Cloudflare Boosts Japan Security Services With Rakuten Mobile Partnership
Strategic Alliance: Cloudflare has partnered with Rakuten Mobile in Japan to provide Zero Trust security solutions as a managed service, aimed at enhancing cybersecurity for corporate clients and addressing the needs of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
Market Impact: The collaboration is expected to help Japanese businesses improve their security posture amidst rising cyber threats, with Cloudflare's infrastructure and Rakuten's regional expertise facilitating cost-effective cybersecurity solutions.
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Dead Internet Theory: The hypothesis suggests that the internet may soon be dominated by artificial intelligence, raising concerns about its future state.
Impact on Cloudflare: The theory could be beneficial for Cloudflare, as its stock surged following earnings that emphasized its importance in an AI-driven landscape.
- Strong Employment Data: US nonfarm payrolls for January increased by 130,000, surpassing expectations of 65,000, indicating labor market stability, while the unemployment rate unexpectedly fell by 0.1% to 4.3%, which is likely to have a positive impact on economic recovery.
- Interest Rate Expectations Shift: Following the robust employment report, the market's expectation for a Fed rate cut next month dropped from 23% to 6%, with the 10-year T-note yield rising by 3 basis points to 4.17%, reflecting a cautious outlook on future monetary policy.
- Mixed Market Performance: The S&P 500 closed unchanged, the Nasdaq 100 rose by 0.29%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 0.13%, highlighting a contrast between strong tech stock performance and weakness in software stocks.
- Optimistic Earnings Outlook: Over 78% of the 335 S&P 500 companies that reported earnings exceeded expectations, with Q4 earnings growth projected at 8.4%, indicating that sustained corporate profitability will support long-term stock market gains.
AI Disruption and Cloudflare's Growth: Cloudflare's stock is experiencing a buying opportunity due to fears of AI disruption, which is driving demand for its services as AI agents flood the internet, enhancing its cybersecurity business.
Financial Performance: The company reported a 33.6% year-over-year revenue increase, exceeding $614 million, supported by new large clients and a record deal pace in Q4, despite facing margin pressure from rising marketing and R&D costs.
Mixed Analyst Reactions: Analysts had mixed responses to Cloudflare's Q4 results and guidance, with some price target reductions offset by upgrades, indicating a strong long-term outlook despite short-term earnings weaknesses.
Investment Recommendations: Analysts are recommending five specific stocks for investors to buy now, suggesting that these companies are well-positioned for growth as the broader market catches up.
- Investment Strategy: Ackman's Pershing Square acquired approximately 10% of Meta by the end of 2025, believing that the current share price undervalues the company's long-term potential in AI, thus presenting a deeply discounted investment opportunity for stakeholders.
- New Investment Moves: Over the past 12 months, Pershing Square has also taken new stakes in Amazon and Hertz, reflecting ongoing confidence and strategic positioning within the tech sector, which may further enhance the market performance of these companies.
- Growing Cloud Demand: Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince highlighted that the proliferation of AI is driving increased demand for the company's networking and security products, indicating a fundamental replatforming of the internet that provides new growth momentum for Cloudflare.
- ByteDance AI Chip Initiative: ByteDance is in talks with Samsung to produce an AI chip it is developing, aiming to receive sample chips by the end of March and eventually manufacture 350,000 units, although the company has stated that information about the project is inaccurate, indicating its active exploration in the AI domain.
- Significant Revenue Growth: Cloudflare's Q4 revenue surged 34% year-over-year to $614.5 million, primarily driven by the growing adoption of AI applications, indicating strong performance in a rapidly evolving market.
- Enhanced Profitability: Adjusted net income soared 55% to $106.8 million, translating to $0.28 per share, slightly exceeding Wall Street's estimate of $0.27, reflecting the company's success in cost management and revenue growth.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: Cloudflare anticipates a revenue increase of approximately 29% to $2.79 billion by 2026, with management projecting adjusted earnings per share to rise from $0.93 in 2025 to $1.12, showcasing confidence in future growth.
- AI-Driven Market Opportunities: CEO Matthew Prince emphasized that Cloudflare is well-positioned for the rise of the Agentic Internet, where more agent users will drive demand for its services, creating a virtuous cycle that enhances the company's competitive edge.
- Strong Employment Data: US nonfarm payrolls rose by 130,000 in January, exceeding expectations of 65,000, while the unemployment rate unexpectedly fell by 0.1% to 4.3%, indicating labor market stability that could influence Fed policy decisions.
- Interest Rate Expectations Shift: Following the stronger-than-expected jobs report, the 10-year T-note yield increased by 3 basis points to 4.17%, with market expectations for a Fed rate cut next month dropping from 23% to 8%, reflecting investor caution regarding future monetary policy.
- Corporate Earnings Performance: So far, 78% of the 319 S&P 500 companies have reported earnings that beat expectations, with Q4 earnings growth projected at 8.4%, demonstrating corporate resilience that may support the stock market.
- Market Volatility Overview: The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 0.19%, the S&P 500 dipped 0.02%, while the Nasdaq 100 rose by 0.10%, indicating a mixed market performance amid declines in software stocks.







