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S&P 500   5,026.61
DOW   38,671.69
QQQ   437.05
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Stock market today: World shares mostly higher after S&P 500 tops 5,000
Biden's campaign joins TikTok, even as administration warns of national security concerns with app
S&P 500   5,026.61
DOW   38,671.69
QQQ   437.05
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These cyber security stocks can hit new highs

Cyber security stocks

Key Points

  • Cyber security stocks are in an uptrend driven by growth supported by the rising use of the cloud and the growing threat to it. 
  • Fortinet uses its robust cash flow to repurchase shares, reducing the count by 2% in 2023. 
  • Check Point is a smaller business with superior margins and share-repurchasing power. 
  • 5 stocks we like better than Check Point Software Technologies

Cyber security stocks Check Point Software NASDAQ: CHKP and Fortinet NASDAQ: FTNT can hit new highs, but one is the better buy. While Check Point is a smaller company growing at a slower rate, its cost of earnings is far more reasonable, and capital returns are more substantial. The takeaway is that cyber stocks are in an uptrend supported by the rapid expansion of digitization and growth of the cloud and AI, factors also supporting the growth of cyber threats. 

Check Point: when size isn’t what counts

Check Point and Fortinet had solid Q4s, with top and bottom line results outperforming the Marketbeat.com consensus estimates. At face value, Fortinet is the stronger company with more than double the revenue and twice the growth, but other factors make Check Point a superior investment. The primary is the margin. 

Check Point has the industry-leading margin after 30 years in operations. This mature tech company produces nearly 50% in operating margin, a substantial figure for any business in any sector. That compares to only 26% for Fortinet, which trades at a far higher valuation. Fortinet trades at 40X its earnings, pricing in double-digit growth, but the pace of growth is slowing and priced into the market, presenting a headwind for the stock price. The company is expected to expand its margin as R&D and other costs abate, but it will be years, if ever, before it can match Check Point. 

Meanwhile, Check Point’s low-to-mid-single-digit growth pace is expected to accelerate slightly in 2024. The company is also expected to improve its margins again, driving 10% bottom line growth and only costs 18X earnings. 18X is above the broad market average but cheap for a cyber security stock, industry leader Palo Alto Networks trades at 66X its 2024 consensus and others trade at far higher valuations. 


Check Point takes point with share repurchases; analysts prefer it

Neither Check Point nor Fortinet pays dividends, but both repurchase shares. Both repurchases are in an amount that offsets share-based compensation and reduces the share count. However, Check Point takes the lead; its repurchases reduced the diluted count by nearly 6.75% in F2023 and are expected to continue robustly in 2024. Fortinet’s repurchases reduced its diluted count by  2.1% YOY, supporting the market but with far less strength.

Analysts are raising their targets for both stocks following the Q4 releases. However, Check Point’s Hold sentiment has been firm for the last year, while Fortinet’s has fallen from Moderate Buy to Hold, and the price target revisions are telling. 

Fortinet’s revisions have kept the consensus target relatively flat over the last year; Check Point’s consensus target is trending strongly higher. Both are expected to advance about 20% to 30% higher at the top end of the range, but Fortinet might not make it that high. The first downgrade to sell has shown up on the radar, suggesting the rally in this highly-valued stock is nearing its end. 

The technical outlook: two stocks at resistance, one can set an all-time high

Both stocks are trending higher in the near term. However, both show resistance to higher share prices, so a pullback may soon come. Because Fortinet is still within its trading range, while Check Point is also trending higher in the mid and long-term, it is likely to remain range-bound given the valuation and slowing growth. Check Point is above the consensus target, but the fresh revisions are leading this market higher. A pullback in the price action will likely result in a buying opportunity. The critical support level is near $160; a move below that may lead to a deeper correction. 

Checkpoint stock chart

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Should you invest $1,000 in Check Point Software Technologies right now?

Before you consider Check Point Software Technologies, you'll want to hear this.

MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Check Point Software Technologies wasn't on the list.

While Check Point Software Technologies currently has a "Hold" rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.

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Companies Mentioned in This Article

CompanyMarketRank™Current PricePrice ChangeDividend YieldP/E RatioConsensus RatingConsensus Price Target
Fortinet (FTNT)
4.7617 of 5 stars
$70.44+3.8%N/A48.58Hold$71.13
Check Point Software Technologies (CHKP)
4.4409 of 5 stars
$164.31+0.7%N/A23.08Hold$154.86
Compare These Stocks  Add These Stocks to My Watchlist 

Thomas Hughes

About Thomas Hughes

  • tmhughes.writeon@gmail.com

Contributing Author

Technical and Fundamental Analysis

Experience

Thomas Hughes has been a contributing writer for MarketBeat since 2019.

Areas of Expertise

Technical analysis, the S&P 500; retail, consumer, consumer staples, dividends, high-yield, small caps, technology, economic data, oil, cryptocurrencies

Education

Associate of Arts in Culinary Technology

Past Experience

Market watcher, trader and investor for numerous websites. Founded Passive Market Intelligence LLC to provide market research insights. 


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