Cisco reports higher profit, but expects flat revenue

CHICAGO: Cisco Systems Inc, the world's No. 1 maker of equipment that directs Internet traffic, has posted its second-best quarterly net profit on record amid a weak corporate spending environment, but said sales likely would not rise in the current quarter. 

Analysts were happy with the third-quarter profit, but they remained worried about the overall corporate spending given Cisco’s weaker sales. The company’s wide base of customers in corporate America makes it a key benchmark for the health of US corporations.