We consider a class of systems with a cyclic interconnection structure that arises, among other examples, in dynamic models for certain biochemical reactions. We first show that a "secant" criterion for local stability, derived earlier in the literature, is in fact a necessary and sufficient condition for diagonal stability of the corresponding class of matrices. We then revisit a recent generalization of this criterion to output strictly passive systems, and recover the same stability condition using our diagonal stability result as a tool for constructing a Lyapunov function. Using this procedure for Lyapunov construction we exhibit classes of cyclic systems with sector nonlinearities and characterize their global stability properties. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.