Citi maintains $45 target for DigitalOcean stock, reiterates Buy

Published 20/02/2025, 11:56
Citi maintains $45 target for DigitalOcean stock, reiterates Buy

On Thursday, Citi reaffirmed its confidence in DigitalOcean (NYSE:DOCN) shares, maintaining a Buy rating and a $45.00 price target. The endorsement comes as Citi analysts predict a robust top-line performance for the cloud computing company, which they believe will surpass the standard seasonal trends. Currently trading at $44.27, DigitalOcean has demonstrated strong momentum with a nearly 30% gain year-to-date. Analysts cite multiple indicators such as web traffic, Citi credit card trends, and the performance of global small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), as seen through the results of Fortinet (NASDAQ:FTNT) and Atlassian Corporation (NASDAQ:TEAM).InvestingPro analysis reveals the company maintains a perfect Piotroski Score of 9, indicating exceptional financial strength. Subscribers can access 12 additional exclusive ProTips and comprehensive financial metrics.

The seasoned leadership at DigitalOcean, with the CEO having now completed a year at the helm, is expected to continue driving the company’s revenue beyond its historical average. The company’s current revenue growth of 12.08% and healthy gross margin of 60.18% support this outlook. This growth, which has previously been in the low single digits (LSD), is anticipated to reach a low-teens exit rate by the end of the fourth quarter of 2024. Such a rate would enhance visibility into the company’s baseline growth projections for the calendar year 2025, which are estimated to be in the low-to-mid teens.

Citi analysts also foresee potential for margin improvement, given DigitalOcean’s history of outperforming operating profit margin (OPM) expectations by approximately four points. However, they note that the increasing pace of hiring, with job postings in February up roughly 45% month over month, may moderate the extent of these gains.

In conclusion, while Citi analysts expect DigitalOcean to maintain a steady low-to-mid teens revenue trajectory, they emphasize that positive revisions to estimates and guidance will be critical for the company to achieve further valuation expansion, especially as expectations continue to rise.

In other recent news, DigitalOcean has been the focus of several notable developments. The company launched its GenAI Platform, designed to simplify AI integration into business applications, offering features like data pipelines and chatbot interfaces. This platform is now available to all customers, following a successful private preview. Meanwhile, JMP Securities increased its price target for DigitalOcean shares to $55, maintaining an Outperform rating. This decision was influenced by positive feedback from customers at the company’s annual user conference, where many indicated plans to increase spending on DigitalOcean’s services.

Citi initiated coverage of DigitalOcean with a Buy rating and a $45 price target, reflecting optimism about the company’s new leadership and strategies aimed at revitalizing growth. The firm noted challenges in the past but sees potential in the revamped executive team and their product-led growth strategy. Additionally, Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) upgraded DigitalOcean’s stock rating to Overweight, citing the company’s successful expansion to serve larger customers and its undervalued stock position. The firm adjusted the price target to $41, highlighting DigitalOcean’s potential for growth, particularly in its AI and machine learning initiatives.

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