On Wednesday, Barclays (LON:BARC) reiterated its Overweight rating on CrowdStrike Holdings (NASDAQ:CRWD) stock, with a steady price target of $400.00.
The firm highlighted CrowdStrike's impressive net new Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) in the context of a challenging macroeconomic environment. The cybersecurity company's new ARR performance is considered a significant achievement.
CrowdStrike's Falcon Flex (NASDAQ:FLEX) offering was noted as a key factor driving larger customer deals. Falcon Flex allows customers to access CrowdStrike's extensive portfolio through a cloud-like model, reducing procurement friction and securing multi-year subscription commitments.
This approach has already generated a book of business worth approximately $500 million within a few quarters of its launch. Barclays pointed out that such models typically accelerate the adoption of platform products by simplifying access to innovation.
The firm also observed a doubling in the number of deals related to cloud security, identity, and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) compared to the previous year. While these deals are not directly equivalent to ARR, they serve as a useful indicator of growth.
The recent partnership with AWS was singled out as a testament to CrowdStrike's cloud security capabilities, indicating a preference over other products in the competitive market.
Barclays' valuation framework for CrowdStrike remains unchanged, projecting $900-$1,000 million in net new ARR annually. The firm anticipates CrowdStrike will achieve a $10 billion ARR milestone within the next 5 to 7 years.
Additionally, Barclays expects a 100+ basis point improvement in Free Cash Flow (FCF) margin, forecasting a 34-38% FCF margin in the upcoming 3 to 5 years.
The next investor briefing scheduled for September is expected to reinforce the points Barclays has made, as the firm remains confident in CrowdStrike's growth trajectory and financial performance.
InvestingPro Insights
InvestingPro data underscores the high expectations surrounding CrowdStrike Holdings (NASDAQ:CRWD), with a notable market capitalization of $73.91 billion and a significant revenue growth of 36.33% in the last twelve months as of Q4 2024. Despite a high P/E ratio of 812.99, reflecting its premium valuation, CrowdStrike's strong revenue growth trajectory and substantial gross profit margin of 75.27% suggest robust business fundamentals.
One of the InvestingPro Tips highlights that CrowdStrike's net income is expected to grow this year, aligning with Barclays' optimistic outlook on the company's financial performance. Additionally, the tip mentioning the company's high return over the last year, with a 98.33% one-year price total return, corroborates the positive sentiment on its stock performance. For readers interested in deeper analysis, InvestingPro offers additional tips on CrowdStrike, with a total count of 15 tips available at: https://www.investing.com/pro/CRWD. Investors can also benefit from a special offer using the coupon code PRONEWS24 to get an additional 10% off a yearly or biyearly Pro and Pro+ subscription.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.