Operating Expenses

Total Operating Expenses

Cisco Systems, Inc. Total Operating Expenses decreased by 1.1% to $6.12B in Q2 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric declined by 1.2%, from $6.19B to $6.12B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Total Operating Expenses shows an upward trend with a 7.0% CAGR. This increase may warrant attention — for this metric, lower values are generally preferred.

Analysis

StatementIncome Statement
SectionOperating Expenses
CategoryEfficiency
SignalLower is better
VolatilityStable
First reportedQ1 2013
Last reportedQ1 2026

How to read this metric

Rising expenses without a corresponding rise in revenue can indicate operational bloat or aggressive expansion efforts.

Detailed definition

The sum of all costs required to run the business that are not directly tied to production, including R&D and SG&A. It r...

Peer comparison

Investors compare this to revenue to assess the 'operating leverage' of a business model.

Metric ID: total_operating_expenses

Historical Data

21 periods
 Q1 '21Q2 '21Q3 '21Q4 '21Q1 '22Q2 '22Q3 '22Q4 '22Q1 '23Q2 '23Q3 '23Q4 '23Q1 '24Q2 '24Q3 '24Q4 '24Q1 '25Q2 '25Q3 '25Q4 '25Q2 '26
Value$4.72B$4.77B$4.62B$4.56B$4.51B$4.59B$4.81B$5.14B$5.29B$5.50B$5.28B$5.12B$6.08B$6.16B$6.76B$6.00B$6.08B$6.19B$6.38B$6.19B$6.12B
QoQ Change+1.0%-3.2%-1.1%-1.1%+1.8%+4.7%+6.8%+2.9%+4.0%-3.9%-3.0%+18.8%+1.3%+9.7%-11.3%+1.3%+1.9%+3.1%-3.0%-1.1%
YoY Change-4.4%-3.7%+4.1%+12.6%+17.2%+19.7%+9.9%-0.3%+15.1%+12.2%+28.1%+17.1%-0.1%+0.5%-5.6%+3.2%-1.2%
Range$4.51B$6.76B
CAGR+5.3%
Avg YoY Growth+7.3%
Median YoY Growth+4.1%
Current Streak2 quarters decline

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Cisco Systems, Inc.'s total operating expenses?
Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) reported total operating expenses of $6.12B in Q2 2026.
How has Cisco Systems, Inc.'s total operating expenses changed year-over-year?
Cisco Systems, Inc.'s total operating expenses decreased by 1.2% year-over-year, from $6.19B to $6.12B.
What is the long-term trend for Cisco Systems, Inc.'s total operating expenses?
Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Cisco Systems, Inc.'s total operating expenses has grown at a 7.0% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $19.06B to $25.03B.
What does total operating expenses mean?
The total cost of running the day-to-day business, excluding the direct cost of making products.