Core Insights - Zscaler's stock has increased by 18.2% in the past month, outperforming the Zacks Security industry's return of 14.8%, leading investors to consider whether to hold or take profits [1] Group 1: Performance and Demand - The demand for Zscaler's cybersecurity solutions is strong, driven by increasing threats such as nation-state cyber warfare and ransomware attacks [1] - Zscaler achieved a 12-month trailing dollar-based retention rate of 115% in Q2 fiscal 2025, supported by larger bundle sales and robust upsells [2] - Remaining Performance Obligations increased by 28% year over year, indicating strong future revenue commitments [2] Group 2: Government Sector Expansion - Zscaler is enhancing its GovCloud solutions to comply with government security standards, expanding its presence among government agencies [3] - The company added one cabinet-level agency client in Q4, bringing its total to 13 out of 15 U.S. cabinet-level agencies, indicating growth potential in the public sector [4] Group 3: AI Integration and Partnerships - Zscaler is implementing generative AI in its offerings, collaborating with NVIDIA and CrowdStrike to enhance its cybersecurity solutions [5][6] - The integration of NVIDIA's AI technologies strengthens Zscaler's Zero Trust Security model, improving its capabilities in threat intelligence and real-time insights [6] Group 4: Financials and Investments - Zscaler's revenue for fiscal 2025 is projected to increase by 22.2% year over year, reflecting strong demand for its products [8] - Non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses rose by 12.9% year over year to $237.5 million, accounting for 36.7% of Q2 fiscal 2025 revenues, indicating aggressive market strategies [10] - R&D expenses surged by 34.7% year over year to $105 million, representing 16.2% of total revenues, highlighting the company's commitment to innovation [11] Group 5: Valuation Concerns - Zscaler's premium valuation is evident with a Forward 12-month P/S ratio of 11.56X, significantly higher than the sector average of 5.71X, raising concerns about overvaluation [12] Group 6: Investment Recommendation - Despite the premium valuation, Zscaler's AI innovations and strong position in the Zero Trust security space suggest it is a stock worth retaining, currently holding a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) [15]

The latest trading session saw Palo Alto Networks (PANW) ending at $186.27, denoting a -0.35% adjustment from its last day's close. The stock trailed the S&P 500, which registered a daily gain of 0.63%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a rise of 0.21%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw an increase of 1.52%.Coming into today, shares of the security software maker had gained 7.94% in the past month. In that same time, the Computer and Technology sector gained 1.66%, while the S&P 500 lost 0.7%.Market part ...

Core Viewpoint - CyberArk (CYBR) has been trending on Zacks.com, indicating potential interest in its stock performance in the near term [1] Earnings Estimate Revisions - CyberArk is expected to report earnings of $0.79 per share for the current quarter, reflecting a year-over-year increase of +5.3% [5] - The consensus earnings estimate for the current fiscal year is $3.65, indicating a +20.5% change from the previous year, with a recent upward revision of +9.6% [5] - For the next fiscal year, the earnings estimate is $4.65, suggesting a +27.3% increase from the prior year, with a slight upward revision of +0.7% [6] - The Zacks Rank for CyberArk is 2 (Buy), indicating a favorable outlook based on earnings estimate revisions [7] Revenue Growth Forecast - The consensus sales estimate for the current quarter is $305.66 million, representing a year-over-year increase of +38% [11] - For the current fiscal year, the revenue estimate is $1.31 billion, indicating a +31.3% change, while the next fiscal year's estimate is $1.57 billion, reflecting a +19.1% change [11] Last Reported Results and Surprise History - In the last reported quarter, CyberArk achieved revenues of $314.38 million, a +40.9% year-over-year increase, and an EPS of $0.80, slightly down from $0.81 a year ago [12] - The company exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues by +4.43% and for EPS by +12.68% [12] - CyberArk has consistently beaten consensus EPS and revenue estimates over the last four quarters [13] Valuation - CyberArk is graded F on the Zacks Value Style Score, indicating it is trading at a premium compared to its peers [17] - Valuation multiples such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF) are essential for assessing whether the stock is overvalued or undervalued [15][16] Bottom Line - The information presented suggests that CyberArk may outperform the broader market in the near term, supported by its Zacks Rank 2 [18]

Company Overview - Okta (OKTA) shares increased by 7.4% to close at $112.54, supported by strong trading volume, contrasting with a 0.4% loss over the past four weeks [1] - The company is experiencing robust demand for its identity security solutions, driven by product innovation and increased customer adoption of offerings like Okta Identity Governance [1] Earnings Expectations - Okta is projected to report quarterly earnings of $0.77 per share, reflecting an 18.5% year-over-year increase, with revenues expected to reach $679.73 million, up 10.2% from the previous year [2] - The consensus EPS estimate for Okta has remained stable over the last 30 days, indicating that stock price movements may not sustain without earnings estimate revisions [3] Industry Context - Okta is part of the Zacks Security industry, which includes other companies like Fortinet (FTNT), whose stock closed 1.5% higher at $104.21, with a 6.6% return over the past month [3] - Fortinet's consensus EPS estimate has seen a slight decrease of 0.2% to $0.53, representing a 23.3% increase from the previous year [4]

Company Overview - NAPCO Security Technologies, Inc. is a leading designer and manufacturer of high-tech electronic security devices and services, including intrusion, fire alarm, access control, and locking systems [3] - The company is also a prominent provider of school safety solutions and operates through four divisions: NAPCO and three wholly owned subsidiaries: Alarm Lock, Continental Instruments, and Marks USA [3] - NAPCO's products are widely installed by security professionals across various sectors, including commercial, industrial, institutional, residential, and government applications [3] Financial Results Announcement - NAPCO Security Technologies will release its financial results for the Fiscal Third Quarter 2025, which ended on March 31, 2025, on May 5, 2025, before the market opens [1] - Following the financial results announcement, a conference call for analysts and investors is scheduled for 11 A.M. ET on the same day [1] Investor Participation - The conference call will be webcast, and interested parties can participate via the Investor Relations section of the company's website or by dialing specific phone numbers [2] - A replay of the webcast will also be available on the company's Investor Relations website [2]

Company Overview - Zscaler (ZS) closed at $219.86, with a +1.99% change from the previous day, outperforming the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.06% [1] - Over the past month, Zscaler shares gained 4.07%, contrasting with the Computer and Technology sector's loss of 5.52% and the S&P 500's loss of 4.29% [1] Earnings Expectations - The upcoming earnings release is expected to show an EPS of $0.75, a 14.77% decrease compared to the same quarter last year [2] - Revenue is forecasted to be $666.11 million, indicating a 20.41% growth year-over-year [2] Full-Year Estimates - Full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of $3.06 per share and revenue of $2.65 billion, reflecting year-over-year changes of -4.08% and +22.18%, respectively [3] - Recent revisions to analyst forecasts are crucial as they reflect near-term business trends, with positive changes indicating analyst optimism [3] Valuation Metrics - Zscaler's Forward P/E ratio is 70.56, which is higher than the industry average of 63.04, indicating a premium valuation [6] - The current PEG ratio stands at 5.11, compared to the Security industry's average PEG ratio of 3.2 [6] Industry Context - The Security industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector and holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 160, placing it in the bottom 36% of over 250 industries [7] - The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the performance of industry groups based on the average Zacks Rank of individual stocks, with the top 50% rated industries outperforming the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1 [7]

Company Performance - Palo Alto Networks (PANW) closed at $179.02, reflecting a +1.69% change from the previous session, outperforming the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.74% [1] - Over the last month, PANW shares increased by 0.92%, while the Computer and Technology sector declined by 6.23% and the S&P 500 fell by 4.77% [1] Upcoming Earnings Expectations - Analysts expect Palo Alto Networks to report earnings of $0.77 per share, representing a year-over-year growth of 16.67% [2] - Revenue is anticipated to be $2.27 billion, indicating a 14.62% increase compared to the same quarter last year [2] Fiscal Year Projections - For the entire fiscal year, earnings are projected at $3.22 per share and revenue at $9.16 billion, reflecting changes of +13.38% and +14.13% respectively from the previous year [3] - Recent analyst estimate revisions suggest optimism regarding the company's business and profitability [3] Analyst Rating System - The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from 1 (Strong Buy) to 5 (Strong Sell), has shown that stocks rated 1 have delivered an average annual return of +25% since 1988 [5] - Currently, Palo Alto Networks holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [5] Valuation Metrics - Palo Alto Networks is trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 54.61, which is lower than the industry average of 61.7 [6] - The company's PEG ratio stands at 2.73, compared to the industry average PEG ratio of 3.17 [6] Industry Context - The Security industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector, which has a Zacks Industry Rank of 72, placing it in the top 30% of over 250 industries [7] - Research indicates that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1 [7]

Core Viewpoint - SentinelOne's stock has significantly underperformed in the market, with a 22.7% decline over the past three months, contrasting with the broader industry and sector performance [1][3] Group 1: Stock Performance - The stock is currently 38.6% below its 52-week high of $29.29, indicating a substantial drop in value [1] - The technical setup shows a bearish trend, with the stock trading below both the 50-day and 200-day moving averages, suggesting limited upward momentum [2] Group 2: Revenue Growth and Projections - SentinelOne has projected a revenue growth of 23% for fiscal 2026, a decrease from the previous year's 32% growth, which raises concerns about valuation pressure [7] - The company added over 500 new customers and maintained a 115% net revenue retention rate, but experienced a decline in revenue per customer, indicating challenges in upselling [8] Group 3: Market Position and Strategy - Despite recent challenges, SentinelOne is transitioning from an endpoint-centric business to a broader AI-native cybersecurity platform, with over 50% of bookings in the fiscal fourth quarter coming from non-endpoint products [9] - The company has seen strong adoption of its AI-driven products, such as Purple AI, and significant traction in cloud security, contributing to customer expansion [10] Group 4: Financial Metrics - Annual recurring revenue (ARR) grew 27% year over year to $920 million, with $60 million in net new ARR added in the quarter, showcasing improved execution [12] - Remaining performance obligations (RPO) grew 30% to $1.2 billion, indicating strong future revenue visibility [13] Group 5: Valuation - SentinelOne is currently trading at a forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 5.57X, slightly above the sector's 5.39X, reflecting a premium valuation [15]

Core Viewpoint - Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW) has experienced a significant decline in share price, losing 11.4% over the past month, which is worse than the Zacks Security industry's decline of 9.2% during the same period [1][2] Financial Performance - The company reported a slowdown in sales growth, with fiscal 2024 revenue growth at 16% year-over-year, down from 25% in fiscal 2023. For fiscal 2025, PANW projects revenue growth of 14%, estimating total revenue between $9.14 billion and $9.19 billion [5][6] - The first and second quarters of fiscal 2025 have shown revenue growth lingering around 14%, indicating a cooling off of the company's rapid expansion phase [6] - PANW's next-generation security annual recurring revenue growth is projected at 31-32%, a decline from over 45% in previous years, disappointing investors [6][8] - The company's earnings per share (EPS) estimate for the current fiscal year has been revised down by a penny to $3.22 [8][9] Competitive Landscape - The cybersecurity market is highly competitive, with significant players like CrowdStrike, CyberArk, and Zscaler posing threats to PANW's growth prospects [7][12] - PANW faces competition in various segments, including endpoint security and privileged access management, where competitors have established strong positions [10][11] Industry Trends - Despite challenges, the global cybersecurity market is projected to grow from $193.73 billion in 2024 to $562.72 billion by 2032, indicating a substantial addressable market for PANW [13] - The company is well-positioned to benefit from the increasing demand for advanced cybersecurity solutions as enterprises prioritize multi-layered security platforms [13][14] - PANW's strategic partnership with NVIDIA to develop AI-powered private 5G security solutions enhances its capabilities in a rapidly growing market segment [14] Business Strategy - The transition to a platform-based model has been beneficial for PANW, allowing it to bundle multiple security products into a comprehensive offering, which generates recurring revenue and enhances customer loyalty [15] - The company's current valuation is attractive, trading at a forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 10.71X, lower than the Zacks Security industry's ratio of 12.03X [16] Conclusion - Despite facing financial and competitive challenges, PANW has substantial resources for innovation and is positioned to capitalize on future growth in the cybersecurity industry. The current demand environment and discounted valuation suggest that holding the stock may be a prudent decision [19]

Core Viewpoint - Check Point Software reported quarterly earnings of $2.21 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.19 per share, and showing an increase from $2.04 per share a year ago, indicating a positive earnings surprise of 0.91% [1] Financial Performance - The company achieved revenues of $637.8 million for the quarter ended March 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.22% and reflecting a year-over-year increase from $598.8 million [2] - Over the last four quarters, Check Point has exceeded consensus EPS estimates three times and has also topped consensus revenue estimates three times [2] Stock Performance - Check Point shares have appreciated approximately 13.7% since the beginning of the year, contrasting with the S&P 500's decline of 10.1% [3] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $2.37, with expected revenues of $662.72 million, and for the current fiscal year, the EPS estimate is $9.91 on revenues of $2.71 billion [7] Industry Outlook - The Zacks Industry Rank indicates that the Security industry is currently in the top 29% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a favorable outlook as the top 50% of Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by more than 2 to 1 [8]