12 Best Performing Dow Stocks to Buy Now

1. Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)

 Year-to-date return as of December 10: 35.79%

Analysts’ Upside Potential as of December 10: 5.06%

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) is among the Best Performing Stocks.

On December 10, 2025, Bloomberg reported that Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) shares hit a record high for the first time in over 25 years. On Wednesday, the stock increased by 0.9% to $80.25, exceeding its previous high of March 27, 2000, during the dot-com bubble. The S&P 500 was up 0.7%, and the Nasdaq 100 was up 0.4% as U.S. equities rose after the Federal Reserve slashed interest rates for the third time in a row.

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)’s past dot-com-era profits had pushed the business’s valuation above $500 billion before the industry slump. Following this, the firm lost approximately 90% of its market value, falling to around $60 billion in late 2002. Although Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)’s current market valuation is still more than 40% behind its dot-com peak, shares have since shot up by more than 800%.

The company’s current surge came after it released a solid revenue estimate last month. Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) stated that it anticipates fiscal-year revenues to reach up to $61 billion by the end of July, surpassing Wall Street projections by roughly $1 billion. According to Bloomberg, the business has been attempting to put itself in a position to profit from growing global investments in AI infrastructure.

UBS analyst David Vogt also upgraded Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) shares to buy before its fiscal first-quarter reports last month, citing the need for AI infrastructure solutions, Bloomberg reported.

 Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) is one of the largest software firms in the world and the biggest supplier of networking equipment.

While we acknowledge the potential of CSCO to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than CSCO and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stock To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.

Disclosure: None. 12 Best Performing Dow Stocks in 2025 is originally published on Insider Monkey. Insider Monkey focuses on uncovering the best investment ideas of hedge funds and insiders. Please subscribe to our free daily e-newsletter to get the latest investment ideas from hedge funds’ investor letters by entering your email address below.