BTIG Names Zscaler and Netskope as Leading Choices in Security and Infrastructure Software Stocks for 2026
Top Picks for 2026: BTIG's leading large-cap security software pick is Zscaler, while Netskope is favored among small-and-mid-cap stocks, alongside other names like Snowflake and Datadog.
2025 Performance Review: Despite stable revenue growth, the security and infrastructure software sector underperformed major indices in 2025, with a median return of -0.8% compared to a 22% gain in the Nasdaq.
2026 Growth Outlook: Analysts expect cybersecurity growth to stabilize at around 16% in 2026, with a focus on cloud security and identity solutions, while organizations are likely to continue using existing vendor solutions for AI security.
Observability and Vendor Consolidation: The observability market is expected to benefit from vendor consolidation, with companies like Datadog and Dynatrace positioned well, while Palo Alto's acquisition of Chronosphere could disrupt the market dynamics.
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Netskope CFO Andrew Del Matto Sells 49,875 Shares for $855,800
- Ownership Change: On January 6, Netskope CFO Andrew Del Matto executed a direct open-market sale of 49,875 shares for a total of $855,800, reflecting a structurally driven transaction due to the conversion of derivative securities, reducing his direct holdings to 41,493 shares while still indicating confidence in the company's future.
- Financial Context: The average sale price was $17.16 per share, while the post-transaction value of his direct holdings at market close was $719,500, suggesting that despite stock price fluctuations, Del Matto maintains significant equity exposure.
- Company Performance: Netskope's most recent quarter saw a 33% year-over-year revenue increase to $184.2 million, with annual recurring revenue climbing 34% to $754 million, demonstrating strong growth momentum in the cloud security market that should attract long-term investor interest.
- Cash Flow Position: At quarter-end, Netskope had approximately $1.2 billion in cash and marketable securities, providing ample financial flexibility to support future growth, and despite a 13% decline in stock price since its IPO, the fundamentals remain robust.
Netskope Surpasses Expectations with 33% Revenue Growth in Q3 2026
- Significant Revenue Growth: Netskope reported $184.17 million in revenue for Q3 2026, marking a 33% year-over-year increase that exceeded expectations by $8.12 million, demonstrating strong demand driven by cloud modernization and AI.
- Earnings Per Share Beat: The company posted an EPS of negative $0.10, surpassing expectations by $0.15, indicating positive signals in profitability recovery and boosting market confidence.
- Annual Recurring Revenue Surge: As of October 31, 2025, Netskope's ARR grew by 34% year-over-year to $754 million, showcasing the company's strong performance in market share and financial health.
- Analysts Optimistic About Future: Meta Marshall from Morgan Stanley reiterated a Buy rating with a $27 price target, anticipating a healthy growth rate of 25% to 30% annually, reflecting strong market confidence in the company's ongoing expansion.
Cementos Pacasmayo, Rezolve AI, Emerald Holding, and Other Major Stocks Rising on Monday
U.S. Stock Market Performance: U.S. stocks declined, with the Dow Jones index dropping over 100 points on Tuesday.
Cementos Pacasmayo Surge: Shares of Cementos Pacasmayo SAA rose 47.4% to $10.30 after Holcim agreed to purchase a majority stake in its parent company.
Notable Stock Gains: Several companies saw significant stock increases, including Rezolve AI PLC (23.7%), Emerald Holding Inc (17%), and Tilray Brands Inc (15%).
Strategic Moves and Buybacks: Sezzle Inc announced a $100 million stock buyback, while Emerald Holding is reviewing strategic options following acquisition inquiries.
BTIG Names Zscaler and Netskope as Leading Choices in Security and Infrastructure Software Stocks for 2026
Top Picks for 2026: BTIG's leading large-cap security software pick is Zscaler, while Netskope is favored among small-and-mid-cap stocks, alongside other names like Snowflake and Datadog.
2025 Performance Review: Despite stable revenue growth, the security and infrastructure software sector underperformed major indices in 2025, with a median return of -0.8% compared to a 22% gain in the Nasdaq.
2026 Growth Outlook: Analysts expect cybersecurity growth to stabilize at around 16% in 2026, with a focus on cloud security and identity solutions, while organizations are likely to continue using existing vendor solutions for AI security.
Observability and Vendor Consolidation: The observability market is expected to benefit from vendor consolidation, with companies like Datadog and Dynatrace positioned well, while Palo Alto's acquisition of Chronosphere could disrupt the market dynamics.
Stocks Decline as Chip Shares Fall and Bond Yields Rise
Market Performance: Major U.S. stock indexes fell sharply on Friday, with the S&P 500 down 1.07%, the Dow Jones down 0.51%, and the Nasdaq 100 down 1.91%, as technology shares, particularly Broadcom, faced significant declines due to disappointing sales outlooks.
Federal Reserve Commentary: Hawkish remarks from several Federal Reserve officials indicated a preference for maintaining a restrictive monetary policy due to ongoing inflation concerns, contributing to rising Treasury yields and pressure on stock prices.
Earnings Season Overview: The Q3 earnings season showed strong results, with 83% of S&P 500 companies exceeding forecasts, leading to a 14.6% increase in earnings, significantly above expectations.
Stock Movements: Notable stock movements included Broadcom's 11% drop, while Lululemon surged over 9% after reporting better-than-expected earnings, highlighting a mixed performance across sectors.
Stocks Decline Due to Weakness in Tech Shares and Rising Bond Yields
Market Performance: Major U.S. stock indexes, including the S&P 500, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq, are experiencing declines, with technology shares particularly affected by disappointing earnings forecasts from companies like Broadcom and Oracle.
Federal Reserve Commentary: Hawkish remarks from Federal Reserve officials have led to increased Treasury yields, with a preference for maintaining a restrictive monetary policy due to ongoing inflation concerns, while the market anticipates a low chance of a rate cut in the near future.
Earnings Season Insights: The Q3 earnings season has shown strong results, with 83% of S&P 500 companies exceeding forecasts, leading to a year-over-year earnings increase of 14.6%, significantly above expectations.
Stock Movements: Notable stock movements include Broadcom's significant drop of over 10% due to a weak sales outlook, while Lululemon and Quanex Building Products saw gains after positive earnings reports, highlighting the mixed performance across sectors.
Netskope CFO Andrew Del Matto Sells 49,875 Shares for $855,800
- Ownership Change: On January 6, Netskope CFO Andrew Del Matto executed a direct open-market sale of 49,875 shares for a total of $855,800, reflecting a structurally driven transaction due to the conversion of derivative securities, reducing his direct holdings to 41,493 shares while still indicating confidence in the company's future.
- Financial Context: The average sale price was $17.16 per share, while the post-transaction value of his direct holdings at market close was $719,500, suggesting that despite stock price fluctuations, Del Matto maintains significant equity exposure.
- Company Performance: Netskope's most recent quarter saw a 33% year-over-year revenue increase to $184.2 million, with annual recurring revenue climbing 34% to $754 million, demonstrating strong growth momentum in the cloud security market that should attract long-term investor interest.
- Cash Flow Position: At quarter-end, Netskope had approximately $1.2 billion in cash and marketable securities, providing ample financial flexibility to support future growth, and despite a 13% decline in stock price since its IPO, the fundamentals remain robust.
Netskope Surpasses Expectations with 33% Revenue Growth in Q3 2026
- Significant Revenue Growth: Netskope reported $184.17 million in revenue for Q3 2026, marking a 33% year-over-year increase that exceeded expectations by $8.12 million, demonstrating strong demand driven by cloud modernization and AI.
- Earnings Per Share Beat: The company posted an EPS of negative $0.10, surpassing expectations by $0.15, indicating positive signals in profitability recovery and boosting market confidence.
- Annual Recurring Revenue Surge: As of October 31, 2025, Netskope's ARR grew by 34% year-over-year to $754 million, showcasing the company's strong performance in market share and financial health.
- Analysts Optimistic About Future: Meta Marshall from Morgan Stanley reiterated a Buy rating with a $27 price target, anticipating a healthy growth rate of 25% to 30% annually, reflecting strong market confidence in the company's ongoing expansion.
Cementos Pacasmayo, Rezolve AI, Emerald Holding, and Other Major Stocks Rising on Monday
U.S. Stock Market Performance: U.S. stocks declined, with the Dow Jones index dropping over 100 points on Tuesday.
Cementos Pacasmayo Surge: Shares of Cementos Pacasmayo SAA rose 47.4% to $10.30 after Holcim agreed to purchase a majority stake in its parent company.
Notable Stock Gains: Several companies saw significant stock increases, including Rezolve AI PLC (23.7%), Emerald Holding Inc (17%), and Tilray Brands Inc (15%).
Strategic Moves and Buybacks: Sezzle Inc announced a $100 million stock buyback, while Emerald Holding is reviewing strategic options following acquisition inquiries.
BTIG Names Zscaler and Netskope as Leading Choices in Security and Infrastructure Software Stocks for 2026
Top Picks for 2026: BTIG's leading large-cap security software pick is Zscaler, while Netskope is favored among small-and-mid-cap stocks, alongside other names like Snowflake and Datadog.
2025 Performance Review: Despite stable revenue growth, the security and infrastructure software sector underperformed major indices in 2025, with a median return of -0.8% compared to a 22% gain in the Nasdaq.
2026 Growth Outlook: Analysts expect cybersecurity growth to stabilize at around 16% in 2026, with a focus on cloud security and identity solutions, while organizations are likely to continue using existing vendor solutions for AI security.
Observability and Vendor Consolidation: The observability market is expected to benefit from vendor consolidation, with companies like Datadog and Dynatrace positioned well, while Palo Alto's acquisition of Chronosphere could disrupt the market dynamics.
Stocks Decline as Chip Shares Fall and Bond Yields Rise
Market Performance: Major U.S. stock indexes fell sharply on Friday, with the S&P 500 down 1.07%, the Dow Jones down 0.51%, and the Nasdaq 100 down 1.91%, as technology shares, particularly Broadcom, faced significant declines due to disappointing sales outlooks.
Federal Reserve Commentary: Hawkish remarks from several Federal Reserve officials indicated a preference for maintaining a restrictive monetary policy due to ongoing inflation concerns, contributing to rising Treasury yields and pressure on stock prices.
Earnings Season Overview: The Q3 earnings season showed strong results, with 83% of S&P 500 companies exceeding forecasts, leading to a 14.6% increase in earnings, significantly above expectations.
Stock Movements: Notable stock movements included Broadcom's 11% drop, while Lululemon surged over 9% after reporting better-than-expected earnings, highlighting a mixed performance across sectors.
Stocks Decline Due to Weakness in Tech Shares and Rising Bond Yields
Market Performance: Major U.S. stock indexes, including the S&P 500, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq, are experiencing declines, with technology shares particularly affected by disappointing earnings forecasts from companies like Broadcom and Oracle.
Federal Reserve Commentary: Hawkish remarks from Federal Reserve officials have led to increased Treasury yields, with a preference for maintaining a restrictive monetary policy due to ongoing inflation concerns, while the market anticipates a low chance of a rate cut in the near future.
Earnings Season Insights: The Q3 earnings season has shown strong results, with 83% of S&P 500 companies exceeding forecasts, leading to a year-over-year earnings increase of 14.6%, significantly above expectations.
Stock Movements: Notable stock movements include Broadcom's significant drop of over 10% due to a weak sales outlook, while Lululemon and Quanex Building Products saw gains after positive earnings reports, highlighting the mixed performance across sectors.
