When deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold a stock, investors often rely on analyst recommendations. Media reports about rating changes by these brokerage-firm-employed (or sell-side) analysts often influence a stock's price, but are they really important?
Fears of AI disruption have set up a buying opportunity in Cloudflare NYSE: NET stock that may quickly evaporate, as the Q4 2025 results and 2026 guidance were robust. AI is disrupting the Internet, flooding it with agents, and, in the words of Cloudflare's CEO, it is driving a virtuous flywheel for its cybersecurity business.
Cloudflare beat Wall Street's fourth-quarter estimates and issued upbeat guidance as artificial intelligence hikes adoption of its networking and security solutions. CEO Matthew Prince said more agents are running on Cloudflare's platform, creating a "virtuous flywheel.
Cloudflare (NYSE:NET) shares jumped almost 11% to just shy of $200 in early trade following the company's fourth quarter report which topped revenue expectations. For the quarter, Cloudflare reported revenue of $614.5 million, up 34% year over year, above the consensus estimate of $591.3 million.
NET shares soar after Q4 earnings and revenues surpass estimates, with the company initiating strong guidance for the first quarter and full-year 2026.
Cloudflare, Inc. (NET) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Cloudflare (NET) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.28 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.27 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.19 per share a year ago.
Cloudflare has beaten EPS estimates for 7 straight quarters, which shows a strong track record of execution.
As investors debate whether artificial intelligence will ultimately make large portions of the software industry obsolete, it is becoming increasingly important to separate which types of software are vulnerable from those that are structurally resilient. AI will undoubtedly disrupt certain areas, particularly simple applications, dashboards, and point solutions that can be replicated quickly with generative tools.
Cloudflare (NYSE:NET) will hand down its fourth quarter earnings after markets close on February 10, with Jefferies analysts expecting the report to reflect the company's momentum in AI adoption and enterprise transformation. Shares of the software and network services provider have been down roughly 15% in the year-to-date at about $168, amid broader weakness in the software sector, but analysts say the company remains well positioned for growth.
On Wednesday, BTIF upgraded Cloudflare Inc (NYSE:NET) to "buy" from "neutral," hiking its price target to $199 and noting the cybersecurity stock has "underappreciated long-term growth potential.
NET heads into Q4 earnings with revenues near $590 million and EPS of $0.27, fueled by zero-trust and global growth but pressured by deal delays.