Cisco Emerges as Wall Street’s Surprise AI Trade as Options Frenzy Signals Changing Tech Leadership - Tekedia

Cisco is attracting heavy bullish options activity ahead of earnings as investors bet AI infrastructure demand will lift its networking and data-center business.

The stock has risen about 15% in a month, while call volume has far outpaced puts and traders have paid up for upside exposure.

Implied volatility has reached a one-year high, signaling strong market expectations for a big move around the report.

The trading activity suggests the AI theme may be broadening beyond chipmakers to older tech companies that benefit from AI buildout at scale.