A Cisco Debt Offering? (CSCO)

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) made an SEC Filing this morning which may leave many scratching their heads.  The company filed a prospectus for a sale of debt securities.

The company did not signal the amount to be sold.  No underwriters were named.  And no terms were mentioned.  There may not even a definite sale of these securities, at least not if other similar filings from large companies hold true.

But this could also allow some of the speculators to wonder if Cisco is ready to make an acquisition.  The net proceeds are listed as “for general corporate purposes,” which is listed by the company as repurchases of common stock, repayment of debt, acquisitions, investments, additions to working capital, capital expenditures and advances to or investments in subsidiaries.

At its recent earnings release said it had nearly $30 billion in cash and equivalents.

Jon C. Ogg
February 9, 2009