On Thursday, Datadog (NASDAQ:DDOG), a provider of modern observability and security tools, received a Buy rating from CMB International Securities with a price target of $154.30.
The firm cited Datadog's expansion from infrastructure monitoring to a broader range of services, including Application Performance Monitor (APM), Log Management, Network Performance Monitoring (NPM), Real User Monitoring (RUM), User Experience (UX), and cloud security as a unified platform.
The company's growth has been attributed to the increasing trend of cloud migration and its comprehensive full observability capability. Datadog's cloud-native product is considered to have the fullest technology stack integration, which is believed to be more compatible with modern hybrid multi-cloud and local environments.
CMB International Securities highlighted Datadog's solid revenue growth and its strong position in the customer mindset. The firm anticipates Datadog to capitalize on the long-term cloud migration trend and the emerging AI wave. With a predicted 24% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in revenue from 2023 to 2026, the firm also estimates a 27% CAGR for non-GAAP net income.
The price target of $154.30 is based on a multiple of 16.1 times the 2025 estimated enterprise value to sales (EV/Sales), which aligns with the company's two-year average plus one standard deviation.
CMB International Securities expects potential catalysts for Datadog's stock to include an increase in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) from AI-native customers and better-than-expected free cash flow (FCF) growth, supported by strong revenue performance and the realization of operating leverage.
In other recent news, Datadog recently surpassed consensus revenue estimates by 3.7% in their quarterly earnings. This development led to several financial firms, including BMO Capital, Needham, Rosenblatt, and Barclays (LON:BARC), raising their price targets for the company.
BMO Capital increased its target to $145, pointing out the growing contribution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Datadog's business. Needham raised its target to $160, citing Datadog's strong third-quarter performance. Rosenblatt increased its target to $148, while Barclays raised its target to $155, both firms highlighting the company's solid performance and growing AI-native customer base.
Datadog's third-quarter financial performance revealed a 26% year-over-year revenue increase, reaching $690 million. This robust growth was accompanied by the addition of approximately 2,400 new customers, with 3,490 customers contributing over $100,000 in annual recurring revenue (ARR), accounting for 88% of the total ARR. Datadog's free cash flow remained strong at $204 million, indicating a 30% margin.
The company's robust adoption of its platform, the launch of new products, and the strong pipeline for the fourth quarter are key growth drivers. However, no specific guidance was provided for 2025, with the company focusing instead on building sales and engineering capacity.
InvestingPro Insights
Datadog's strong market position and growth potential, as highlighted by CMB International Securities, are further supported by recent InvestingPro data and tips. The company's revenue growth remains robust, with a 26.3% increase in the last twelve months as of Q3 2024. This aligns with the firm's projection of continued strong revenue growth.
InvestingPro Tips reveal that Datadog "holds more cash than debt on its balance sheet" and "liquid assets exceed short term obligations," indicating a solid financial foundation to support its expansion plans. Additionally, the tip that "32 analysts have revised their earnings upwards for the upcoming period" suggests growing confidence in the company's near-term performance.
Datadog's impressive gross profit margin of 81.24% in the last twelve months underscores its operational efficiency, which could contribute to the anticipated improvement in free cash flow mentioned in the article. The company's market cap of $43.64 billion reflects its significant presence in the observability and security tools market.
For investors seeking a more comprehensive analysis, InvestingPro offers 13 additional tips that could provide deeper insights into Datadog's financial health and market position.
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