Palo Alto Networks Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW) is one of the best tech stocks to buy for the long term. On September 4, the company’s CEO, Nikesh Arora, reiterated that the company is facing a robust cybersecurity landscape. Consequently, it has set a goal to achieve $15 billion in annual recurring revenue by 2029 and 2030. Palo Alto Networks Inc. (PANW) Targets $15B in Recurring Revenue Pixabay/Public Domain In the race for $15 billion in ARR, the company has shifted towards enhancing its artificial intelligenc ...

Company Overview - Okta is a $16 billion company focused on identity security, providing solutions for both human and non-human identity verifications, including secure processes for agentic AI [2] - The company has developed Okta AI, which integrates into its workforce and customer identity clouds, enhancing security and productivity while improving user experience [6] Financial Performance - Okta's fiscal 2Q26 report showed a revenue of $728 million, exceeding estimates by $16 million and growing 13% from fiscal 2Q25 [7] - The company predicts revenue for fiscal 3Q26 to be between $728 million and $730 million, above the Wall Street expectation of $723.1 million [7] Market Potential - The cybersecurity market is valued at approximately $270 billion and is expected to grow at a 12% CAGR from 2025 to 2028, with cybersecurity spending projected to grow 50% faster than overall software spending [4] - Okta's expansion into Identity Governance (OIG) and Privileged Access Management (PAM) presents significant upsell opportunities, with OIG already being a >$100 million ACV business [8] Analyst Insights - Morgan Stanley analyst Keith Weiss rates Okta shares as Overweight (Buy) with a price target of $123, indicating a 34% upside potential over the next 12 months [9] - The consensus rating for Okta shares is a Moderate Buy, with 19 Buy, 11 Hold, and 2 Sell recommendations [9] Competitive Landscape - Zscaler, another key player in cybersecurity, has grown into a ~$44 billion company, handling over 500 billion daily transactions and preventing over 9 billion daily incidents [12] - Zscaler's recent acquisition of Red Canary enhances its capabilities in exposure management and agentic AI threat management [13] Zscaler Financials - Zscaler's fiscal 4Q25 revenue reached $719.2 million, growing 21% year-over-year and exceeding forecasts by over $12 million [14] - The company's annual recurring revenue (ARR) increased by 22% year-over-year to $3.02 billion [14] Analyst Ratings for Zscaler - Weiss rates Zscaler as Overweight (Buy) with a price target of $320, suggesting a 12% upside potential [15] - The consensus rating for Zscaler is Strong Buy, with 30 Buy and 5 Hold recommendations [16]

Market Overview - The S&P 500 and Nasdaq are relatively unchanged as investors await the Federal Reserve's meeting next week, with expectations for a 25 basis point interest rate cut following a warm inflation report and weaker labor data [1][1][1] Company Updates - Boeing shares fell by 1.4% after a 3.3% drop previously, due to CEO Kelly Ortberg's comments on delays in 777X aircraft certification. The stock's pullback is viewed as a buying opportunity, as it does not affect the company's cash flow trajectory [1][1][1] - Broadcom's shares increased after Mizuho raised its price target from $355 to $410, driven by positive AI revenue forecasts and production ramp-up with existing and new clients like OpenAI. The company plans to trim its position due to the stock's significant movement since the last report [1][1][1] Upcoming Events - DuPont is set to hold an investor day to discuss its upcoming spinoff of the electronics business, with a buy-equivalent rating and a price target of $90 per share [1][1][1] - CrowdStrike will host its Falcon Con conference following a disappointing stock reaction despite a strong third quarter, with an upgraded rating and a price target of $520 [1][1][1]

CrowdStrike TodayCRWDCrowdStrike$440.11 +6.73 (+1.55%) 52-Week Range$256.00▼$517.98Price Target$460.10Add to WatchlistCrowdStrike Holdings Inc. NASDAQ: CRWD stock has been under pressure since reaching an all-time high in July. Since that time, it has been down approximately 16%, which means the stock is approaching correction territory. That may be welcome news for investors who feel that CrowdStrike, like other technology stocks, is overvalued and want to find a better entry point. But they may have to a ...

Core Insights - High-profile investors are showing bullish sentiment towards CrowdStrike Holdings, indicating potential privileged information influencing their trading decisions [1] - The options trading activity reveals a split sentiment among major traders, with 61% bullish and 33% bearish, highlighting a significant interest in the stock [2] - The expected price range for CrowdStrike Holdings over the next three months is between $135.0 and $500.0, based on the trading activity [3] Options Activity - A total of 18 options trades were identified for CrowdStrike Holdings, with one put option valued at $88,500 and 17 call options totaling $1,377,680, indicating a strong preference for calls [2] - Noteworthy options activity includes various trades with significant total trade prices, such as a bullish call trade with a total price of $136.9K for a strike price of $500.00 [9] Company Overview - CrowdStrike is a cloud-based cybersecurity firm specializing in next-generation security solutions, primarily through its Falcon platform, which provides comprehensive threat detection and response capabilities [11] - The company has received positive ratings from analysts, with an average target price of $448.6, and several analysts maintaining buy or outperform ratings with target prices ranging from $343 to $490 [13][14] Current Market Status - As of the latest trading session, CrowdStrike Holdings (CRWD) has a trading volume of 263,712 and a stock price of $439.66, reflecting a 1.45% increase [16] - The next earnings report for CrowdStrike is scheduled in 74 days, which may further influence investor sentiment and trading activity [16]

Core Insights - Cloudflare's stock has appreciated significantly, currently valued at around $220, which is over 14 times its IPO price of $15 from 2019 [2] - Cash from operations has increased from -$39 million in 2019 to nearly $450 million, representing a growth of more than 13 times [2] Financial Performance - In the last twelve months, cash flow from operations grew by 26% [3] - The company generates approximately $1.8 billion in revenue and around $450 million in net cash flow [4] - If Cloudflare maintains a 25% annual revenue growth rate, revenues could approach nearly $5 billion by 2030 [4] Profitability and Growth Drivers - Cloudflare's cash flows have increased due to robust revenue growth, enhanced margins, and operational leverage [3] - The company has consistently achieved annual revenue growth of 25-30%+ while improving operating and free cash flow margins [3] - Expansion into higher-margin sectors such as AI, edge computing, and developer platforms is enhancing profitability [3] Future Valuation Potential - Employing conservative peer multiples of 45-55 times free cash flow suggests a future valuation between $90 billion and $110 billion, compared to an existing market cap of around $73 billion [5] - This indicates that the stock could potentially increase by 50% from its current position [5] Market Position and Competitive Landscape - Cloudflare's recurring subscription base and growing demand for cybersecurity and edge services position it favorably in the market [5] - The company is a leader in AI-driven infrastructure, which supports its growth narrative [5]

Additionally, Zscaler is also offering agentic AI cybersecurity solutions to speed up the process of identifying the reasons behind IT outages, undertake corrective measures, and improve troubleshooting. The important thing to note here is that Zscaler's agentic AI security offerings are growing at a nice pace. The annual recurring revenue (ARR) of its agentic security operations increased by an impressive 85% year over year, while its agentic AI operations grew by 58% last year.The good part is that Zscale ...

Company Overview - Fortinet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FTNT) provides cybersecurity solutions that integrate networking and security, including firewalls, secure connectivity products, and cloud-based protections [2] - The company also offers AI-driven threat detection, security services, support, and training for various sectors including enterprises, service providers, governments, and businesses [2] Market Sentiment - Jim Cramer has expressed a negative sentiment towards Fortinet, labeling it as the weakest in the cybersecurity sector and recommending alternatives such as Palo Alto Networks and CrowdStrike [1] - Cramer indicated that he would prefer to wait for CrowdStrike's earnings report before considering any investment in Fortinet, suggesting a potential decline in CrowdStrike's stock price post-report [2] Investment Perspective - While there is acknowledgment of Fortinet's potential as an investment, there is a belief that certain AI stocks present greater upside potential and carry less downside risk [2]

Core Insights - Crypto protocols raised $1.9 billion in August, reflecting a 30% decrease from July's $2.67 billion, yet venture capital funding remained stable with $600 million raised from PUMP's public sale [1][2] Group 1: DeFi and Institutional Funding - DeFi protocols led August funding with significant raises, including Portal's $50 million, M0's $40 million Series B, and aPriori's $20 million investment [2] - The third quarter has already surpassed the second quarter's total of $4.54 billion, achieving $4.57 billion in just two months [2] Group 2: AI and Cybersecurity Investments - AI protocols received notable funding, with Everlyn raising $15 million and various AI projects completing seed rounds, indicating a growing interest in decentralized computing and data solutions [3] - Cybersecurity also saw significant investment, highlighted by IVIX's $60 million Series B, marking the largest traditional venture round of the month [3] Group 3: Stablecoin and Payment Infrastructure - Stablecoin infrastructure attracted $58 million in Series B funding through Rain, while payment infrastructure saw diverse funding, including OrangeX's $20 million Series B [4] - The payment category benefits from increasing crypto adoption in commercial applications [4] Group 4: Gaming Sector Developments - Gaming protocols received attention with Overtake's $7 million round and ongoing funding across various projects, supported by the rise of blockchain-based gaming mechanics and token economies [5][6] Group 5: Public Token Sales Trends - Public token sales declined significantly, raising only $30.7 million across seven projects, with notable contributions from Lombard's $6.75 million and Almanak's nearly $11 million [7] - Layer-2 solutions secured strategic investments, with Bitlayer raising $5 million through public token sales and Hemi Labs completing a $15 million growth round [8] Group 6: Overall Market Sentiment - The third quarter's performance indicates sustained institutional interest in the crypto sector, despite monthly fluctuations in funding [9]

Key Points Investors were sure placing a lot of trust in the zero-trust cybersecurity solutions provider. This was helped by an analyst's price target raise the day before. 10 stocks we like better than Zscaler › Cybersecurity specialist Zscaler (NASDAQ: ZS) was a winner of a stock on Thursday, rising by nearly 3% in price. Investors were juiced by an analyst's recommendation upgrade, accompanied by a meaty price target raise. That sub-3% climb was more than sufficient to beat the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ...