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Can Fortinet's FortiCloud Expansion Unlock the Next Wave of Growth?
ZACKS· 2025-10-15 18:01
Core Insights - Fortinet is enhancing its cloud-first, AI-driven growth model by expanding FortiCloud with new offerings like FortiIdentity, FortiDrive, and FortiConnect, aiming to create a unified ecosystem that boosts automation and recurring revenue streams [1][9] - The integration of AI into FortiCloud is emphasized through the expansion of the FortiAI suite, which includes tools designed to secure AI infrastructure and improve operational efficiency [2] - Fortinet's strategy supports a long-term shift towards subscription-based, high-margin cloud services, with management projecting sustained billings momentum backed by significant infrastructure investments [3] Financial Projections - Fortinet's total revenues are expected to grow by 13% in 2025 and 10% in 2026, reflecting the positive impact of the FortiCloud evolution [4] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Fortinet's earnings is projected at $2.52 per share for 2025 and $2.77 per share for 2026, indicating year-over-year earnings growth of 6.33% for 2025 and 9.83% for 2026 [14][15] Competitive Landscape - Fortinet faces competition from Zscaler, which excels in cloud-native security with its SaaS-based platforms, and Palo Alto Networks, which offers advanced security solutions across hybrid and multi-cloud environments [5][6] - Zscaler's agility and scalability in cloud-first environments contrast with Fortinet's hybrid hardware-cloud model, which appeals to enterprises needing deeper on-prem integration [5] - Palo Alto Networks' comprehensive solutions command higher costs but deliver superior security performance, making them a preferred choice for large organizations [6] Valuation and Market Performance - Fortinet shares have declined by 12.1% year to date, underperforming the Zacks Security industry's 23.2% rally and the broader Computer and Technology sector's 22.8% growth [7] - The company appears overvalued with a forward 12-month price-to-sales ratio of 8.8, compared to the sector's average of 6.9, and carries a Value Score of D [11]
CyberArk (CYBR) Suffers a Larger Drop Than the General Market: Key Insights
ZACKS· 2025-10-14 23:00
Core Viewpoint - CyberArk's stock performance has shown mixed results, with a recent decline while outperforming the broader technology sector over the past month [1][2]. Company Performance - CyberArk's stock closed at $491.30, reflecting a decrease of 2.52% from the previous day, underperforming the S&P 500's loss of 0.16% [1]. - Over the past month, CyberArk's shares gained 5.9%, surpassing the Computer and Technology sector's gain of 3.34% and the S&P 500's gain of 1.14% [2]. Earnings Projections - The upcoming earnings report is projected to show earnings of $0.92 per share, indicating a year-over-year decline of 2.13%, while revenue is expected to reach $327.05 million, representing a 36.21% increase from the same quarter last year [3]. - Full-year estimates suggest earnings of $3.86 per share and revenue of $1.33 billion, reflecting year-over-year increases of 27.39% and 32.53%, respectively [4]. Analyst Estimates and Rankings - Recent adjustments to analyst estimates for CyberArk indicate a shift in business outlook, with positive revisions seen as a sign of optimism [4]. - The Zacks Rank system currently rates CyberArk as 4 (Sell), with a consensus EPS projection having decreased by 66.92% in the past 30 days [6]. Valuation Metrics - CyberArk has a Forward P/E ratio of 130.72, significantly higher than the industry average of 70.9, indicating a premium valuation [7]. - The company also has a PEG ratio of 5.38, compared to the Security industry's average PEG ratio of 2.82, suggesting a higher valuation relative to expected earnings growth [8]. Industry Context - The Security industry, part of the Computer and Technology sector, currently holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 211, placing it within the bottom 15% of over 250 industries [8].
Okta (OKTA) Falls More Steeply Than Broader Market: What Investors Need to Know
ZACKS· 2025-10-14 23:00
Company Performance - Okta's stock closed at $89.08, reflecting a decrease of -1.18% from the previous trading session, underperforming the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.16% [1] - Over the past month, Okta's shares have declined by 0.85%, lagging behind the Computer and Technology sector's gain of 3.34% and the S&P 500's gain of 1.14% [1] Upcoming Earnings Report - Okta is expected to report earnings of $0.75 per share, indicating a year-over-year growth of 11.94%, with projected quarterly revenue of $729.17 million, up 9.65% from the previous year [2] Full Year Projections - For the full year, earnings are projected at $3.37 per share and revenue at $2.88 billion, representing increases of +19.93% and +10.3% respectively from the prior year [3] Analyst Estimates and Market Sentiment - Recent revisions in analyst estimates for Okta are seen as a reflection of near-term business trends, with positive revisions indicating optimism about the business outlook [3][4] - The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has decreased by 0.34% over the past month, and Okta currently holds a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) [5] Valuation Metrics - Okta's Forward P/E ratio stands at 26.74, which is a discount compared to the industry average of 70.9 [6] - The company has a PEG ratio of 1.54, while the average PEG ratio for security stocks is 2.82 [6] Industry Context - The Security industry, part of the Computer and Technology sector, has a Zacks Industry Rank of 211, placing it in the bottom 15% of over 250 industries [7] - The top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1, indicating a challenging environment for the Security industry [7]
Can CRWD's Partnership Ecosystem Accelerate its Path to $10B ARR?
ZACKS· 2025-10-14 15:15
Core Insights - CrowdStrike is rapidly expanding through strategic partnerships, with approximately 60% of new business in Q2 fiscal 2026 coming from partners, highlighting the importance of these alliances for growth [1][11] Strategic Partnerships - In September 2025, CrowdStrike expanded its partnership with NVIDIA, introducing Charlotte AI AgentWorks integrated with NVIDIA's Nemotron models, aiming to enhance security teams' capabilities in managing AI agents [2] - Collaborations with KPMG, Salesforce, and Meta were also announced. KPMG will utilize CrowdStrike's Falcon Next-Gen SIEM to modernize security systems for clients, while Salesforce integration enhances visibility and protection for AI-powered business tools [3][4] - The partnership with Meta aims to create CyberSOCEval, an open benchmark for evaluating AI model performance in real-world scenarios [4] Growth Projections - These strategic partnerships are expected to support CrowdStrike's long-term goal of achieving $10 billion in annual recurring revenue (ARR) by fiscal 2031, with Zacks Consensus Estimates indicating a year-over-year revenue increase of around 21% for fiscal 2026 and 2027 [5] Competitive Landscape - Key competitors include Palo Alto Networks and Okta, both focusing on acquisitions for platform expansion and AI innovation. Palo Alto Networks is pursuing the acquisition of CyberArk to enhance its identity-driven threat protection capabilities [6][7] - Okta completed its acquisition of Axiom Security to bolster its privileged access management tools [8] Financial Performance - CrowdStrike's shares have increased by 63.6% year-to-date, outperforming the security industry's growth of 23.8% [9] - The company trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 23.25X, significantly higher than the industry's average of 13.23X [13] - Zacks Consensus Estimates for fiscal 2026 earnings imply a year-over-year decline of 6.6%, while fiscal 2027 earnings are expected to grow by 29.3% [16]
Can PANW's Platform Deals Drive Sustainable Double-Digit Growth?
ZACKS· 2025-10-13 19:11
Core Insights - Palo Alto Networks (PANW) achieved strong results in fiscal 2025, driven by an increase in customer adoption of its platforms and a record number of large platform deals in Q4 [1][11] Group 1: Platformization Strategy - The platformization strategy focuses on encouraging customers to adopt multiple products across network, cloud, and security operations, enabling larger customers to utilize the full security platform [2] - This strategy is contributing to faster growth and larger deals for the company [2] Group 2: Customer Growth and Revenue - In Q4 of fiscal 2025, customers with over $20 million in Next Gen Security (NGS) Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) experienced a nearly 80% year-over-year increase, while those with over $5 million and $10 million in ARR grew by about 50% [3] - PANW added $490 million in NGS ARR during the quarter, with significant contributions from software firewalls, SASE, and XSIAM [4] - Key customer wins included a global consulting firm with a contract exceeding $100 million, a European bank with a $60 million deal, and a U.S. insurer with a $33 million multi-platform agreement [4] Group 3: Future Outlook - For fiscal 2026, the company anticipates a revenue growth of 14%, with NGS ARR expected to grow by 26-27% [6] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for total revenues in fiscal 2026 is $10.42 billion, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 13% [6] Group 4: Competitive Landscape - Competitors like CrowdStrike and Zscaler are also expanding through platform growth and AI innovation, with CrowdStrike reporting $4.66 billion in ARR (20% growth) and Zscaler at $2.9 billion in ARR (23% growth) [7][8] Group 5: Valuation and Performance - PANW shares have increased by 20.8% year-to-date, outperforming the Zacks Security industry's growth of 14.6% [9] - The company trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 13.04X, slightly below the industry average of 13.23X [13] - Earnings estimates for fiscal 2026 and 2027 imply year-over-year growth of 13.5% and 13.2%, respectively, with upward revisions in estimates over the past 30 to 60 days [14]
Global Markets Eye JPMorgan’s Security Pledge, Nobel Laureates, and French Political Dynamics
Stock Market News· 2025-10-13 10:09
Group 1: Corporate Developments - JPMorgan Chase & Co. has committed to directing $1.5 trillion into US security industries, emphasizing a strategic focus on national security infrastructure and related sectors [2][9] - Goldman Sachs has issued a forecast indicating that US consumers could bear over half of the costs associated with potential Trump tariffs, suggesting inflationary pressures on household budgets [4][9] Group 2: Economic Recognition - The Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences has been awarded to Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion, and Peter Howitt for their significant contributions to understanding innovation, growth, and development [3][9] Group 3: Political and Geopolitical Context - The French government is set to present two draft budgets to the Council of Ministers, amidst political negotiations regarding the use of special constitutional powers and pension reform [5][9]
CrowdStrike Holdings (CRWD) Is Up 1.76% in One Week: What You Should Know
ZACKS· 2025-10-10 17:01
Core Insights - Momentum investing focuses on following a stock's recent price trends, aiming to buy high and sell higher, with the expectation that established trends will continue [1] - The Zacks Momentum Style Score helps investors identify stocks with strong momentum, addressing the challenges of defining momentum [2] Company Overview: CrowdStrike Holdings (CRWD) - CrowdStrike Holdings currently has a Momentum Style Score of B, indicating potential for strong performance based on price changes and earnings estimate revisions [3] - The company holds a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which historically outperforms the market when combined with a Style Score of A or B [4] Performance Metrics - Over the past week, CRWD shares increased by 1.76%, slightly outperforming the Zacks Security industry, which rose by 1.75% [6] - In a longer timeframe, CRWD's monthly price change is 17.48%, significantly higher than the industry's 7.19% [6] - Over the past quarter, CRWD shares have risen by 8.36%, and over the last year, they have gained 61.67%, compared to the S&P 500's increases of 7.89% and 17.66%, respectively [7] Trading Volume - CRWD's average 20-day trading volume is 3,286,991 shares, which serves as a bullish indicator when combined with rising stock prices [8] Earnings Outlook - In the past two months, 16 earnings estimates for CRWD have been revised upwards, with no downward revisions, raising the consensus estimate from $3.50 to $3.67 [10] - For the next fiscal year, there have been 8 upward revisions and 6 downward revisions in earnings estimates [10] Conclusion - Given the strong performance metrics and positive earnings outlook, CRWD is positioned as a 1 (Strong Buy) stock with a Momentum Score of B, making it a compelling option for investors seeking momentum picks [12]
Why Palo Alto Networks (PANW) Dipped More Than Broader Market Today
ZACKS· 2025-10-09 22:46
Core Insights - Palo Alto Networks (PANW) experienced a slight decline of -1.2% in its recent trading session, underperforming compared to the S&P 500's loss of 0.28% [1] - Over the past month, PANW shares have appreciated by 10.37%, outperforming the Computer and Technology sector's gain of 7.19% and the S&P 500's gain of 4.03% [1] Earnings Forecast - Analysts forecast an EPS of $0.89 for the upcoming earnings disclosure, reflecting a 14.1% increase from the same quarter last year [2] - Revenue is expected to reach $2.46 billion, marking a 15.08% increase from the prior-year quarter [2] Full Year Projections - For the full year, earnings are projected at $3.79 per share and revenue at $10.42 billion, indicating increases of +13.47% and +13.03% respectively from the previous year [3] - Recent analyst estimate revisions suggest optimism regarding the company's business and profitability [3] Stock Performance and Valuation - The Zacks Rank system, which assesses estimate changes, indicates a current rank of 3 (Hold) for Palo Alto Networks [5] - The company is trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 57.53, which is lower than the industry average of 71.61, suggesting a discount relative to its peers [6] Growth Metrics - PANW has a PEG ratio of 2.92, compared to the Security industry's average PEG ratio of 2.89 [7] - The Security industry is ranked in the bottom 21% of all industries according to the Zacks Industry Rank [7][8]
Palo Alto Networks Rises 19.5% YTD: Time to Hold or Book Profits?
ZACKS· 2025-10-09 15:51
Core Insights - Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW) shares have gained 19.5% year to date, underperforming the Zacks Security industry's growth of 20.6% [1][7] - The company is experiencing a slowdown in sales growth, with revenue growth rates in the mid-teen percentage range, down from mid-20s in fiscal 2023 [3][4] - The forecast for fiscal 2026 indicates full-year revenue growth of 14%, with revenues expected to be in the range of $10.475-$10.525 billion [4][7] Financial Performance - In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, revenues grew 16% year over year, but the Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 and 2027 suggests revenue growth will remain in the mid-teen percentage range [4][5] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter is $2.46 billion, with year-over-year growth estimated at 15.08% [5] Next-Generation Security (NGS) Growth - NGS annual recurring revenue (ARR) growth has been slowing, with six consecutive quarters of deceleration; fiscal 2026 NGS ARR is expected to be in the range of $7.00-$7.10 billion, indicating a slowdown to 26-27% growth compared to previous years [8][9] - Despite the slowdown, the demand for cloud security and AI-powered solutions remains high [8] Market Position and Opportunities - The global cybersecurity market is projected to grow from $193.73 billion in 2024 to $562.77 billion by 2032, providing a significant addressable market for Palo Alto Networks [9] - The company is leveraging AI innovations, such as Cortex XSIAM and Prisma AIRS, to enhance its competitive position and drive long-term growth [10][11] Strategic Initiatives - The pending acquisition of CyberArk is expected to strengthen Palo Alto Networks' capabilities in identity-driven threat protection, an area where it currently lacks scale [15] - The company has reported strong adoption of its products, with Cortex XSIAM being the fastest-growing product in its history and significant deals closed, including a $60 million-plus deal with a leading European bank [12][14] Valuation - Palo Alto Networks trades at a price-to-sales (P/S) multiple of 13.21X, which is in line with the industry average but lower than some peers like CyberArk and CrowdStrike [16][19] - The reasonable valuation offers some downside protection, making PANW an attractive long-term hold for investors seeking exposure to cybersecurity growth [21]
Unaudited consolidated interim accounts for the third quarter and first nine months of 2025
Globenewswire· 2025-10-09 13:30
Core Insights - The Group's sales revenue for Q3 2025 reached 232.7 million euros, a 1.5% increase year-on-year, while the nine-month total was 680.4 million euros, down 1.1% from the previous year [1][2] - The Group's pre-tax profit for Q3 2025 was 8.1 million euros, a decrease of 5.7% compared to the same period last year, with a nine-month pre-tax profit of 16.0 million euros, down 28.1% year-on-year [1][2] Sales Performance - Sales revenue growth was observed across nearly all business segments, with the exception of the security segment, which saw a decline due to reliance on one-off projects [2] - The car segment's sales revenue for the first nine months was 9.6% lower than the previous year, primarily due to a 40.5% contraction in the Estonian new car market [2][20] - The supermarket segment reported a 0.9% increase in Q3 sales revenue, totaling 150.9 million euros, and a 1.9% increase for the first nine months [6][8] Profitability - The supermarket segment's pre-tax profit for Q3 2025 was 4.7 million euros, a decrease from the previous year, with a nine-month pre-tax profit of 8.7 million euros, down 2.8 million euros year-on-year [6][9] - The overall decline in profit margins was attributed to increased promotional activities and rising input costs, despite maintaining operational cost efficiency [9][12] Segment Analysis - The department stores segment achieved a 3.8% increase in Q3 sales revenue, totaling 22.4 million euros, but reported a pre-tax loss of 1.0 million euros [15][16] - The real estate segment saw a 12.1% increase in Q3 sales revenue, reaching 1.9 million euros, with a pre-tax profit of 2.4 million euros, up 45.4% [24][25] - The security segment's sales revenue decreased by 15.4% in Q3, totaling 4.8 million euros, with a pre-tax profit of 0.2 million euros [22][23] Customer Engagement - The number of loyal customers exceeded 750,000, representing a 1.4% increase year-on-year, with 85.9% of the Group's turnover attributed to these customers [5] - The Partner Card mobile app has gained popularity, with over 323,000 users by the end of the quarter [5] Future Developments - The Group is focusing on optimizing product assortment and processes, including the introduction of the First Price brand to enhance competitive pricing [10][11] - Renovation projects are underway to improve store energy efficiency and align with current business needs, including the upcoming Jõgeva Selver store renovation [13][26]