Cisco forecast knocked by supply chain snags, shares fall

Cisco Systems Inc forecast current-quarter revenue below expectations as supply chain shortages and delays drive up costs.

Shares of the network gear maker fell 6.3% in extended trading after it said it expects second-quarter revenue to grow 4.5% to 6.5% year-over-year, compared with Wall Street expectations of about 7.4%.

Businesses across the globe are facing an unprecedented semiconductor shortage that has pushed up expenses, hurting companies such as Cisco that use chips in their products.

Cisco Chief Financial Officer Scott Herren told Reuters the company also faces higher transport and logistics costs in its supply chain. Cisco is making progress on pinpointing and resolving component shortages but getting everything to the right place remains a challenge, he said.