February Market Review and Outlook
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
0mins
Should l Buy CRWD?
Source: CNBC
- Nvidia Stock Decline: Despite Nvidia reporting a strong quarter and even stronger forward guidance, its shares fell 7.3% in February, primarily due to concerns about whether its major clients can sustain their capital expenditure plans, which negatively impacted investor confidence.
- Tech Sector Downturn: The S&P 500 and Nasdaq dropped 0.4% and nearly 1% respectively, with monthly declines of nearly 1% for the S&P 500 and 3.4% for the Nasdaq marking the worst performance since March 2025, highlighting the disruptive impact of AI on the market.
- Geopolitical Market Influence: The future direction of the markets may hinge on geopolitical developments, particularly regarding Iran, as President Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the nuclear deal negotiations, potentially increasing market uncertainty, even as oil prices have risen about 17% year to date.
- Upcoming Earnings Reports: Next week will see Berkshire Hathaway's first earnings report under new CEO Greg Abel, alongside earnings from Norwegian Cruise Line and Target, with market expectations high for these companies' performances in a competitive retail landscape.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy CRWD?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on CRWD
Wall Street analysts forecast CRWD stock price to rise
34 Analyst Rating
23 Buy
11 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 381.100
Low
353.00
Averages
559.71
High
640.00
Current: 381.100
Low
353.00
Averages
559.71
High
640.00
About CRWD
CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. is a global cybersecurity company that provides cloud-delivered protection of endpoints, cloud workloads, identity and data. Its Falcon platform is designed for cybersecurity consolidation, purpose-built to stop breaches. The platforms collect and integrate data from across the enterprise, including endpoints, cloud workloads, identities, and third-party sources. It offers 29 cloud modules on its Falcon platform via a software as a service (SaaS) subscription-based model that spans multiple large markets, including corporate endpoint and cloud workload security, managed security services, security and vulnerability management, information technology (IT) operations management, identity protection, next-generation security information and event management (SIEM) and log management, threat intelligence services, data protection, SaaS security posture management, automation and response (SOAR) and artificial intelligence powered workflow automation, and others.
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.
JPMorgan Optimistic About CrowdStrike's Q4 Performance
- Price Target Adjustment: JPMorgan has lowered its price target for CrowdStrike from $582 to $472 while maintaining an 'Overweight' rating, indicating strong confidence in the company's fundamentals despite the valuation recalibration.
- Strong Sales Pipeline: Analyst Brian Essex anticipates a robust Q4 performance for CrowdStrike, driven by a durable sales pipeline and ongoing adoption of the Falcon Flex offering, expecting quarter-over-quarter growth in annual recurring revenue.
- Market Reaction Overdone: Following Anthropic's launch of the Claude Code Security product, shares in the cybersecurity software sector fell; however, Essex believes the market's reaction to platform-focused vendors like CrowdStrike is exaggerated, as its core capabilities mitigate exposure to new competition.
- Retail Sentiment Optimistic: CrowdStrike's stock rose 0.4% in Wednesday's premarket, with retail sentiment on Stocktwits remaining in 'extremely bullish' territory, reflecting strong investor confidence in the company's future performance.
See More
February Market Review and Outlook
- Nvidia Stock Decline: Despite Nvidia reporting a strong quarter and even stronger forward guidance, its shares fell 7.3% in February, primarily due to concerns about whether its major clients can sustain their capital expenditure plans, which negatively impacted investor confidence.
- Tech Sector Downturn: The S&P 500 and Nasdaq dropped 0.4% and nearly 1% respectively, with monthly declines of nearly 1% for the S&P 500 and 3.4% for the Nasdaq marking the worst performance since March 2025, highlighting the disruptive impact of AI on the market.
- Geopolitical Market Influence: The future direction of the markets may hinge on geopolitical developments, particularly regarding Iran, as President Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the nuclear deal negotiations, potentially increasing market uncertainty, even as oil prices have risen about 17% year to date.
- Upcoming Earnings Reports: Next week will see Berkshire Hathaway's first earnings report under new CEO Greg Abel, alongside earnings from Norwegian Cruise Line and Target, with market expectations high for these companies' performances in a competitive retail landscape.
See More
Stocks Decline Once More as Technology Selloff Continues
- Concerns Over Software Stocks: The worries regarding software stocks, referred to as the "SaaSpocalypse," have intensified recently.
- Impact on Tech Sector: These concerns have spread beyond software to affect the broader tech sector, including semiconductor and hardware companies.
See More
Slop Bowls Are a Thing of the Past. We Explore the Future of Lunch: The Wrap
- New Menu Item: Sweetgreen is introducing wraps at select locations, expanding its menu beyond salads.
- Brand Identity: The fast-casual chain is known for its high-quality greens and aims to innovate its offerings while maintaining its brand identity.
See More
US Stocks Decline on Friday, Bank Stocks Plummet
- Market Decline: The S&P 500 index closed down 0.43% on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 1.05% and the Nasdaq 100 down 0.30%, reflecting heightened investor concerns over the disruptive potential of AI, which has negatively impacted market confidence.
- Bank Stocks Plummet: The collapse of UK private lender Market Financial Solutions Ltd raised fears of rising defaults, leading to significant declines in bank stocks, with Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs both down over 7%, indicating instability within the financial sector.
- Economic Data Impact: The US January PPI rose 0.5% month-over-month, exceeding expectations of 0.3%, while the Chicago PMI unexpectedly increased to 57.7, demonstrating economic resilience, although market speculation regarding Fed rate cuts was dampened.
- Rising Oil Prices Pressure: WTI crude oil prices surged over 2% to a 7-month high due to President Trump's pessimistic remarks on Iranian nuclear negotiations, exacerbating geopolitical risks that could further impact airline profits, leading to declines in related stocks.
See More
Key Earnings Reports and Economic Data Next Week
- Earnings Reports: Next week will feature earnings releases from Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-B, BRK-A), which are expected to significantly impact market sentiment, particularly as investors focus on the performance of its investment portfolio.
- Retail Giants' Earnings: Companies like Costco (COST), Target (TGT), Okta (OKTA), and Broadcom (AVGO) will report earnings next week, providing critical insights into consumer spending and the health of the tech sector, which could influence stock valuations.
- Employment Data Release: February's jobs report is set to be released on March 6, with the market keenly watching for changes in job growth and unemployment rates, which will impact the Federal Reserve's monetary policy decisions.
- Federal Reserve Commentary: Additionally, commentary from regional Federal Reserve bank presidents will be available next week, and the market will closely monitor their views on the economic outlook to assess potential future interest rate policies.
See More
JPMorgan Optimistic About CrowdStrike's Q4 Performance
- Price Target Adjustment: JPMorgan has lowered its price target for CrowdStrike from $582 to $472 while maintaining an 'Overweight' rating, indicating strong confidence in the company's fundamentals despite the valuation recalibration.
- Strong Sales Pipeline: Analyst Brian Essex anticipates a robust Q4 performance for CrowdStrike, driven by a durable sales pipeline and ongoing adoption of the Falcon Flex offering, expecting quarter-over-quarter growth in annual recurring revenue.
- Market Reaction Overdone: Following Anthropic's launch of the Claude Code Security product, shares in the cybersecurity software sector fell; however, Essex believes the market's reaction to platform-focused vendors like CrowdStrike is exaggerated, as its core capabilities mitigate exposure to new competition.
- Retail Sentiment Optimistic: CrowdStrike's stock rose 0.4% in Wednesday's premarket, with retail sentiment on Stocktwits remaining in 'extremely bullish' territory, reflecting strong investor confidence in the company's future performance.
See More
February Market Review and Outlook
- Nvidia Stock Decline: Despite Nvidia reporting a strong quarter and even stronger forward guidance, its shares fell 7.3% in February, primarily due to concerns about whether its major clients can sustain their capital expenditure plans, which negatively impacted investor confidence.
- Tech Sector Downturn: The S&P 500 and Nasdaq dropped 0.4% and nearly 1% respectively, with monthly declines of nearly 1% for the S&P 500 and 3.4% for the Nasdaq marking the worst performance since March 2025, highlighting the disruptive impact of AI on the market.
- Geopolitical Market Influence: The future direction of the markets may hinge on geopolitical developments, particularly regarding Iran, as President Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the nuclear deal negotiations, potentially increasing market uncertainty, even as oil prices have risen about 17% year to date.
- Upcoming Earnings Reports: Next week will see Berkshire Hathaway's first earnings report under new CEO Greg Abel, alongside earnings from Norwegian Cruise Line and Target, with market expectations high for these companies' performances in a competitive retail landscape.
See More
Stocks Decline Once More as Technology Selloff Continues
- Concerns Over Software Stocks: The worries regarding software stocks, referred to as the "SaaSpocalypse," have intensified recently.
- Impact on Tech Sector: These concerns have spread beyond software to affect the broader tech sector, including semiconductor and hardware companies.
See More
Slop Bowls Are a Thing of the Past. We Explore the Future of Lunch: The Wrap
- New Menu Item: Sweetgreen is introducing wraps at select locations, expanding its menu beyond salads.
- Brand Identity: The fast-casual chain is known for its high-quality greens and aims to innovate its offerings while maintaining its brand identity.
See More
US Stocks Decline on Friday, Bank Stocks Plummet
- Market Decline: The S&P 500 index closed down 0.43% on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 1.05% and the Nasdaq 100 down 0.30%, reflecting heightened investor concerns over the disruptive potential of AI, which has negatively impacted market confidence.
- Bank Stocks Plummet: The collapse of UK private lender Market Financial Solutions Ltd raised fears of rising defaults, leading to significant declines in bank stocks, with Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs both down over 7%, indicating instability within the financial sector.
- Economic Data Impact: The US January PPI rose 0.5% month-over-month, exceeding expectations of 0.3%, while the Chicago PMI unexpectedly increased to 57.7, demonstrating economic resilience, although market speculation regarding Fed rate cuts was dampened.
- Rising Oil Prices Pressure: WTI crude oil prices surged over 2% to a 7-month high due to President Trump's pessimistic remarks on Iranian nuclear negotiations, exacerbating geopolitical risks that could further impact airline profits, leading to declines in related stocks.
See More
Key Earnings Reports and Economic Data Next Week
- Earnings Reports: Next week will feature earnings releases from Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-B, BRK-A), which are expected to significantly impact market sentiment, particularly as investors focus on the performance of its investment portfolio.
- Retail Giants' Earnings: Companies like Costco (COST), Target (TGT), Okta (OKTA), and Broadcom (AVGO) will report earnings next week, providing critical insights into consumer spending and the health of the tech sector, which could influence stock valuations.
- Employment Data Release: February's jobs report is set to be released on March 6, with the market keenly watching for changes in job growth and unemployment rates, which will impact the Federal Reserve's monetary policy decisions.
- Federal Reserve Commentary: Additionally, commentary from regional Federal Reserve bank presidents will be available next week, and the market will closely monitor their views on the economic outlook to assess potential future interest rate policies.
See More
