BMO bullish on CrowdStrike stock, forecasts 11% upside amid robust cybersecurity demand

EditorEmilio Ghigini
Published 2024-11-27, 02:28 a/m
© Reuters
CRWD
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On Wednesday, BMO (TSX:BMO) Capital Markets maintained its optimistic stance on CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD) stock, a leader in cloud-delivered endpoint and cloud workload protection, by increasing its price target from $315.00 to $380.00 while keeping an Outperform rating.

CrowdStrike's recent financial performance was deemed reasonable by the analyst, despite net new Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) and the implied ARR for the January quarter not fully meeting consensus expectations. The report acknowledged that the company faced headwinds due to more customer commitment packages, which could lead to lowered consensus ARR estimates in the upcoming quarters.

Nevertheless, the analyst highlighted CrowdStrike's effective management and the robustness of its product portfolio. The company is expected to benefit from the trend of security spend consolidation over time, thanks to the strength of its offerings and customer packages.

Following the company's report, CrowdStrike's shares were trading at approximately $342 in after-hours trading. BMO Capital's revised price target of $380 suggests an 11% potential upside from the after-hours trading level, signaling confidence in the company's ongoing growth trajectory despite near-term challenges.

In other recent news, cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Holdings has demonstrated a strong financial performance, surpassing the $1 billion revenue mark for the third quarter, a 29% increase from the previous year. The company's Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) also saw a significant rise, reaching $4.02 billion, marking a 27% growth from the previous year. Analyst firms DA Davidson, Mizuho (NYSE:MFG) Securities, Oppenheimer, Piper Sandler, and Truist Securities have all maintained positive ratings on CrowdStrike, with price targets ranging from $375 to $410.

Despite facing operational challenges, CrowdStrike has managed to maintain strong gross retention and module adoption. The company's Falcon Flex (NASDAQ:FLEX) offering and financial services sectors have contributed to larger deal sizes and increased module adoption.

CrowdStrike has updated its financial outlook for the full fiscal year 2025, raising its revenue and margin targets. The company anticipates accelerating net new ARR growth in the latter half of fiscal year 2026 and aims to reach $10 billion in ARR by fiscal year 2031. These recent developments highlight CrowdStrike's commitment to growth in the cybersecurity market.

InvestingPro Insights

CrowdStrike's strong market position, as highlighted by BMO Capital Markets, is further supported by recent financial data and analyst insights from InvestingPro. The company's market capitalization stands at an impressive $89.3 billion, reflecting investor confidence in its growth potential.

InvestingPro Tips indicate that CrowdStrike's net income is expected to grow this year, aligning with the analyst's positive outlook. The company's revenue growth of 33.07% over the last twelve months as of Q2 2025 demonstrates its continued expansion in the cybersecurity market, supporting BMO's view on the company's robust product portfolio.

Despite trading at high valuation multiples, CrowdStrike has shown a strong return of 73.42% over the past year, outperforming many of its peers. This performance, coupled with the company's liquid assets exceeding short-term obligations, suggests financial stability amidst its growth phase.

For investors seeking a deeper understanding of CrowdStrike's financial health and growth prospects, InvestingPro offers 15 additional tips, providing a comprehensive analysis to inform investment decisions.

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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