Zscaler Faces Investigation and Weak Q4 Guidance, Stock Drops 30%
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 21 2024
0mins
Source: Benzinga
Zscaler Inc's stock plummeted by approximately 30% following the release of disappointing Q4 guidance and news of an ongoing investigation into possible securities fraud. The stock crossed below the 20-day SMA, reflecting a significant loss of investor confidence.
The investigation, launched by Ademi LLP, focuses on potentially inaccurate statements regarding Zscaler's financials and undisclosed executive departures, which may have impacted the company's sales strategy. Additionally, Zscaler's Q4 revenue guidance fell short of Wall Street expectations, raising concerns about future growth and leading to multiple analyst downgrades.
This combination of negative news has severely affected Zscaler's market performance, with trading volume surging as investors react to the company's deteriorating outlook amidst a broadly rallying cybersecurity sector.
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Analyst Views on ZS
Wall Street analysts forecast ZS stock price to rise
30 Analyst Rating
24 Buy
6 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 144.150
Low
260.00
Averages
325.62
High
390.00
Current: 144.150
Low
260.00
Averages
325.62
High
390.00
About ZS
Zscaler, Inc. is a cloud security company. The Company has developed a platform incorporating core security functionalities needed to enable fast and secure access to cloud resources based on identity, context and an organization's policies. Its Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange is a cloud-native platform that securely connects users, devices, applications and workloads, including artificial intelligence (AI) agents, without relying on hub-and-spoke network architecture and firewall-centric security. It delivers its solutions using a software-as-a-service (SaaS) business model and sells subscriptions to customers to access its cloud platform, together with related support services. Its services include Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA), Zscaler Private Access (ZPA), and Zscaler Digital Experience (ZDX). ZIA provides secure access to externally managed applications, including SaaS applications and internet destinations, regardless of device, location or network.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Zscaler Executives Depart, Stock Plummets Amid Conservative Guidance
- Executive Departures Impact: Zscaler recently lost two key executives, prompting management to issue conservative revenue guidance for fiscal 2027, leading to a sharp 31% drop in stock price post-announcement, reflecting investor anxiety about the company's future.
- Annual Recurring Revenue Growth: Despite the challenges posed by executive departures, Zscaler reported an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of $3.5 billion at the end of Q3 FY2026, marking a 25% year-over-year increase, indicating continued market demand for its core products.
- Market Reaction and Valuation: Zscaler's stock has fallen 42%, with a price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 6.6, close to its lowest since the 2018 IPO; however, it is still viewed as an attractive value investment opportunity for investors.
- Uncertainty in Future Growth: Management anticipates a slowdown in ARR growth to 16% for FY2027, raising concerns on Wall Street, although Zscaler has a history of exceeding expectations, yet short-term adjustments in the sales team may impact performance.
See More
US Stock Market Slides Amid Geopolitical Tensions
- Market Decline: The S&P 500 index fell by 0.40%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 0.74%, and the Nasdaq 100 decreased by 0.08%, indicating market pressure due to escalating geopolitical tensions, particularly between the US and Iran.
- Rising Oil Prices: The WTI crude oil price surged over 1% to a 1.5-week high amid US-Iran clashes, which could further elevate inflation expectations and impact Federal Reserve monetary policy decisions.
- Strong Employment Data: The US May ADP employment change rose by 122,000, exceeding expectations of 120,000, indicating signs of economic recovery that may support the stock market, although the overall market remains weighed down by declines in software and cybersecurity stocks.
- Divergent Tech Stock Performance: Despite overall market pressure, Marvell Technology's stock rose over 7% following Nvidia CEO's prediction that it would reach a $1 trillion valuation, highlighting the supportive role of AI infrastructure spending on technology stocks.
See More
Zscaler Shares Plunge 23% Amid Investigation
- Stock Price Plunge: Zscaler's shares fell over 23% after the company guided for current-quarter revenue between $875 million and $878 million, missing analysts' expectations of $879 million, indicating market disappointment with the company's performance.
- Investor Rights Investigation: The Schall Law Firm is investigating whether Zscaler issued false or misleading statements that may have led investors to miss critical information, impacting their investment decisions.
- Severe Market Reaction: On the same day the news broke, Zscaler's stock opened down more than 30%, reflecting strong investor concerns about the company's future financial performance, which could undermine market confidence.
- Legal Consultation Opportunity: The Schall Law Firm encourages affected shareholders to reach out for free legal consultations, emphasizing the importance of protecting investor rights and potentially triggering more class action lawsuits.
See More
US Stocks Rise Slightly, Tech Stocks Show Strong Rebound
- Strong Labor Market: US April JOLTS job openings unexpectedly rose by 731,000 to a 23-month high of 7.618 million, surpassing expectations of 6.866 million, indicating labor market resilience and driving stock market gains, particularly in tech stocks.
- Tech Stock Surge: Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE) shares surged over 25% after reporting Q2 adjusted EPS of 79 cents, significantly above the consensus estimate of 54 cents, and raising its full-year adjusted EPS forecast to $3.35-$3.45, reflecting robust growth in AI-driven demand.
- Market Volatility Factors: Despite overall market gains, initial declines occurred due to uncertainty surrounding a US-Iran ceasefire, with oil prices slightly down as President Trump stated negotiations with Iran are progressing “at a rapid pace,” potentially affecting investor sentiment.
- Software Stocks Under Pressure: Intuit (INTU) saw its stock drop over 10% after Goldman Sachs downgraded it to sell with a price target of $276, leading to a broader decline in the software sector, highlighting a divergence in market performance among tech stocks.
See More
Analysis of Nasdaq 100 Component Performance
- Strategy Stock Decline: Strategy stock is down 7.0% today, making it the worst performer in the Nasdaq 100, reflecting market concerns about its future growth and potentially impacting investor confidence.
- Year-to-Date Performance: Year-to-date, Strategy stock has decreased by approximately 2.7%, indicating its weak performance relative to the overall market, which may lead investors to reassess their portfolios.
- Other Component Movements: Qualcomm's stock is down 6.5% today, indicating pressure in the market that could affect its future market share and competitiveness.
- Zscaler Stock Increase: In contrast to other components, Zscaler's stock has risen by 7.6% today, suggesting a positive market outlook on its business prospects, which may attract more investor interest.
See More
Zscaler Stock Rises After Upgrade to Buy by Guggenheim
- Upgrade Impact: Guggenheim upgraded Zscaler from Neutral to Buy with a price target of $214, resulting in a peak stock increase of 10% during early Monday trading, reflecting market optimism about the company's future performance.
- Conservative Guidance: Zscaler's guidance for fiscal year 2027 indicates revenue and annual recurring revenue growth of 16% to 17%, which falls short of consensus estimates of 18.9% and 19.5%, although management emphasized that this cautious approach reflects concerns about future business momentum.
- Sales Channel Shift: The percentage of revenue from Zscaler's channel has decreased from 96% several years ago to 85%, suggesting that the company may be making progress in securing large deals directly, which could enhance its competitive position and revenue potential.
- New Opportunity Outlook: Guggenheim analysts noted that Zscaler's position in the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and Security Service Edge (SSE) space could provide new revenue opportunities for years, particularly as hardware firewalls face displacement.
See More
Zscaler Executives Depart, Stock Plummets Amid Conservative Guidance
- Executive Departures Impact: Zscaler recently lost two key executives, prompting management to issue conservative revenue guidance for fiscal 2027, leading to a sharp 31% drop in stock price post-announcement, reflecting investor anxiety about the company's future.
- Annual Recurring Revenue Growth: Despite the challenges posed by executive departures, Zscaler reported an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of $3.5 billion at the end of Q3 FY2026, marking a 25% year-over-year increase, indicating continued market demand for its core products.
- Market Reaction and Valuation: Zscaler's stock has fallen 42%, with a price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 6.6, close to its lowest since the 2018 IPO; however, it is still viewed as an attractive value investment opportunity for investors.
- Uncertainty in Future Growth: Management anticipates a slowdown in ARR growth to 16% for FY2027, raising concerns on Wall Street, although Zscaler has a history of exceeding expectations, yet short-term adjustments in the sales team may impact performance.
See More
US Stock Market Slides Amid Geopolitical Tensions
- Market Decline: The S&P 500 index fell by 0.40%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 0.74%, and the Nasdaq 100 decreased by 0.08%, indicating market pressure due to escalating geopolitical tensions, particularly between the US and Iran.
- Rising Oil Prices: The WTI crude oil price surged over 1% to a 1.5-week high amid US-Iran clashes, which could further elevate inflation expectations and impact Federal Reserve monetary policy decisions.
- Strong Employment Data: The US May ADP employment change rose by 122,000, exceeding expectations of 120,000, indicating signs of economic recovery that may support the stock market, although the overall market remains weighed down by declines in software and cybersecurity stocks.
- Divergent Tech Stock Performance: Despite overall market pressure, Marvell Technology's stock rose over 7% following Nvidia CEO's prediction that it would reach a $1 trillion valuation, highlighting the supportive role of AI infrastructure spending on technology stocks.
See More
Zscaler Shares Plunge 23% Amid Investigation
- Stock Price Plunge: Zscaler's shares fell over 23% after the company guided for current-quarter revenue between $875 million and $878 million, missing analysts' expectations of $879 million, indicating market disappointment with the company's performance.
- Investor Rights Investigation: The Schall Law Firm is investigating whether Zscaler issued false or misleading statements that may have led investors to miss critical information, impacting their investment decisions.
- Severe Market Reaction: On the same day the news broke, Zscaler's stock opened down more than 30%, reflecting strong investor concerns about the company's future financial performance, which could undermine market confidence.
- Legal Consultation Opportunity: The Schall Law Firm encourages affected shareholders to reach out for free legal consultations, emphasizing the importance of protecting investor rights and potentially triggering more class action lawsuits.
See More
US Stocks Rise Slightly, Tech Stocks Show Strong Rebound
- Strong Labor Market: US April JOLTS job openings unexpectedly rose by 731,000 to a 23-month high of 7.618 million, surpassing expectations of 6.866 million, indicating labor market resilience and driving stock market gains, particularly in tech stocks.
- Tech Stock Surge: Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE) shares surged over 25% after reporting Q2 adjusted EPS of 79 cents, significantly above the consensus estimate of 54 cents, and raising its full-year adjusted EPS forecast to $3.35-$3.45, reflecting robust growth in AI-driven demand.
- Market Volatility Factors: Despite overall market gains, initial declines occurred due to uncertainty surrounding a US-Iran ceasefire, with oil prices slightly down as President Trump stated negotiations with Iran are progressing “at a rapid pace,” potentially affecting investor sentiment.
- Software Stocks Under Pressure: Intuit (INTU) saw its stock drop over 10% after Goldman Sachs downgraded it to sell with a price target of $276, leading to a broader decline in the software sector, highlighting a divergence in market performance among tech stocks.
See More
Analysis of Nasdaq 100 Component Performance
- Strategy Stock Decline: Strategy stock is down 7.0% today, making it the worst performer in the Nasdaq 100, reflecting market concerns about its future growth and potentially impacting investor confidence.
- Year-to-Date Performance: Year-to-date, Strategy stock has decreased by approximately 2.7%, indicating its weak performance relative to the overall market, which may lead investors to reassess their portfolios.
- Other Component Movements: Qualcomm's stock is down 6.5% today, indicating pressure in the market that could affect its future market share and competitiveness.
- Zscaler Stock Increase: In contrast to other components, Zscaler's stock has risen by 7.6% today, suggesting a positive market outlook on its business prospects, which may attract more investor interest.
See More
Zscaler Stock Rises After Upgrade to Buy by Guggenheim
- Upgrade Impact: Guggenheim upgraded Zscaler from Neutral to Buy with a price target of $214, resulting in a peak stock increase of 10% during early Monday trading, reflecting market optimism about the company's future performance.
- Conservative Guidance: Zscaler's guidance for fiscal year 2027 indicates revenue and annual recurring revenue growth of 16% to 17%, which falls short of consensus estimates of 18.9% and 19.5%, although management emphasized that this cautious approach reflects concerns about future business momentum.
- Sales Channel Shift: The percentage of revenue from Zscaler's channel has decreased from 96% several years ago to 85%, suggesting that the company may be making progress in securing large deals directly, which could enhance its competitive position and revenue potential.
- New Opportunity Outlook: Guggenheim analysts noted that Zscaler's position in the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and Security Service Edge (SSE) space could provide new revenue opportunities for years, particularly as hardware firewalls face displacement.
See More
