智通财经网·2026-01-14 09:01Core Viewpoint - UBS maintains a positive outlook on the cybersecurity sector despite an 11% decline since November 2025, which is lower than the IGV index's 7% drop, with expectations that key trends will continue into 2025 [1] Industry Trends - Cybersecurity budgets are expected to grow faster than overall IT spending, with M&A trends continuing and AI-driven security and identity security becoming core themes [1] - A survey of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) indicates strong growth in cloud security (62%), identity security (59%), and SecOps & Analytics (55%), while firewall spending is more cautious (33%) [2] Key Themes and Controversies - The cybersecurity landscape faces challenges, with ransomware incidents increasing by 47% and severe zero-day vulnerabilities occurring frequently [3] - Core themes for 2026 will focus on AI for Security, Security for AI, and Identity Security, with leading companies identified as CrowdStrike, Palo Alto Networks, and SentinelOne [3] - There is growing concern among investors regarding the resilience of cybersecurity software against competition from AI-native companies, which may impact industry valuation multiples [4] Performance Adjustments and Valuation - Cybersecurity stocks performed in line with the software industry in 2025, with the IGV index rising by 1% while the cybersecurity sector remained flat [5] - Cybersecurity companies enjoy a slight valuation premium, with a median EV/Sales ratio of 5.6x compared to 5.0x for the software industry [5] - UBS has lowered revenue and current billings expectations for Tenable for 2026 due to trends in long-term contracts and prepaid billings, while maintaining expectations for Q4 2025 [5]