3 Top Cybersecurity Stocks to Buy in September

Industry Overview - Cybersecurity threats are increasing globally, necessitating businesses to allocate budgets for defense, with IDC estimating cybersecurity spending to reach $377 billion by 2028 [2] - The rise of AI-based attacks complicates the defense of critical software and infrastructure [2] Company Insights Palo Alto Networks - Palo Alto Networks announced the acquisition of CyberArk for $25 billion, enhancing its identity and access management capabilities, expected to close in the second half of fiscal 2026 [5] - The company reported Q4 revenue of $2.54 billion, surpassing estimates of $2.5 billion, with earnings of $0.95 exceeding expectations of $0.88 [6] - Management provided strong guidance for 2026, projecting a 14% revenue increase to approximately $10.5 billion and non-GAAP earnings per share to rise 14% to $3.80 [6] - The founder and CTO, Nir Zuk, is retiring, but CEO Nikesh Arora continues to lead the company [7] CrowdStrike - CrowdStrike offers a comprehensive security solution through its Falcon platform, integrating AI features that save customers an average of 40 hours per week [9] - The company reported Q2 earnings per share of $0.93, above the consensus estimate of $0.83, while revenue increased by 21% to nearly $1.2 billion [10] - Despite a slight dip in share price following management's Q3 revenue estimate of $1.21 to $1.22 billion, which is below Wall Street's estimate, the company remains on track to achieve $10 billion in annual recurring revenue by 2031 [11][12] Microsoft - Microsoft has established itself as a leader in AI through its partnership with OpenAI, integrating advanced AI into its Azure and Windows 365 platforms [13] - The company has a growing cybersecurity business with 1.4 million customers and 34,000 engineers dedicated to security, with cybersecurity sales projected to reach $37 billion in fiscal 2025, accounting for about 14% of total revenue [14] - With a recent stock slide of about 3%, now is considered a favorable time to invest in Microsoft as it continues to excel in AI and cybersecurity markets [15]