The most recent trading session ended with CrowdStrike Holdings (CRWD) standing at $377.70, reflecting a -0.07% shift from the previouse trading day's closing. The stock's change was less than the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.53%. At the same time, the Dow added 0.93%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.22%.The cloud-based security company's shares have seen an increase of 3.33% over the last month, surpassing the Computer and Technology sector's gain of 3.02% and the S&P 500's gain of 2.69%.Market participant ...

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In the latest trading session, CrowdStrike Holdings (CRWD) closed at $348.04, marking a +1.93% move from the previous day. This change outpaced the S&P 500's 0.12% gain on the day. At the same time, the Dow added 0.52%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.23%.Coming into today, shares of the cloud-based security company had lost 12.04% in the past month. In that same time, the Computer and Technology sector lost 3.73%, while the S&P 500 lost 3.45%.Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the ...

Goldman Sachs' Stock Upgrades and Sector Recommendations - Goldman Sachs upgraded several stocks and recommended sectors in their 2025 macro outlook report, highlighting opportunities in the energy sector and emphasizing robust business models as key winners [2] - The bank upgraded Spotify Technology (NYSE: SPOT), CrowdStrike Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: CRWD), and Patterson-UTI Energy Inc (NASDAQ: PTEN), citing potential double-digit upside in the technology sector and the recent crude oil breakout past $75 [3] Spotify Technology (NYSE: SPOT) - Spotify is expected to benefit from its subscription-based business model, offering stable and predictable financials, making it a potential winner in 2025 [4] - The stock is currently trading at 93% of its 52-week high, with Wall Street analysts forecasting a 33.75% increase in EPS to $11.8 over the next 12 months, up from $8.8 [6] - Goldman Sachs issued a Buy rating for Spotify in January 2025 with a $550 valuation, implying a 20% upside from current prices [7] CrowdStrike Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: CRWD) - CrowdStrike gained institutional support, with State Street increasing its holdings by 2.9% in November 2024, bringing its net position to $2.7 billion or 3.9% ownership [8] - Despite recovering to 88% of its 52-week high, analysts maintain a Buy rating with a $415 price target, suggesting a 19% upside potential [10] - The company's cybersecurity services are seen as critical for future economic growth as more business moves online [11] Patterson-UTI Energy Inc (NASDAQ: PTEN) - Goldman Sachs highlighted oil as a commodity with significant upside potential, aligning with Warren Buffett's 29% stake in Occidental Petroleum and hedge funds' increased oil futures positions [12] - Patterson-UTI, with a market cap of $3.3 billion, is positioned at the forefront of the energy value chain, expected to benefit from EPS growth ahead of peers [13] - Goldman Sachs assigned a Buy rating and a $10 per share valuation, indicating an 18% upside for investors [14]

Shares of CrowdStrike (CRWD -3.54%) jumped 34% in 2024, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. In July, CrowdStrike stock was trading up more than 50% for the year but then it had a major incident involving a faulty software upgrade. That incident dropped the stock into negative territory for a time before it eventually rebounded and posted a 34% full-year gain.The rise, fall, and rebound for CrowdStrike stock was unusually dramatic because the stakes are clearly high here. For starte ...

CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (CRWD) commands a lofty valuation, trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of 81.68X — well above the Zacks Internet – Software industry average of 35.37X. Its forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 18.29 also far exceeds the industry average of 3.01.Forward 12-Month P/S ValuationImage Source: Zacks Investment ResearchEven more surprising is that CrowdStrike trades at such a lofty valuation multiple despite a 7.6% decline in its share price over the ...

Stock Performance - CrowdStrike Holdings (CRWD) ended the recent trading session at $358 72, showing a -0 34% change from the previous day's closing price [1] - The stock's performance was weaker than the S&P 500's daily gain of 0 16% but outperformed the Nasdaq's decrease of 0 06% [1] - Over the past month, CRWD shares gained 3 79%, outperforming the Computer and Technology sector's loss of 0 17% and the S&P 500's loss of 2 8% [2] Earnings and Revenue Projections - The company is expected to post an EPS of $0 85 in its upcoming earnings release, reflecting a 10 53% decline compared to the same quarter last year [3] - Revenue is projected to be $1 03 billion, a 22 28% increase from the equivalent quarter last year [3] - For the annual period, consensus estimates predict earnings of $3 73 per share and revenue of $3 93 billion, representing year-over-year growth of 20 71% and 28 58%, respectively [4] Valuation Metrics - CrowdStrike Holdings is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 96 44, significantly higher than the industry average of 29 33 [8] - The company's PEG ratio is 2 8, compared to the Internet - Software industry average of 2 12 [8] Industry Context - The Internet - Software industry, part of the Computer and Technology sector, holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 33, placing it in the top 14% of all 250+ industries [9] - The Zacks Industry Rank indicates that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1 [9] Analyst Sentiment - Recent modifications to analyst estimates for CrowdStrike Holdings reflect shifting short-term business dynamics, with positive revisions indicating confidence in the company's performance [5] - The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has remained unchanged over the last 30 days, and the company currently holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [7]

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Company Performance and Recovery - CrowdStrike's CEO stated that the company turned last year's crisis into an opportunity, recovering the $30 billion in market value lost after a botched update caused a worldwide outage of Windows computers and servers [1] - The company's shares, which dropped by more than a third in the two weeks following the outage, are now worth more than before the incident [2] - CrowdStrike achieved a 97% customer retention rate in the quarter when the outage occurred, despite the widespread disruption [4] Customer and Competitor Dynamics - CEO George Kurtz emphasized that the incident did not diminish customer trust, with customers staying loyal and viewing the crisis as a strengthening event [2][3] - The company faced a lawsuit from Delta Air Lines, which suffered $500 million in losses due to the outage, but CrowdStrike defended its position, stating that Delta's claims were based on misinformation and a lack of understanding of modern cybersecurity [5][6] Industry Context and Cybersecurity Trends - The CrowdStrike outage occurred during a year when cybersecurity took center stage, with significant breaches such as the Change Healthcare ransomware attack and the Snowflake data breach impacting major companies [7] - Moving into 2025, organizations are advised to prioritize cybersecurity by implementing zero-trust architectures, conducting regular penetration testing, and deploying advanced endpoint detection and response (EDR) systems to reduce vulnerabilities [8] Reputation and Market Position - CrowdStrike is recognized as a first line of defense against cyberthreats for many high-profile companies, which amplified the scale of the outage on July 19 [3] - The company's ability to recover and maintain customer trust has positioned it as a resilient player in the cybersecurity industry [2][4]

AI and Cybersecurity Industry Overview - Artificial intelligence (AI) breakthroughs are a major stock market investing theme, with significant potential to transform various industries [1] - AI is critically important in cybersecurity, with market leaders like Palo Alto Networks and CrowdStrike using machine learning and AI-powered tools to combat sophisticated cyber threats [2] - Both companies are well-positioned to capture long-term growth opportunities in the expanding cybersecurity market [2] Palo Alto Networks Analysis - Palo Alto Networks has built its reputation on next-generation firewall technology, combining specialized hardware and software for network defense [4] - The company has evolved into a comprehensive security platform, integrating AI and machine learning (AI/ML) capabilities across cloud-based products [5] - Palo Alto's Precision AI framework aims to revolutionize cybersecurity through autonomous threat detection and response [5] - The company is the largest pure-play cybersecurity company by revenue, with a 356% stock return over the last five years [6] - Fiscal Q1 2024 results showed a 14% YoY revenue increase, 13% growth in adjusted EPS, and a 40% increase in annualized recurring revenue (ARR) for next-generation services (NGS) [7] - Shares trade at a forward P/E ratio of 57 for 2025, compared to CrowdStrike's 92, making it a relative bargain [8] CrowdStrike Analysis - CrowdStrike dominates in endpoint protection, securing devices in an increasingly diverse IoT ecosystem [9] - The company has expanded its offerings, incorporating identity protection, threat intelligence, and exposure management into its Falcon platform [10] - AI/ML capabilities are deeply integrated into CrowdStrike's architecture, enabling advanced threat detection, workflow automation, and predictive analytics [10] - Shares have climbed 34% over the past year, driven by stronger overall growth compared to Palo Alto [10] - Q3 2024 results showed a 29% YoY revenue increase and 13% growth in adjusted EPS, with customer adoption of additional Falcon modules being a key growth driver [11] - Management raised full-year guidance, targeting 2025 adjusted EPS between $3.74 and $3.76, a 22% increase at the midpoint over 2024 [12] Comparative Analysis - CrowdStrike's projected 2025 adjusted EPS growth of 22% surpasses Palo Alto's guidance of approximately 13% [12] - CrowdStrike's stronger earnings momentum and market share capture in emerging cybersecurity categories make it a compelling choice for investors [12][13] - Both companies show strong potential for price appreciation, but CrowdStrike is seen as having an edge due to its earnings momentum and market rewards [13][14]