There was a moment in time, brief as it was, that Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO) possessed the country's largest market capitalization. Between Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) antitrust struggles and General Electric's (NYSE:GE) comeuppance, there was Cisco -- king of the hill.
At its peak back in the spring of 2000, the tech bellwether was worth four times as much as it is today. That's painful news to those who have held on to the stock after its glorious run through the 1990s. However, recent shareholders certainly aren't smarting. The stock has doubled over the past 13 months. So whether the stock is overbought or oversold is simply a matter of timeframe and perspective.
Either way, both halves of the glass will be listening in earnest when the networking and communications giant posts its fiscal first-quarter results on Wednesday afternoon. Profits more than doubled in fiscal 2003 despite flat revenues. While margin and earnings improvement is always welcome, the top line needs to improve. Until annual sales top the $22.3 billion mark generated three years ago, it will be hard to brand Cisco a turnaround story -- much less a growth stock.
Also reporting earnings next week will be Gillette (NYSE:G), Kellogg (NYSE:K), and the kindler and gentler Tyco (NYSE:TYC). So arm yourself with smooth razors, Froot Loops, and your finest Dennis Kozlowski jokes. Because Cisco is coming, but it's not coming alone.
How do you think Cisco will make out when it posts its fiscal first-quarter results on Wednesday? Is the stock overvalued, undervalued, or in the ballpark of fair valuation? All this and more -- on the Cisco discussion board. Only on Fool.com.
