Core Insights - Louis Stevens is a highly regarded investment analyst with a background as a former U.S. Army engineer officer, holding an MBA and a BA in political science [1] - He founded L.A. Stevens Research and developed the LAS Index, which has consistently outperformed market indices since its inception [2] Company Overview - L.A. Stevens Research is focused on providing investment research and analysis, catering to a diverse audience from beginners to seasoned professionals [2] - The LAS Index is a proprietary basket of stocks selected through a unique investment methodology, demonstrating strong performance relative to broader market indices [2]

Okta (OKTA) shares have appreciated 48.2% year to date (YTD), courtesy of its portfolio strength. More than 20% of fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 bookings were from new products, including Okta Identity Governance, Privileged Access, Device Access, Fine Grain Authorization, Identity Security Posture Management and Identity Threat Protection with Okta AI.OKTA’s innovative portfolio is helping the company win clients, driving top-line growth. It exited fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 with 19,650 customers and $4.215 b ...

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]

Have you been paying attention to shares of Okta (OKTA) ? Shares have been on the move with the stock up 28.1% over the past month. The stock hit a new 52-week high of $118.07 in the previous session. Okta has gained 47.7% since the start of the year compared to the -6.1% move for the Zacks Computer and Technology sector and the 7.7% return for the Zacks Security industry.What's Driving the Outperformance?The stock has a great record of positive earnings surprises, as it hasn't missed our earnings consensus ...

Investors often turn to recommendations made by Wall Street analysts before making a Buy, Sell, or Hold decision about a stock. While media reports about rating changes by these brokerage-firm employed (or sell-side) analysts often affect a stock's price, do they really matter?Let's take a look at what these Wall Street heavyweights have to say about Okta (OKTA) before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage.Okta currently has an average brokerage recomm ...

Group 1 - The analysis focuses on the growth prospects of companies and utilizes the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for valuation purposes [1] - Insights are provided on cash flow generation under different business models, indicating a thorough review process [1] Group 2 - There is no indication of any stock, option, or derivative positions held by the analyst in the companies mentioned, ensuring an unbiased perspective [2] - The article expresses the author's own opinions and does not involve compensation from the companies discussed [2] - The analysis does not provide recommendations or advice regarding investment suitability for specific investors [3]

Michael Wiggins De Oliveira is an inflection investor. This means buying into cheap companies at the moment when their narrative is changing and the business is on a path toward becoming significantly more profitable over the next year.With a focus on tech and “the Great Energy Transition (including uranium)”, Michael runs a concentrated portfolio with approximately 15 to 20 stocks and an average holding period of 18 months. Through his 10+ years analyzing countless companies, Michael has accumulated outsta ...

Core Insights - Okta reported strong fiscal Q4 2025 results, exceeding analyst expectations and providing positive guidance for future growth [1][2] - The company has recovered from a significant cybersecurity incident in 2023, which had negatively impacted its stock price [1] Financial Performance - Fiscal Q4 revenue increased by 13% year over year to $682 million, surpassing guidance and analyst consensus [2] - Subscription revenue also rose by 13% to $670 million, with adjusted EPS jumping 24% to $0.78 [2] Customer Metrics - Okta's net dollar retention rate was 107%, with expectations to maintain this level in fiscal 2026 [3] - The company added approximately 200 customers in the quarter, totaling 19,650, with a 4% year-over-year increase [4] - Customers with annual contract values (ACVs) above $100,000 rose by 7% to 4,800, while those with ACVs over $1 million increased by 22% to 470 [4] Product Development - The Okta Identity Governance solution has gained traction, now serving 1,300 customers with a total ACV exceeding $100 million [5] - A new product, Auth for GenAI, is set to launch, aimed at helping customers build and scale generative AI applications [5] Future Guidance - Management projects fiscal 2026 revenue between $2.85 billion and $2.86 billion, indicating growth of 9% to 10% [7] - For fiscal Q1 2026, revenue is expected to grow by about 10% to between $678 million and $680 million [8] Valuation - Okta's forward price-to-sales (P/S) ratio is approximately 6 times fiscal 2026 analyst estimates, suggesting reasonable valuation compared to other cybersecurity stocks [9]

Okta (OKTA) appears an attractive pick given a noticeable improvement in the company's earnings outlook. The stock has been a strong performer lately, and the momentum might continue with analysts still raising their earnings estimates for the company.The rising trend in estimate revisions, which is a result of growing analyst optimism on the earnings prospects of this cloud identity management company, should get reflected in its stock price. After all, empirical research shows a strong correlation between ...

When deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold a stock, investors often rely on analyst recommendations. Media reports about rating changes by these brokerage-firm-employed (or sell-side) analysts often influence a stock's price, but are they really important?Before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage, let's see what these Wall Street heavyweights think about Okta (OKTA) .Okta currently has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 2.00, on a scale o ...