Brokerage cuts CrowdStrike stock target, retains outperform rating

Published 16/08/2024, 16:10
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On Friday, BMO Capital Markets adjusted its price target on shares of CrowdStrike Holdings (NASDAQ:CRWD), a leader in cloud-delivered endpoint and cloud workload protection, reducing it significantly from $410.00 to $290.00. Despite the cut, the firm maintained its Outperform rating on the stock.

The revision follows an outage that has impacted negotiations between CrowdStrike and its customers, which have yet to commence. BMO Capital has revised its financial forecasts for the company, including a substantial decrease in the expected net new Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) for the fiscal year 2025 by approximately $460 million. This adjustment is notably more conservative compared to other recent estimate revisions for CrowdStrike.

The analyst from BMO Capital stated that although CrowdStrike has faced challenges, they believe the company remains fundamentally strong. The firm's stance is that CrowdStrike is "bruised not broken," which underpins their decision to maintain the Outperform rating despite the reduced price target.

However, BMO Capital also advises caution, highlighting the significant risks and uncertainties surrounding future estimates for CrowdStrike. They suggest that investors should wait for the company's revised FY25 guidance before taking a more aggressive position in the stock. This recommendation comes amid a period of recalibration for expectations surrounding the cybersecurity firm's financial performance.

In other recent news, CrowdStrike Holdings has been the subject of several adjustments by analyst firms following a significant global outage. Scotiabank decreased its price target for the cybersecurity company to $265, maintaining a Sector Perform rating.

Citi, DA Davidson, and Piper Sandler also revised their outlooks, with Citi and DA Davidson reducing their price targets to $300 and $290 respectively, while Piper Sandler upgraded its rating to Overweight despite a lower price target of $290.

In the aftermath of the outage, CrowdStrike has faced potential legal repercussions, including a class-action lawsuit filed by shareholders. However, most customers affected by the outage are unlikely to seek concessions, with legal action considered a last resort.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Inc. has significantly reduced its stake in CrowdStrike by nearly half, as disclosed in a recent Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Despite these challenges, analysts remain optimistic about CrowdStrike's ability to recover, citing the company's proactive response to the outage and acknowledgment of the incident as a rare event. These are among the recent developments surrounding CrowdStrike.

InvestingPro Insights

As investors digest the revised forecasts for CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD), current metrics from InvestingPro provide a broader financial context that may be beneficial. The company boasts a strong market capitalization of $63.39 billion, reflecting its significant presence in the cybersecurity sector.

Despite a high price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 476.24, which suggests a premium valuation, CrowdStrike has demonstrated robust revenue growth over the last twelve months, with an increase of 34.26%. This growth is a testament to the company's expanding market share and operational success.

InvestingPro Tips highlight two key points: CrowdStrike holds more cash than debt on its balance sheet, which can be an indicator of financial stability, and analysts expect net income to grow this year, suggesting potential for improved profitability. On the flip side, it's important to note that 14 analysts have revised their earnings downwards for the upcoming period, indicating that there may be challenges ahead.

For those interested in a deeper dive into CrowdStrike's financial health and future outlook, InvestingPro offers additional tips that can provide further guidance. In total, there are 17 more InvestingPro Tips available for CrowdStrike, which can be accessed for comprehensive analysis and insights.

Understanding the dynamic landscape of cybersecurity investments is crucial, and these insights may help investors make more informed decisions as they consider the potential of CrowdStrike's stock in their portfolios.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

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