Buying a call gives you the right to buy a set number of shares, at a set "strike" price, within a certain period (often just a few months). (He got an average grade on it.) I was founded in Little Rock, Ark., in 1971, and in 1973, my first night of continuous operation featured 389 employees and 14 jets delivering 186 packages overnight to 25 cities. Networking giant Cisco Systems (Nasdaq: CSCO) is a stable and mature tech company, but it has been suffering from weak demand for its switches and routers that keep information flowing through the internet. Cisco's future is promising, as it's making steady progress in its transition away from switching and routing and toward a business more focused on software and subscription services. Cisco is also building its "Internet of Things" offerings, using its networking and switches technology to improve connected servers in manufacturing, utilities, oil and gas, transportation and smart cities. The company sports far more cash and cash equivalents than debt, and it's generating more than $12 billion annually in free cash flow. With dominant market share in an infrastructure-oriented business, a rock-solid financial position and a reasonable valuation, Cisco Systems has a lot to offer investors.