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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Core Insights - Fortinet (FTNT) is focusing on two rapidly growing areas in cybersecurity: Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and Security Operations (SecOps) to strengthen its position in integrated network security [1][12] Business Strategy - In late 2025, Fortinet advanced its unified SASE platform and AI-driven SecOps capabilities, being recognized as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for SASE Platforms, with increased momentum from multi-product enterprise deals [2] - Fortinet expanded its partnership with Armis to enhance asset visibility and AI-led threat detection, emphasizing automation, scalability, and long-term growth in intelligent security solutions [3] - The company’s unified FortiOS architecture integrates all core SASE elements, simplifying deployment and improving operational efficiency for global customers [5] Financial Performance - Fortinet raised its full-year 2025 billing guidance by $100 million to $7.44 billion, indicating a 14% year-over-year growth driven by strong demand for FortiSASE and SecOps offerings [6][12] - In Q2 2025, SASE and SecOps billings increased by 21% and 31% year-over-year, respectively, showcasing accelerating enterprise adoption [7] Competitive Landscape - Fortinet's main competitor, Palo Alto Networks (PANW), utilizes advanced next-generation firewalls and AI-driven platforms, although its premium pricing may deter cost-sensitive organizations [8][9] - Cisco Systems (CSCO) competes by integrating security across its networking ecosystem, leveraging its scale and infrastructure, though it is less specialized in niche security domains compared to Fortinet [10] Valuation and Earnings Estimates - Fortinet's shares have declined by 8.6% year-to-date, underperforming the Zacks Security industry's 21% growth and the broader Computer and Technology sector's 22.7% increase [13] - The company appears overvalued with a forward 12-month price-to-sales ratio of 8.98, higher than the sector average of 6.94 [15] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Fortinet's earnings is $2.52 per share for 2025 and $2.78 per share for 2026, indicating year-over-year earnings growth of 6.33% for 2025 and 10.18% for 2026 [18]

Core Insights - CrowdStrike has introduced new features in its Falcon Next-Generation Identity Security platform to enhance protection across various identities, including human, machine, and AI agents [1][11] Product Updates - The new FalconID tool offers passwordless, phishing-resistant MFA using FIDO2 standards, delivered through the Falcon mobile app, which utilizes real-time endpoint and identity signals to prevent credential-based breaches [2][11] - Falcon Privileged Access has been expanded to simplify management of complex Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID setups, focusing on automating access grants and revocations through Microsoft Teams and Falcon Fusion SOAR [3] - Identity-driven case management has been added to link related detections into a single case within Falcon's Next-Generation SIEM, combining endpoint, cloud, and SaaS telemetry for faster investigation and response [4] Business Performance - CrowdStrike's identity business reached $435 million in ARR in Q2 of fiscal 2026, reflecting a 21% year-over-year increase, indicating strong adoption momentum [5][11] - The company aims to transition customers from legacy IAM and PAM tools to its platform, which could help achieve its long-term target of $10 billion in ARR by fiscal 2031 [5] Competitive Landscape - CyberArk and Okta are key competitors in the identity security space, with CyberArk enhancing its platform through AI integration and Okta focusing on AI-driven tools for risk detection and user access management [6][7][8] Market Performance - CrowdStrike's shares have increased by 45.1% year to date, outperforming the Security industry's growth of 21.1% [9] - The company trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 22.75X, significantly higher than the industry's average of 13.28X [12] Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CrowdStrike's fiscal 2026 earnings indicates a year-over-year decline of 6.6%, while fiscal 2027 earnings are expected to grow by 29.3% [15]