Company Overview - Gen Digital Inc. (GEN) is valued at $16.7 billion and operates as a global consumer cybersecurity company, providing subscription-based digital safety, privacy, and identity protection solutions through brands like Norton, Avast, AVG, Avira, LifeLock, and CCleaner [1] Earnings Expectations - Analysts anticipate that GEN will report a profit of $0.57 per share on a diluted basis for the fiscal third quarter, reflecting a 9.6% increase from $0.52 per share in the same quarter last year [2] - For the current fiscal year, EPS is expected to be $2.30, marking a 14.4% increase from $2.01 in fiscal 2025, with further growth projected to $2.66 in fiscal 2027, a 15.7% year-over-year rise [3] Stock Performance - GEN shares have seen a marginal decline over the past year, underperforming the S&P 500 Index, which gained 16.4%, and the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund, which rose by 22.8% during the same period [4] Market Position and Challenges - The company has faced challenges due to investor concerns regarding growth and market positioning, despite generating steady recurring revenue and meeting or slightly exceeding earnings expectations [5] - Competitive pressures in the consumer cybersecurity space, including free security features from major platforms, have limited multiple expansions, while diversification efforts and integration of acquired businesses have introduced execution risks [5] Analyst Sentiment - The consensus opinion among analysts on GEN stock is moderately bullish, with a "Moderate Buy" rating overall; four analysts recommend a "Strong Buy," while five suggest a "Hold" [6] - The average analyst price target for GEN is $34.38, indicating a potential upside of 26.4% from current levels [6]

Core Insights - Fortinet has seen significant changes in institutional investor positions, with several firms increasing their stakes during the third quarter of the year [1] - The company reported strong earnings, exceeding analyst expectations, with a revenue increase of 14.4% year-over-year [4] - Analyst ratings have been mixed, with several firms lowering their price targets and ratings for Fortinet [5][7] Institutional Investor Activity - Masso Torrence Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings by 9.0%, now owning 6,332 shares valued at $532,000 after acquiring 522 additional shares [1] - Calamos Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position valued at approximately $429,000 [1] - Brendel Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake by 18.7%, now holding 3,212 shares worth $270,000 after acquiring 506 shares [1] - Investment Partners Asset Management Inc. increased its stake by 20.9%, owning 5,079 shares valued at $427,000 after acquiring 877 shares [1] - Diversified Trust Co boosted its holdings by 13.3%, now owning 25,283 shares worth $2,126,000 after purchasing 2,959 shares [1] - Hedge funds and institutional investors collectively own 83.71% of Fortinet's stock [1] Insider Transactions - VP Michael Xie sold 3,546 shares at an average price of $86.53, totaling $306,835.38, resulting in a 0.03% decrease in his position [2] - CEO Ken Xie sold 158,485 shares at an average price of $86.51, totaling $13,710,537.35, leading to a 0.31% decrease in his position [2] - Company insiders currently own 17.20% of the stock [2] Stock Performance - Fortinet's stock opened at $79.41, with a 12-month low of $70.12 and a high of $114.82 [3] - The company has a market capitalization of $59.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.68, and a P/E/G ratio of 2.96 [3] - Current ratios are 1.03, quick ratios are 0.94, and the debt-to-equity ratio is 0.68 [3] - The fifty-day simple moving average is $82.17, and the two-hundred-day simple moving average is $87.32 [3] Earnings Results - Fortinet reported earnings of $0.74 per share, surpassing the consensus estimate of $0.63 by $0.11 [4] - The company achieved a net margin of 28.58% and a return on equity of 118.27% [4] - Revenue for the quarter was $1.72 billion, exceeding the consensus estimate of $1.70 billion, with a year-over-year revenue increase of 14.4% [4] - Guidance for FY 2025 is set at 2.660-2.700 EPS, with Q4 2025 guidance at 0.730-0.750 EPS [4] Analyst Ratings - Daiwa Capital Markets downgraded Fortinet from "outperform" to "neutral" with a price target of $86.00 [5] - Robert W. Baird reduced their target price from $90.00 to $86.00, maintaining a "neutral" rating [5] - TD Cowen lowered their price target from $105.00 to $100.00, setting a "hold" rating [5] - Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective from $85.00 to $80.00, also rating it as a "hold" [5] - Citigroup downgraded the stock from "neutral" to "mixed" [5] - The consensus rating for Fortinet is currently "Hold" with a target price of $90.11 [7]

Core Insights - The cybersecurity market is projected to grow at a steady CAGR of 13.8% from 2026 to 2034, making it a promising sector for investment [2] Company Summaries CrowdStrike - CrowdStrike offers a cloud-native platform called Falcon, which eliminates the need for on-site appliances, making it easier to scale and maintain [4] - The company serves over 30,000 subscription customers, including 70 of the Fortune 100, with 49% of customers adopting at least six modules [6] - Analysts expect CrowdStrike's revenue and adjusted EPS to grow at a CAGR of 22% and 17% from fiscal 2025 to fiscal 2028 [7] Zscaler - Zscaler specializes in "zero trust" services and does not require appliance installations, securing over 500 billion transactions daily [7] - The company plans to expand its enterprise and public sector deployments and enhance its AI-powered ZDX Copilot platform [9] - Analysts project Zscaler's revenue and adjusted EPS to grow at a CAGR of 21% and 18% from fiscal 2025 to fiscal 2028 [10] Palo Alto Networks - Palo Alto Networks serves over 70,000 enterprise customers globally and has three main platforms: Strata, Prisma, and Cortex [11] - The company is acquiring CyberArk for $25 billion and Chronosphere for $3.35 billion to enhance its capabilities [12][13] - Analysts expect Palo Alto's revenue and adjusted EPS to grow at a CAGR of 14% and 13% from fiscal 2025 to fiscal 2028, with potential for higher growth due to acquisitions [14]

Core Viewpoint - Insider selling at CrowdStrike Holdings has raised concerns among investors, particularly given the company's high-growth status in the tech sector, leading to discussions about whether these actions indicate a change in confidence or are merely routine liquidity events [1] Insider Transactions - CrowdStrike insiders sold shares totaling approximately $38.81 million last week, with CEO George Kurtz selling 17,550 shares for about $8.4 million, reducing his stake to around 2.19 million shares [2] - CFO Burt Podbere sold 10,516 shares at an average price of $483.33, totaling over $5 million, and notably, no insiders have purchased shares in the past year [2] Investment Narrative - Despite the insider sales, the overall investment outlook for CrowdStrike remains positive, driven by strong demand for its AI-driven cybersecurity Falcon platform and ongoing institutional interest [3] Company Overview - CrowdStrike is a leading cybersecurity technology firm specializing in cloud-native endpoint protection, threat intelligence, and cyberattack response solutions through its subscription-based Falcon platform, with a market capitalization of approximately $118.2 billion [4] Stock Performance - CrowdStrike's stock has shown strong performance, increasing around 37% year-to-date, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 Index, which has gained 16.4% in the same period, reflecting robust investor interest and high growth expectations for its AI-driven solutions [5]

Core Viewpoint - CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. has shown strong performance in 2025 with a stock increase of 39%, outperforming the broader market, but has faced a recent decline of 6.6% in the last month despite a strong earnings report [2][3] Financial Performance - Revenue for the most recent quarter rose 21% year-over-year to $1.23 billion, while annual recurring revenue (ARR) grew in the low 30% range, driven by multi-module adoption across the Falcon platform [4] - Adjusted operating margins have improved to the mid-20% range, indicating increased operational efficiency as free cash flow scales with workload consolidation on Falcon [6] Growth Outlook - CrowdStrike is recognized as a "best in breed" stock in cybersecurity, with a significant stock increase of 115% since overcoming a software glitch in July 2024 [3] - The company is transitioning from a hypergrowth phase to a "scale and optimize" era, which could benefit long-term investors if valuation compresses or earnings align with stock price [7] Valuation Concerns - CrowdStrike currently trades at approximately 30 times sales, which is typical for top-tier cybersecurity stocks but leaves little margin for error [3] - Future growth rates are expected to be more measured, with current metrics not matching the previous 40-60% growth rates that supported higher valuations [5]

Group 1 - The First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF (NASDAQ:CIBR) experienced a gain of approximately 13% in 2025 [1] - The ETF's performance lagged behind the Nasdaq-100 by nearly 7 percentage points [1]

Group 1 - Tenable Holdings Inc. is considered one of the best NASDAQ stocks to buy in 2026, despite recent price target reductions by Morgan Stanley and Jefferies [1][2] - Morgan Stanley lowered its price target on Tenable to $30 from $32, while Jefferies reduced its target to $29 from $31, both maintaining a neutral rating on the shares [1][2] - Cybersecurity stocks have shown varied performance, with platform-based companies rising by an average of 30%, while the rest of the sector saw a 12% decline [1] Group 2 - Tenable announced a significant OneGov agreement with the US General Services Administration, providing its Cloud Security solution to federal agencies, including the Department of Defense [3] - The partnership offers specialized pricing and discounts through March 31, 2027, and supports the federal government's cloud-first policy and the White House's AI Action Plan [3] - The cybersecurity software sector is expected to remain durable through 2026, supported by solid financial fundamentals, but may underperform compared to a broader software market rebound driven by AI breakthroughs [2]

Core Insights - The article discusses the rise of a criminal organization known as "The Com," which recruits young individuals, primarily teenagers, to conduct ransomware attacks against major corporations, exploiting their technical skills and naivety [3][4][19]. Recruitment and Operations - The Com prioritizes female candidates and offers training for inexperienced individuals, with compensation of $300 per successful call, paid in cryptocurrency [2][19]. - The organization has infiltrated U.S. and UK companies with a combined market cap exceeding $1 trillion, targeting around 120 companies, including well-known brands like Nike and Louis Vuitton [3][4]. Tactics and Techniques - The Com employs sophisticated social engineering tactics, utilizing platforms like LinkedIn and Slack to gather information about employees and corporate structures [7][10]. - Members of the group often mimic legitimate help desk calls to extract sensitive information from employees, exploiting the asymmetry in authentication processes [11][20]. Youth Involvement and Risks - Many of the young recruits are unaware of the severe legal consequences, with some facing federal charges and significant prison sentences for their involvement [4][17]. - The article highlights that the recruitment often begins in gaming communities, where young individuals are groomed for cybercrime [15][23]. Gender Dynamics - The organization has seen an increase in female participation, which is strategically leveraged for social engineering due to societal biases that underestimate women [19][22]. - Despite the growing number of female recruits, the leadership remains predominantly male, and women are often not given opportunities for advancement within the organization [22]. Parental Awareness and Cybersecurity - Parents often remain unaware of their children's involvement in cybercrime until law enforcement intervenes, highlighting a gap in monitoring online behavior [6][26]. - The complexity of online crimes makes it difficult for parents to recognize warning signs, necessitating a more proactive approach to cybersecurity at home [25][26].

We recently published 10 Stocks on Jim Cramer’s Radar.  ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer's radar. Enterprise workflow management software services provider ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) announced an important deal the day this show was aired, as it announced that it would acquire cybersecurity firm Armis for a $7.5 billion price tag. Throughout 2025, Cramer has maintained that the cybersecurity sector continues to be attractive in the broader software industry as it benefits fr ...

Core Insights - Plurilock Security Inc. has issued 312,188 common shares at a price of $0.2042 per share to satisfy $63,750 in interest payments on its outstanding convertible debentures [1] Company Overview - Plurilock is an AI-native cybersecurity company that provides services and products to address complex cyber challenges in critical environments [2] - The company is trusted by Five-Eyes governments, NATO-aligned agencies, and Global 2000 enterprises, focusing on defending critical infrastructure [2]