts such as Verizon (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VZ#NYSE">VZ</a>), ConocoPhillips (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COP#NYSE">COP</a>), and Coca-Cola. The fund is tightly rules-based, emphasizing only those firms with 10 years of dividend payment, good fundamentals, and heavy trading volume.
And that&#8217;s what attracts FIRE followers. The emotional roller coaster involved in pursuing meme tickers and &#8220;to the moon&#8221; mania is bound to lose charm, and young investors are constructing long-term portfolios intended to accumulate wealth quietly, sustainably, and with little drama.
The Philosophy 
FIRE is not about instant wealth. It&#8217;s about working hard, investing harder, and retiring earlier than the conventional age of 65-70, on a self-directed, passive income stream robust enough to pay for everything.
Dividend growth investing checks all the boxes: It offers compounding income from quarterly payments, less volatility than high-beta growth stocks, protection against inflation as dividends rise with time, and sector diversification without the drudgery of selecting individual stocks.
And SCHD? It does it all, no Reddit forum necessary.
A Financial Workhorse
With assets of more than $67 billion and an average daily volume of more than 15 million shares, it&#8217;s a big player in the dividend ETF universe. Its top 10 holdings, such as Lockheed Martin, Cisco (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>), and Verizon, are among the most financially secure U.S. corporations. And its built-in guardrails, such as a sector exposure cap (no more than 25%) and focus on return on equity (29.06% as of April 30), prevent it from crossing into dangerous territory.
Even during periods of market volatility, SCHD&#8217;s performance has been robust due to its mix of consumer staples, healthcare, and energy exposure. It&#8217;s not cool, but it&#8217;s reliable. And in a FIRE portfolio, that is a superpower.
Final Thought
In an era where financial news streams are dominated by AI chip makers and blockchain soap operas, SCHD is working its magic behind the scenes, assisting investors in achieving their objectives one dividend check at a time. For the next generation pursuing financial independence, and not merely flashy charts, it might be just the turtle that outpaces all the hares on the track.
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Specialty ETFs

SCHD

From Meme Stocks To Mature Moves: Why SCHD Might Be A Good Bet For Young Investors For Passive Income Power

Financial giants have made a conspicuous bullish move on Cisco Systems. Our analysis of options history for Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) revealed 8 unusual trades.
Delving into the details, we found 50% of traders were bullish, while 25% showed bearish tendencies. Out of all the trades we spotted, 3 were puts, with a value of $417,600, and 5 were calls, valued at $274,164.
<h3>Predicted Price Range</h3>
Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $50.0 to $72.5 for Cisco Systems during the past quarter. 
<h3>Analyzing Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
Looking at the volume and open interest is an insightful way to conduct due diligence on a stock.
This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Cisco Systems's options for a given strike price.
Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Cisco Systems's whale activity within a strike price range from $50.0 to $72.5 in the last 30 days. 
<h3>Cisco Systems 30-Day Option Volume &amp; Interest Snapshot</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1748548847_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Largest Options Trades Observed:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/20/26</td>
<td>$1.45</td>
<td>$1.35</td>
<td>$1.38</td>
<td>$50.00</td>
<td>$296.6K</td>
<td>582</td>
<td>2.1K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/18/26</td>
<td>$4.35</td>
<td>$4.2</td>
<td>$4.2</td>
<td>$60.00</td>
<td>$90.3K</td>
<td>691</td>
<td>424</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>08/15/25</td>
<td>$11.2</td>
<td>$11.2</td>
<td>$11.2</td>
<td>$52.50</td>
<td>$87.3K</td>
<td>40</td>
<td>78</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$2.1</td>
<td>$1.35</td>
<td>$1.73</td>
<td>$72.50</td>
<td>$61.5K</td>
<td>3.1K</td>
<td>356</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>07/18/25</td>
<td>$0.87</td>
<td>$0.84</td>
<td>$0.85</td>
<td>$65.00</td>
<td>$42.5K</td>
<td>17.0K</td>
<td>1.4K</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About Cisco Systems</h3>
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.
Following our analysis of the options activities associated with Cisco Systems, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.
<h3>Cisco Systems's Current Market Status</h3>
<ul>
<li>Currently trading with a volume of 8,767,627, the CSCO's price is down by -0.53%, now at $63.01. </li>
<li>RSI readings suggest the stock is currently may be overbought.</li>
<li>Anticipated earnings release is in 76 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What Analysts Are Saying About Cisco Systems</h3>
A total of 5 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $71.0.
Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move
Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-checkout/?t=Be8be9arja3be22bz20&amp;adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=options-activity&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Click here for access</a>. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Wells Fargo upgraded its action to Overweight with a price target of $75. 
&#x2A; Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from JP Morgan keeps a Overweight rating on Cisco Systems with a target price of $73. 
&#x2A; Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Barclays continues to hold a Equal-Weight rating for Cisco Systems, targeting a price of $66. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Rosenblatt persists with their Buy rating on Cisco Systems, maintaining a target price of $74. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Morgan Stanley persists with their Overweight rating on Cisco Systems, maintaining a target price of $67. 
Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely.
If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Cisco Systems, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a> gives you real-time options trades alerts.

Cisco Systems Options Trading: A Deep Dive into Market Sentiment

<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/insights/news/25/05/45589788/in-depth-analysis-nvidia-versus-competitors-in-semiconductors-amp-semiconductor-equipment-industry">Nvidia</a> (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) is looking beyond Big Tech as it strategizes global expansion by doing deals with foreign governments, the<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/2ba1d064-242d-4a2a-a381-374d9643e23a"> Financial Times</a> reports.
As the innovative chip company behind artificial intelligence, demand for Nvidia&#8217;s technology crosses all boundaries — from neighboring Big Tech companies in Silicon Valley to foreign governments. Following Nvidia&#8217;s <a href="https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/saudi-arabia-and-nvidia-to-build-ai-factories-to-power-next-wave-of-intelligence-for-the-age-of-reasoning">recently announced</a><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/business/dealbook/trump-nvidia-ai-middle-east.html"> </a>multibillion-dollar chip agreement with<a href="https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/saudi-arabia-and-nvidia-to-build-ai-factories-to-power-next-wave-of-intelligence-for-the-age-of-reasoning"> </a>as a part of a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/business/dealbook/trump-nvidia-ai-middle-east.html">deal with the U.S. government</a> to build a large AI infrastructure, the FT reports that such &#8220;sovereign AI&#8221; deals are a part of Nvidia&#8217;s strategy to be less reliant on&nbsp; &#8220;hyperscalers&#8221; — large cloud computing companies accounting for over half its data center revenue.
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Making Its Tech Accessible</h2>
To do this, Nvidia is allowing access to its technology from up-and-coming rivals to enable them to foster relationships with cloud service providers like Amazon (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) and Google,&nbsp; FT reports. The outlet adds that business relationships with Cisco (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>), Dell (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DELL#NYSE">DELL</a>), and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HPE#NASDAQ">HPE</a>) will help them enable enterprise customers to create their own IT infrastructure instead of outsourcing to the cloud.
&#8220;I&#8217;m more certain [about the business opportunity beyond the big cloud providers] today than I was a year ago,&#8221; Nvidia CEO <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45513246/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-says-chinese-ai-researchers-are-world-class-and-us-companies-are-hiring-a-whole-bunch-of-them">Jensen Huang</a> told the FT in March.
Trending: ‘Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/mode-mobile-2">You can invest today for just $0.30/share with a $1000 minimum.</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Robotics And Real World Uses</h2>
As part of its expansion, Nvidia sees robots as pivotal to introducing AI to practical real-world uses in robotics, drug development and autonomous navigation. The company presented employee-authored literature at a Singapore conference covering these sectors, highlighting the partnerships with Google, GE HealthCare (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GEHC#NASDAQ">GEHC</a>), and General Motors (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GM#NYSE">GM</a>), FT said.
Experts question whether the scope of the deals Nvidia just made in Saudi Arabia is feasible on an ongoing basis.
&#8220;Is every country going to announce a $10 billion or $50 billion data center like the Saudis? Of course not,&#8221; Seaport Research analyst Jay Goldberg told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/amid-jensanity-nvidia-signals-plans-keep-ai-crown-2025-05-23/">Reuters.</a> &#8220;They&#8217;re sort of running out of obvious deals.&#8221;
Huang, however, remains bullish: &#8220;AI infrastructure is being built out (everywhere) &#8211; that&#8217;s one of the reasons I&#8217;m traveling around the world&#8230; AI infrastructure is going to be a part of society,&#8221; he told Reuters.
See Also: Invest where it hurts — and help millions heal:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/a-cure-for-osteoarthritis-powered-by-everyday-investors-cytonics-is-looking-to-beat-big-pharma-and-disrupt-a-390-billion-market"> Invest in Cytonics and help disrupt a $390B Big Pharma stronghold</a>.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">NVLink Fusion</h2>
Huang explained at the recent Computex conference in Taipei that new technology, rather than mega infrastructure deals with sovereign governments, was the key to the company&#8217;s expansion, Reuters reported. Specifically, Huang spoke about NVLink Fusion, which allows companies to access Nvidia&#8217;s AI infrastructure using custom chips, creating a scalable architecture.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Nvidia Compliant Hardware Will Drive Expansion</h2>
Nvidia&#8217;s NVLink Fusion platform will encourage companies to build compliant hardware and thus drive demand for Nvidia AI network and data centre parts, Reuters says. It means that Nvidia can be a crucial part of a country or company&#8217;s growth without having to carry all the weight of expansion.
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Image: Shutterstock

GEHC

Nvidia Aims To Bypass Big Tech Dependency By Going Straight To International Governments, As It Did Recently With Saudi Arabia

Nvidia Corp.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) strong first-quarter performance highlights a quiet, yet fast-growing segment of the company that has long been overlooked by investors.
What Happened: During its much-anticipated <a href="https://benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/05/45657660/nvidia-q1-highlights-china-export-ban-hits-results-but-jensen-huang-says-demand-incredibly-strong">first quarter results</a> on Wednesday, NVIDIA reported $5 billion in sales from its networking business, an increase of 64% from the prior quarter, with the company&#8217;s CFO Colette Kress noting during the earnings call, that its enhanced Ethernet platform, SpectrumX, is now annualizing over $8 billion.
&#8220;Spectrum X posted strong sequential and year-on-year growth,&#8221; she said, adding that adoption is &#8220;widespread across major CSPs,&#8221; including Microsoft Azure, Oracle Cloud, CoreWeave Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRWV#NASDAQ">CRWV</a>), and most recently, Google Cloud and Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>).
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/05/45660322/trump-tariffs-struck-down-by-federal-court-major-blow-to-white-houses-trade-strategy-report">Trump Tariffs Struck Down By Federal Court — Appeal Filed By Administration: Report (UPDATED)</a>
During the call, CEO Jensen Huang emphasized the company&#8217;s strategy to dominate, not just the AI compute layer, but the entire datacenter architecture. 
He says, &#8220;we now have four networking platforms,&#8221; referring to NVLink, SpectrumX, InfiniBand, and BlueField, all of which he says are &#8220;doing really well.&#8221;
Powerful AI models such as ChatGPT or Google&#8217;s Gemini require hundreds of thousands of GPUs that need to constantly talk with one another. These conversations are an intense, split-second exchange of huge volumes of data that traditional Ethernet switches are incapable of handling.
The company's NVLink Gen 5 platform delivers 130 terabytes per second of bandwidth in a single rack, which is equivalent to the world's peak internet traffic. 
Huang says that enhanced Ethernet, once considered unsuitable for AI, now rivals InfiniBand in efficiency. &#8220;The traffic of AI is insanely bursty… and so SpectrumX has been really, quite frankly, a home run.&#8221;
Despite its rapid growth, networking still makes up a relatively small portion of NVIDIA's $39.1 billion data center revenue, where GPU sales dominate. This is potentially obscuring its growth and impact among investors and analysts. 
&#8220;This is the start of a powerful new wave of growth,&#8221; Huang said, reinforcing his confidence in the segment. &#8220;We're off to the races.&#8221;
Why It Matters: Nvidia&#8217;s networking play is already <a href="https://benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/02/44005208/nvidia-ai-juggernaut-rolls-on-but-can-arista-cisco-keep-up">mounting pressure</a> on legacy giants in this space, such as Arista Networks Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ANET#NYSE">ANET</a>) and Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>).
During its <a href="https://benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/05/45657660/nvidia-q1-highlights-china-export-ban-hits-results-but-jensen-huang-says-demand-incredibly-strong">first quarter results</a> on Wednesday, the company reported $44.1 billion in revenue, up 69% year-over-year, and beating consensus estimates at $42.3 billion. It, however, missed earnings estimates, with a profit of $0.81 per share, against $0.88 per share.
Price Action: Shares of Nvidia were down 0.51% on Wednesday, trading at $134.81, but are up 4.89% after hours, following the company&#8217;s better-than-expected first quarter performance.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="138" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/28234900/Screenshot-2025-05-29-at-9.18.41-AM-1024x138.png" alt="" class="wp-image-930816" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/28234900/Screenshot-2025-05-29-at-9.18.41-AM-1024x138.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/28234900/Screenshot-2025-05-29-at-9.18.41-AM-300x40.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/28234900/Screenshot-2025-05-29-at-9.18.41-AM-768x103.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/28234900/Screenshot-2025-05-29-at-9.18.41-AM-1536x207.png 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/28234900/Screenshot-2025-05-29-at-9.18.41-AM.png 1618w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>
According to Benzinga&#8217;s Edge Stock Rankings, Nvidia scores well across most metrics and has a favorable price trend in the short, medium, and long term. Click <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">here</a> for more insights.
Photo Courtesy: 3dkombinat on Shutterstock.com
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</ul>

Earnings

Jensen Huang Points To 'A Powerful New Wave Of Growth' For Nvidia And Wall Street May Be Overlooking It: Chipmaker Set To Dominate The AI Datastack?

This whale alert can help traders discover the next big trading opportunities.
Whales are entities with large sums of money and we track their transactions here at Benzinga on our options activity scanner.
Traders often look for circumstances when the market estimation of an option diverges away from its normal worth. Abnormal amounts of trading activity could push option prices to hyperbolic or underperforming levels. 
Below are some instances of options activity happening in the Information Technology sector: 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>NVDA</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/30/25</td>
<td>$135.00</td>
<td>$197.2K</td>
<td>28.4K</td>
<td>34.2K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>U</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/30/25</td>
<td>$25.00</td>
<td>$27.7K</td>
<td>3.0K</td>
<td>29.2K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CRWV</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/30/25</td>
<td>$100.00</td>
<td>$37.7K</td>
<td>12.2K</td>
<td>8.5K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>INTC</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>09/18/26</td>
<td>$22.00</td>
<td>$2.3 million</td>
<td>390</td>
<td>5.3K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MSFT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$350.00</td>
<td>$245.2K</td>
<td>1.1K</td>
<td>4.6K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MSTR</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/30/25</td>
<td>$362.50</td>
<td>$36.0K</td>
<td>300</td>
<td>3.5K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IREN</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>07/18/25</td>
<td>$7.00</td>
<td>$43.6K</td>
<td>1.6K</td>
<td>3.1K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>OKTA</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/18/26</td>
<td>$90.00</td>
<td>$111.9K</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>2.8K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>WULF</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>08/15/25</td>
<td>$5.00</td>
<td>$95.2K</td>
<td>12.2K</td>
<td>2.7K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CSCO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$72.50</td>
<td>$432.5K</td>
<td>817</td>
<td>2.5K</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These itemized elaborations have been created using the accompanying table. 
• For NVDA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), we notice a put option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 2 day(s) on May 30, 2025. This event was a transfer of 493 contract(s) at a $135.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 4 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $197.2K, with a price of $400.0 per contract. There were 28470 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 34268 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding U (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/U#NYSE">U</a>), we observe a call option trade with bullish sentiment. It expires in 2 day(s) on May 30, 2025. Parties traded 308 contract(s) at a $25.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $27.7K, with a price of $90.0 per contract. There were 3083 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 29276 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding CRWV (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRWV#NASDAQ">CRWV</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 2 day(s) on May 30, 2025. Parties traded 400 contract(s) at a $100.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 3 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $37.7K, with a price of $94.0 per contract. There were 12238 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 8561 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For INTC (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>), we notice a put option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 478 day(s) on September 18, 2026. This event was a transfer of 5000 contract(s) at a $22.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $2.3 million, with a price of $461.0 per contract. There were 390 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 5300 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding MSFT (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), we observe a call option trade with neutral sentiment. It expires in 233 day(s) on January 16, 2026. Parties traded 20 contract(s) at a $350.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $245.2K, with a price of $12261.0 per contract. There were 1179 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 4635 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For MSTR (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 2 day(s) on May 30, 2025. This event was a transfer of 37 contract(s) at a $362.50 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 6 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $36.0K, with a price of $975.0 per contract. There were 300 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 3577 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding IREN (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IREN#NASDAQ">IREN</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 51 day(s) on July 18, 2025. Parties traded 1553 contract(s) at a $7.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 22 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $43.6K, with a price of $28.0 per contract. There were 1675 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 3123 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding OKTA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OKTA#NASDAQ">OKTA</a>), we observe a put option trade with bullish sentiment. It expires in 386 day(s) on June 18, 2026. Parties traded 116 contract(s) at a $90.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $111.9K, with a price of $965.0 per contract. There were 3 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2870 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding WULF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WULF#NASDAQ">WULF</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 79 day(s) on August 15, 2025. Parties traded 2500 contract(s) at a $5.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 47 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $95.2K, with a price of $38.0 per contract. There were 12263 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2701 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For CSCO (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bearish, expiring in 233 day(s) on January 16, 2026. This event was a transfer of 2500 contract(s) at a $72.50 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $432.5K, with a price of $173.0 per contract. There were 817 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2501 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
Options Alert Terminology 
 - Call Contracts: The right to buy shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Put Contracts: The right to sell shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Expiration Date: When the contract expires. One must act on the contract by this date if one wants to use it. 
 - Premium/Option Price: The price of the contract. 
For more information, visit our <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/how-to-understand-option-alerts/">Guide to Understanding Options Alerts</a> or read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options">more news on unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

MSTR

OKTA

WULF

10 Information Technology Stocks Whale Activity In Today's Session

JP Morgan analyst Harlan Sur maintained an Overweight rating on Marvell Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRVL#NASDAQ">MRVL</a>) with a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/MRVL/analyst-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">price forecast of $130</a> on Tuesday.
This price forecast is based on Marvell&#8217;s strong market leadership in optical connectivity, synergies with its Storage, Networking, and embedded processing franchises, and its solid growth outlook in AI/Networking, Sur asserted.
Marvell will report earnings on Thursday, and Sur expects a continued volume ramp of Amazon.Com, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) Trainium 2 ASIC and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) Google Axion ARM CPU programs, strong demand for its 800G products, and the initial ramp of 1.6T optical DSPs, combined with a continued cyclical recovery in its enterprise and carrier segments.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45565087/cramer-backs-marvell-again-as-ai-deals-with-amazon-microsoft-fuel-stock-surge" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cramer Backs Marvell Again As AI Deals With Amazon, Microsoft Fuel Stock Surge</a>
Overall, the analyst expects April quarter results ($1.875 billion, up 3% Q/Q) and July quarter guidance ($2.00 billion+, 7% Q/Q) to be in line with Sur and consensus estimates, with solid data center growth led by its AI ASIC ramps, growth in 800G/1.6T AI optical shipments, 400ZR shipments, and HDD/SSD controllers. He noted that the remainder of its business should drive a Q/Q growth profile on cyclical improvements/new product cycles.
Sur noted that Marvell&#8217;s Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) AI ASIC MAIA Gen 2-3nm program is on track to ramp in calendar year 2026. Marvell has also won the Gen 3 MAIA program and has already commenced early chip design activity, he stated.
The analyst said that 800G PAM4 optical DSP orders and shipments remain solid within Marvell&#8217;s optical business, with an increasing ramp of next-gen 1.6T DSP into the second half.
Sur noted that Marvell is tracking to drive $4 billion in AI revenues this year (ASICs + networking), up 2x+ Y/Y, with a strong growth profile into calendar year 2026.
In cyclical business, demand from enterprise networking (Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/csco#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>)) remains healthy, and demand for carrier infrastructure is stabilizing, as per Sur.
In automotive, the divestiture of the auto business, expected to close in the calendar year 2025 ($225-$250 million revenue in the fiscal year 2026), is a revenue headwind but should be overall accretive to the Marvell&#8217;s earnings power by $0.05-$0.10, the analyst said. More importantly, he noted the custom data center and AI ASIC pipeline are continuing to expand.
Price Action: MRVL stock was trading higher by 5.69% to $64.15 at last check Tuesday.
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Analyst Color

Price Target

Reiteration

Movers

Why Marvell's AI Revenue Could Top $4 Billion By 2025, Analyst Explains

On CNBC's &#8220;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/video/2025/05/23/final-trades-nvidia-cisco-rio-tinto-and-chipotle.html">Halftime Report Final Trades</a>,&#8221; Kevin Simpson, Capital Wealth Planning CIO, named NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) as his final trade ahead of the quarterly earnings report. The company has topped top and bottom line estimates for the past four quarters and he expects Nvidia to do the same when they report <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/NVDA/earnings">earnings this week</a>.
Nvidia is scheduled to release first-quarter earnings, after the closing bell on Wednesday, May 28. Analysts expect the company to report quarterly earnings of 88 cents per share on revenue of $43.54 billion.
Jim Lebenthal of Cerity Partners said Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) is going to benefit from data centers.
Supporting his view, Cisco Systems, on May 14, reported better-than-expected third-quarter financial results, raised its FY25 guidance, and issued fourth-quarter adjusted EPS guidance above estimates.
Don't forget to check out our <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premarket/">premarket coverage here </a>
Jenny Van Leeuwen Harrington, chief executive officer of Gilman Hill Asset Management, LLC, said Rio Tinto Group (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RIO#NYSE">RIO</a>) has 9 times earnings, 6% dividend yield, and also has a new CEO coming on at the end of the year.
Rio Tinto on Thursday disclosed that its CEO Jakob Stausholm will step down from his role later this year. Jakob joined the company in 2018 as executive director and CFO and took on the role of CEO in January 2021.
Stephanie Link, chief investment strategist and portfolio manager at Hightower, said that although Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMG#NYSE">CMG</a>) has been a disappointment this year, unit growth and margin expansion are set to expand.
As per the recent news, Chipotle Mexican Grill, on May 6, named Jason Kidd as its chief operating officer.
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<li>Nvidia shares fell 1.2% to close at $131.29 on Friday.</li>
<li>Cisco shares fell 0.4% to close at $63.11 on Friday.</li>
<li>Rio Tinto gained 0.8% to settle at $61.58 during Friday's session.</li>
<li>Chipotle shares fell 0.3% to close at $50.63.</li>
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Nvidia, Cisco, Chipotle And A Basic Materials Stock: CNBC's 'Final Trades'

Some news headlines and social media chatter have stirred excitement—and confusion—over whether all UAE residents now get free access to ChatGPT Plus as part of OpenAI's latest expansion.
What Happened: OpenAI has partnered with the UAE to integrate ChatGPT across various public sectors, including education, healthcare and government services.
This initiative marks the UAE as the first country to roll out nationwide use of ChatGPT.
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The collaboration is also tied to the ambitious Stargate project, a 10-square-mile AI data center under construction in Abu Dhabi, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/05/45583898/tech-titans-unite-for-stargate-uae-in-ai-venture">involving partners such</a> as G42, Oracle Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>), Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) and Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>).
Some media outlets reported that all UAE residents would receive free access to ChatGPT Plus, the premium version of OpenAI's chatbot. However, OpenAI has not confirmed this.
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">UAE becomes the first country globally to provide free ChatGPT Plus access to all residents and citizens. UAE partners with OpenAI to offer free ChatGPT Plus access nationwide, as part of the Stargate UAE initiative to build the world's largest AI supercomputing cluster, backed… <a href="https://t.co/B87F0LFUlj">pic.twitter.com/B87F0LFUlj</a>
&mdash; Rohan Paul (@rohanpaul_ai) <a href="https://twitter.com/rohanpaul_ai/status/1926935591918182482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
The company did not immediately respond to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga's</a> request for comments.
At present, UAE users can access the free version of ChatGPT (GPT-3.5), <a href="https://gulfnews.com/business/markets/is-openai-giving-chatgpt-for-free-to-all-uae-residents-know-whats-true-1.500141497">noted</a> Gulf News, while the ChatGPT Plus subscription remains <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/08/40282420/dont-want-to-pay-20-for-chatgpt-plus-subscription-and-still-generate-images-via-dall-e-3-heres-what">priced at $20 per month</a>—unless an official update says otherwise.
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
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Global

ORCL

Fact-Check: No, OpenAI's ChatGPT Plus Isn't Free For All UAE Residents

Cisco Systems's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NYSE">CSCO</a>) short percent of float has fallen 18.24% since its last report. The company recently reported that it has 48.12 million shares sold short, which is 1.21% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 2.45 days to cover their short positions on average.
<h3>Why Short Interest Matters</h3>
Short interest is the number of shares that have been sold short but have not yet been covered or closed out. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-short-a-stock?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Short selling</a> is when a trader sells shares of a company they do not own, with the hope that the price will fall. Traders make money from short selling if the price of the stock falls and they lose if it rises.
Short interest is important to track because it can act as an indicator of market sentiment towards a particular stock. An increase in short interest can signal that investors have become more bearish, while a decrease in short interest can signal they have become more bullish.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/short-interest?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">List of the most shorted stocks</a>
<h3>Cisco Systems Short Interest Graph (3 Months)</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1748289617_0.png" alt="short_fig" />
As you can see from the chart above the percentage of shares that are sold short for Cisco Systems has declined since its last report. This does not mean that the stock is going to rise in the near-term but traders should be aware that less shares are being shorted.
<h3>Comparing Cisco Systems's Short Interest Against Its Peers</h3>
Peer comparison is a popular technique amongst analysts and investors for gauging how well a company is performing. A company's peer is another company that has similar characteristics to it, such as industry, size, age, and financial structure. You can find a company's peer group by reading its 10-K, proxy filing, or by doing your own similarity analysis.
According to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a>, Cisco Systems's peer group average for short interest as a percentage of float is 6.70%, which means the company has less short interest than most of its peers.
Did you know that increasing short interest can actually be bullish for a stock? <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-make-money-on-a-short-squeeze?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">This post by Benzinga Money explains how you can profit from it.</a>
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and was reviewed by an editor.

Short Sellers

Short Ideas

What Does the Market Think About Cisco Systems?

Equipped to provide unparalleled 24x7 threat detection and active response for enterprises of all sizes in the Year of Response.
SAN DIEGO, May 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As a valued Cisco Partner, Proficio&#xAE; is excited to announce it is expanding its security offerings by harnessing the capabilities of Cisco's XDR (Extended Detection and Response) platform for managed security services. Proficio, a globally recognized leader in Managed Detection and Response (MDR), proudly announces the launch of its ProSOC Managed XDR service including 24x7 SOC (Security Operations Center) threat detection and active response in collaboration. This pioneering solution offers an innovative approach to cybersecurity, combining Proficio's expert SOC-as-a-Service with the advanced capabilities of a customer-licensed Cisco XDR platform.

Proficio Partners With Cisco To Expand Security Offerings With XDR Platform

<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45437126/us-and-saudi-arabia-deepen-critical-minerals-ties-with-rare-earth-agreement">Saudi Arabia</a> is making a bold move to become a global leader in artificial intelligence. The kingdom's new AI venture, Humain, backed by Saudi Arabia&#8217;s Public Investment Fund, has secured a deal with Nvidia (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) to receive 18,000 of its latest GB300 Blackwell chips, according to<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/13/nvidia-blackwell-ai-chips-saudi-arabia.html"> CNBC</a>.
This partnership aims to build a 500-megawatt AI data center, marking a significant step in Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 plan to diversify its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44852660/warren-buffett-said-the-economy-is-like-a-train-occasionally-they-get-derailed-and-crashes-like-2008-will-happen-but-america-cant-be-stopped">economy</a> and invest in cutting-edge technology, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL6jU35oGsA&amp;t=2s&amp;ab_channel=FortuneMagazine">Fortune</a> reports.
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Nvidia's Blackwell Chips Power Saudi Arabia's AI Ambitions</h2>
The chip deal was announced on May 13 during the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum in Riyadh, where Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang praised Saudi Arabia's long-term vision. &#8220;It is an incredible vision, indeed,&#8221; Huang said, referring to the country's plan to build a national AI infrastructure, according to CNBC.
Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives told <a href="https://fortune.com/2025/05/14/nvidia-ai-humain-saudi-arabia-front-of-the-line-wedbush-dan-ives/">Fortune</a> that the move places Saudi Arabia at &#8220;the front of the line&#8221; for global chip access, ahead of countries like China. He described the deal as a &#8220;watershed&#8221; moment in the ongoing global AI race.
Humain's data centers, powered by these chips, are expected to host Arabic-language large language models and multimodal AI tools capable of operating across voice, image, and text input. According to<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-launches-company-develop-artificial-intelligence-under-pif-2025-05-12/"> Reuters</a>, the aim is to create regionally specific models that can support smart city infrastructure, autonomous logistics, and defense technology.
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Multibillion Dollar Collaborations Accelerate Regional Edge</h2>
In addition to Nvidia, other U.S. tech companies are forming strategic partnerships with Humain. Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>) <a href="https://ir.amd.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/1250/amd-and-humain-form-strategic-10b-collaboration-to-advance-global-ai">announced</a> Tuesday that it committed to a $10 billion agreement to provide 500 megawatts of AI compute infrastructure. Amazon (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) and Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) have also <a href="https://newsroom.cisco.com/c/r/newsroom/en/us/a/y2025/m05/cisco-expands-partnership-with-saudi-arabia-to-power-the-ai-future.html">revealed</a> on Tuesday that they signed separate deals to support Humain's cloud and connectivity stack.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Amazon Web Services <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-aws-humain-ai-investment-in-saudi-arabia">announced</a> on May 13 a $5 billion plan to establish a dedicated AI Zone in Saudi Arabia, which includes the deployment of Amazon Bedrock and AWS SageMaker, giving Saudi AI researchers a full stack of tools to scale model training and application development.
The partnerships come as the Trump administration rolls back Biden-era semiconductor export rules. The Commerce Department has ended the &#8220;AI diffusion&#8221; restriction, which previously required special licenses to export advanced AI chips. The policy shift is designed to favor trusted allies while keeping U.S.-made technology away from geopolitical rivals like China, Fortune says.
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Saudi Arabia's Push Reshapes Global AI Dynamics</h2>
Humain's rise signals a strategic redirection in the global AI ecosystem. While U.S.-based clients like Alphabet (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>, GOOGL)) and Amazon still dominate Nvidia's distribution priorities, Fortune reports that Saudi Arabia now joins a short list of preferred global chip recipients, second only to the U.S.
Meanwhile, China has been restricted to using Nvidia's downgraded H20 chips, designed to comply with U.S. export controls but lacking the full performance of Blackwell processors. &#8220;China is the big loser,&#8221; Ives told Fortune, citing both the technology gap and increased trade complications as key disadvantages.
With support from top-tier U.S. tech firms and full government alignment, Saudi Arabia appears positioned to drive the next wave of AI development. As Humain builds out its infrastructure, the world is watching a new power center emerge in the global tech arena.
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$600B AI Opportunity: Nvidia's 18,000-Chip Deal With Saudi Arabia's Humain Puts Middle East 'Front Of The Line,' Says Wedbush's Dan Ives

JP Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee shared earnings previews for several prominent hardware companies, cautioning that these firms may contend with ongoing demand uncertainty and renewed tariff risks in their <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings" rel="noreferrer noopener">upcoming earnings reports</a>.
Chatterjee sees another round of conservative results in the coming week, with stock movements more likely to reflect how investors interpret management&#8217;s efforts to either de-risk the second half of the year or contain expectations for potential full-year downside, especially after stronger-than-expected performances in the first half.
In contrast to HP Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HPQ#NYSE">HPQ</a>) and Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DELL#NYSE">DELL</a>), the analyst sees Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HPE#NYSE">HPE</a>) and NetApp, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NTAP#NASDAQ">NTAP</a>) as better situated to withstand anticipated headwinds in their upcoming earnings.
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The analyst anticipates that DELL&#8217;s demand drivers, particularly from less macro-sensitive AI spending and its stronger-than-expected AI market share, will effectively offset broader macroeconomic moderation as they look beyond the immediate quarterly results. 
Conversely, the analyst expects HPQ and HPE to be more sensitive to macro trends throughout the year. The analyst also notes that while NTAP shows greater resilience, its revenue upside is limited, as it relies on market share gains to counteract any macro weakness.
Here are the analyst&#8217;s take on some key hardware stocks:
Dell Technologies Inc.: The analyst reiterated the Overweight rating on the stock, raising the price <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/DELL/analyst-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">forecast from $108 to $111</a>.
Chatterjee projects the upcoming first-quarter report to look solid on the surface, with strong PC and server demand boosting revenue and margins benefiting from a lower-than-expected mix of AI server sales. However, the analyst cautions that the tariff landscape remains a key concern.
Chatterjee writes that this issue will likely be reflected in second-quarter guidance and possibly in the fiscal 2026 outlook, as the company&#8217;s current baseline assumes higher tariff levels than previously expected, even with reciprocal tariff pauses in place.
The analyst projects revenue of $23.6 billion, reflecting a 6% year-over-year increase. He also predicts gross margins to come in at 22.5%, with operating margins forecasted at 7.9%, pointing to modest strength in profitability metrics.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company: Chatterjee sees the stock as the most favorably positioned among hardware <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/HPE/analyst-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">names going into earnings, at least on a near-term basis</a>.
The analyst notes that the company&#8217;s guidance already factors in a slowdown in AI server revenue and assumes a higher tariff burden than peers.
Additionally, he highlights potential upside from stronger networking demand, supported by recent positive results from companies like Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>), Extreme Networks, Inc., and Juniper Networks, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNPR#NYSE">JNPR</a>).
Chatterjee estimates revenue at $32.4 billion, reflecting 8% year-over-year growth. He forecasts gross margins at 28.7% and operating margins at 9.5%.
HP Inc.: Per the analyst, the company is in a strong position to post a solid second-quarter result, supported by stronger-than-expected revenue as PC demand was likely pulled <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/HPQ/analyst-ratings" rel="noreferrer noopener">forward ahead of potential tariff-driven price hikes</a>.
Chatterjee notes that this comes with limited margin pressure, helped by delayed policy effects, inventory management, and other mitigating factors.
However, he cautions that macroeconomic uncertainty could limit how much of these near-term gains carry into future quarters, as the company faces two key challenges: navigating higher tariffs than previously guided for and uncertainty around PC demand in the second half of fiscal 2025 following earlier-than-usual buying.
The analyst reiterated the Overweight rating on the stock, raising the price forecast from $29 to $30.
NetApp, Inc.: The analyst expects NetApp to see stable demand, supported by new product launches and delayed deals from the previous quarter, leading to a slight revenue beat in F4Q25E. However, FY26 revenue growth is projected to be in the low-to-mid single digits, below long-term averages, due to a muted macro environment and U.S. Public Sector headwinds.
Despite this, EPS is anticipated to exceed consensus due to resilient gross margins (improved product margins and higher Public Cloud revenue mix) and better operating discipline. This positive outlook is expected to drive NTAP&#8217;s valuation multiple back to recent year averages (14x-15x) from the current 13x.
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