SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- News Summary Driving innovation and responsible technology to secure the digital world: With nearly 1,400 patents issued and more than 450 pending, Fortinet continues to pioneer AI-powered security solutions, collaborating with organizations such as University of California (UC) Berkeley, the World Economic Forum, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to advance AI use in cybersecurity. In 2024, Fortinet also became one of the e ...

Core Insights - The article discusses the investment positions of Parkev Tatevosian, CFA, and mentions that The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Fortinet [1] Group 1 - Parkev Tatevosian has no position in any of the stocks mentioned [1] - The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy regarding its investment positions [1] - Parkev Tatevosian may be compensated for promoting The Motley Fool's services [1]

Investors might want to bet on Fortinet (FTNT) , as it has been recently upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). This upgrade primarily reflects an upward trend in earnings estimates, which is one of the most powerful forces impacting stock prices.The Zacks rating relies solely on a company's changing earnings picture. It tracks EPS estimates for the current and following years from the sell-side analysts covering the stock through a consensus measure -- the Zacks Consensus Estimate.Since a changing earnings pic ...

Core Points - Fortinet has been awarded the 2025 Google Cloud Infrastructure Modernization Partner of the Year Award for Networking, marking its fifth recognition as a Google Cloud Technology Partner of the Year [1][2] - The award underscores Fortinet's strong application and infrastructure security solutions and its deep integration with Google Cloud services through the Fortinet Security Fabric powered by FortiOS [2][6] - Fortinet's solutions enable businesses to scale, optimize performance, and defend against evolving threats in complex cloud environments [2][3] Company Overview - Fortinet is a leader in cybersecurity, focusing on the convergence of networking and security, with a mission to secure people, devices, and data globally [7] - The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of over 50 enterprise-grade products, trusted by more than half a million customers [7] - Fortinet's training institute is one of the largest in the industry, dedicated to enhancing cybersecurity training and career opportunities [7] Product and Service Highlights - Fortinet's FortiGate VM serves as a virtual next-generation firewall (NGFW), enforcing consistent security policies across various cloud environments [2][4] - The company provides a cloud security platform that includes application security and cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP) solutions, offering integrated code-to-security with 360-degree defense-in-depth protection [3] - Fortinet's Unified SASE simplifies operations and enables secure remote and on-prem access, protecting networks, applications, and data [4] Licensing and Customer Flexibility - Fortinet's FortiFlex licensing program allows Google Cloud customers to optimize their deployments and investments, enabling scalability and rollover of unused credits [5] - The program also assists customers with Google Cloud Committed Use Discount agreements in meeting their spending obligations [5]

Core Insights - Fortinet has announced significant innovations in its FortiAI technology, enhancing its Security Fabric platform to better protect against emerging threats and streamline security operations [1][2][4] Group 1: AI Innovations and Capabilities - Fortinet's AI ecosystem is strengthened by over a decade of innovation and more patents than any other cybersecurity vendor, allowing for improved efficiency and accuracy in security operations [2][3] - The new FortiAI capabilities include FortiAI-Assist, which integrates GenAI, agentic AI, and AIOps to automate and enhance security and network operations [4][6] - FortiAI-Protect offers AI-driven threat detection, contextual risk assessments, and enhanced security for third-party GenAI applications [7][9] Group 2: Security for AI Systems - Organizations must secure their AI systems from threats such as data poisoning and unauthorized access, as AI can be both a target and a weapon for cybercriminals [3][4] - FortiAI-SecureAI provides protection for AI infrastructure, ensuring data integrity and preventing data leakage while enforcing zero-trust access [7][8] Group 3: Data Privacy and Compliance - FortiAI employs a multi-layered data protection approach to enforce strict privacy controls, ensuring that sensitive data shared with the GenAI assistant does not train the language model [8][9] - Queries are processed locally to prevent data from leaving the network, and sensitive information is masked before reaching the language model [8]

AT&T, ServiceNow, and Fortinet will survive the incoming tariffs and trade wars.Many tech stocks plummeted this month after the Trump administration imposed its "Liberation Day" tariffs on most of the country's top trading partners. Higher tariffs against China, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, and India raised bright red flags for American tech companies, which were tightly tethered to those countries.This storm might pass if cooler heads prevail, but it's too early to invest in tariff-wracked stock ...

Core Points - Fortinet will hold a conference call to discuss its first quarter 2025 financial results on May 7, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time [1] - The conference call will be available in listen-only mode on Fortinet's investor relations website [2] - Fortinet is a leader in cybersecurity, focusing on the convergence of networking and security, with over 50 enterprise-grade products [3] Company Overview - Fortinet's mission is to secure people, devices, and data globally, serving over half a million customers [3] - The company collaborates with public and private sector organizations to enhance global cyber resilience [3] - FortiGuard Labs, Fortinet's threat intelligence organization, utilizes advanced machine learning and AI technologies for threat protection [3]

Core Viewpoint - Fortinet has emerged as a leading player in the cybersecurity sector, achieving a 52-week total return of 50%, outperforming competitors like Palo Alto Networks and CrowdStrike [1][2]. Group 1: Company Performance - Fortinet's market share in physical firewall units shipped reached over 50% in 2024, bolstered by the use of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) known as FortiASIC [3][5]. - The company's services now account for 68% of total revenue in 2024, significantly contributing to a 660 basis point increase in adjusted operating margin [5][6]. - Fortinet reported a sales growth of over 17% and an adjusted EPS increase of 45%, surpassing analyst expectations [6][7]. Group 2: Future Growth Catalysts - The company anticipates a significant refresh cycle in 2026 and 2027, where over one-third of its firewall base will require upgrades, potentially driving service sales growth [11][12]. - Fortinet's ASIC-enabled hardware is being utilized in data centers, with opportunities to secure AI data centers, which is crucial given the increasing data generated by AI [10][9]. - Product revenues grew just under 18%, indicating a strong potential for upselling high-margin service revenue as more physical products are installed [8][6].

Core Insights - Exclusive Networks North America has been designated as an Engage Preferred Services Partner (EPSP) within Fortinet's Engage Partner Program, highlighting its capability in deploying and maintaining comprehensive security solutions for digital acceleration [1][2][3] Company Overview - Exclusive Networks is a global cybersecurity specialist with a presence in over 45 countries, serving customers in more than 170 countries, combining local insights with global scale [6][7] EPSP Partnership Significance - The EPSP status validates Exclusive Networks' expertise in enhancing cybersecurity strategies and driving customer confidence, which is crucial for business growth [2][3] - The partnership provides access to specialized training and direct support from Fortinet experts, enabling Exclusive Networks to develop advanced security services for customers with hybrid network infrastructures [3][4] Program Focus - Fortinet's Engage Partner Program aims to assist partners in addressing new customer challenges arising from work-from-anywhere models and hybrid IT environments, facilitating growth opportunities through its extensive portfolio [4][5] - The program emphasizes the importance of specialized training and support to help partners succeed in a rapidly evolving threat landscape [2][4]

Group 1: Alphabet and Cybersecurity Landscape - Alphabet's acquisition of Wiz for $32 billion marks its largest deal and indicates a significant shift in the cybersecurity landscape [1][2] - The deal highlights the increasing importance of cybersecurity in cloud computing, especially with AI driving new security threats [3][9] - This acquisition may prompt other tech giants like Microsoft and Amazon to pursue similar cybersecurity firms to enhance their security capabilities [10] Group 2: Okta's Positioning - Okta is well-positioned to benefit from the rising focus on identity security due to increased cloud adoption and regulatory demands [4][5] - The company's solutions address complex identity security challenges in multi-cloud environments, enhancing user authentication across platforms [4] - Regulatory compliance is a key growth driver for Okta, as its solutions help organizations meet stringent security mandates [5] Group 3: Fortinet's Growth - Fortinet experienced a strong 17% revenue growth in Q4 2024, with product revenues growing 18%, its highest in six quarters [6] - The adoption of AI-driven cybersecurity and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solutions has increased demand for Fortinet's unified security platform [6] - Fortinet's AI-driven security strategy aligns with the industry's trend toward consolidated security platforms, enhancing its market position [7] Group 4: Investment Opportunities - The growing focus on digital security and the potential for industry consolidation may lead to higher valuations for cybersecurity leaders like Okta and Fortinet [9][10] - Investors are encouraged to consider Okta and Fortinet as prime beneficiaries of the cybersecurity boom, with both stocks carrying a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) [11]