We recently published a list of 11 Best Performing Dow Stocks So Far in 2025. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) stands against other best performing Dow stocks so far in 2025.

The Dow is a renowned and significant stock market index that measures the performance of 30 publicly traded businesses listed on US stock exchanges, representing a diverse variety of industries.

As of 20 February 2025, the index has steadily increased, rising 14.41% in the last 12 months and 4.21% year to date in 2025. It rose 8.04% over the last six months, mirroring its 8.04% gain in the previous month. Over the long term, it has risen 52.37% in the last five years and has returned an astounding 3,362.55% since 1985.

In comparison, the broader market has outpaced the Dow, gaining 22% in the last year and 4% year to date in 2025. The wider market has risen 8.84% during the last six months, with a 1.13% increase in the last month. Its long-term performance has been favorable, with a five-year gain of 83.28% and a remarkable 3,717.09% increase since 1996. Its superior performance is largely due to the strength of technology and high-growth stocks.

Nonetheless, the Nasdaq has led the market, climbing 28.12% in the last 12 months and 3.53% year to date in 2025. Over the last six months, the Nasdaq has gone up by 11.40%, with 1.04% growth in the last month. Over the last five years, it has surged by 108.45%, proving its dominance in high-growth sectors.

While the Dow has fallen behind the other two markets in recent years, its consistency and solid historical returns underline its long-term investment appeal. The index typically has reduced volatility and concentrates on established blue-chip companies.

According to a report by S&P Dow Jones Indices, the Dow is still a dependable benchmark for US market performance, following 30 blue-chip businesses with strong reputations and consistent growth. Its price-weighted system ensures stability, typically reducing losses during downturns. The index has a historical association with broader markets, but it is less volatile than the broader market due to its emphasis on well-established firms. Despite its small size, the index has shown resilience in bear markets, such as 2009, while also reaping gains during bullish cycles. Its longstanding reputation and exposure to important industries make it a reliable predictor of economic strength.

However, the Dow lost 0.6% on Thursday, February 20, 2025, as U.S. jobless claims surged faster than expected, heightening concerns about the labor market and the overall economic outlook. The wider market fell 0.5%, while the Nasdaq fell 0.7% in early trading, signaling broader market weakness. Investors reacted to economic data and shifting market sentiment as bond yields edged lower, with the 10-year Treasury yield falling to 4.52%.

Methodology

We began with a pool of 30 stocks from the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and identified stocks that have delivered positive returns in 2025 so far. We then picked the top 11 stocks with the highest Year-to-Date return as of February 14. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of their year-to-date performance.

“Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).”

Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)

Year-to-date return as of February 14: 9.76%

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) is one of the biggest software firms and the world’s biggest supplier of networking equipment. Its main businesses are networking hardware and software (where it has a significant market share) and cybersecurity software such as firewalls. It also offers observability tools and collaborative technologies, such as its Webex suite. It employs 25,000 people in sales and marketing in 90 countries, and it mostly contracts out its manufacturing to outside companies. It offers its products all around the world and has 80,000 employees overall.

As the industry leader in enterprise networking, Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) continues to dominate both legacy and emerging networks. The firm has dominant market shares in wireless access, switching, and routing. It also has strong complementary positions in security and teamwork. Its portfolio has the potential to profit from the growing popularity of hybrid cloud and work environments. It provides the most extensive set of features in the convergent security and networking fields.

At $14 billion, Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)’s January-quarter revenue increased 1% sequentially and 9% year over year. Profitability and revenue exceeded management’s forecasted levels.

Following better-than-expected fiscal second-quarter results, an increase in full-year revenue guidance, and praise from many banks, the company’s shares were up. According to Citi, its campus and data center switching businesses’ double-digit percentage growth “bodes well” for the outlook of its networking business in the next quarters. Furthermore, the bank took a positive view of Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)’s $750 million in “cloud AI orders” during the first two quarters of its fiscal year. The company’s increased full-year estimate is “relatively conservative,” according to investment bank Evercore ISIS, which also referred to the results as “impressive.”

Overall, CSCO ranks 8th on our list of Best Performing Dow Stocks So Far in 2025. While we acknowledge the potential for CSCO to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than CSCO but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and Complete List of 59 AI Companies Under $2 Billion in Market Cap

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.