In a world where cyber threats are growing more sophisticated, the demand for cybersecurity solutions is at an all-time high. Two industry leaders, Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) and CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD), protect businesses from cyberattacks. Meanwhile, Nice (NASDAQ:NICE) leads the charge in cutting-edge contact center software. If you want to know more about why these are cybersecurity stocks to buy, let’s dive into their growth factors below.
Palo Alto Networks (PANW)
Despite facing macroeconomic challenges and spending slowdowns, Palo Alto remains an industry leader in enterprise security solutions. As the digital landscape grows and cyberattacks and ransomware become more prevalent, demand for Palo Alto’s products remains strong.
Palo Alto’s ability to execute well amid economic uncertainty is a testament to its resilience and long-term growth prospects. Even though the company is working to manage costs, its focus on efficiencies will have a limited impact on headcount growth.
Additionally, its expanding portfolio of cloud security and security operations products boosts demand. The number of deals worth $10 million or more increased by 144% year over year, indicating strong demand. Palo Alto invested heavily in research and development (R&D), spending $1 billion last year. As a result, the company’s R&D is up to five times more than some of its competitors.
Furthermore, Palo Alto has successfully transformed in recent years, prioritizing cloud-based solutions over physical firewall products. With a focus on artificial intelligence, scale and profitable growth, it is well-positioned to transform cybersecurity with AI-based outcomes such as zero-day protections and real-time response.
A critical factor for cybersecurity stocks like Palo Alto Networks is providing a much-needed service that is always in demand. Lastly, businesses with an online presence require protection from hackers, regardless of the economic environment.
CrowdStrike Holdings (CRWD)
CrowdStrike is a leader in the endpoint protection platform (EPP) market, offering cloud-based solutions that use AI and machine learning to protect internet-connected devices from cyberattacks. Although the company reported quarterly results slightly below expectations, it remains well-positioned to displace incumbents with its advanced detection and remediation capabilities.
Meanwhile, CrowdStrike has formed a strategic alliance with Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL) to offer frictionless and cost-effective cybersecurity solutions for organizations of all sizes.
With a growing demand for cybersecurity solutions, CrowdStrike is maintaining and growing its market share. The company’s continued delivery of mission-critical solutions reflects its rich experience in the security space.
Notably, CrowdStrike focuses on selling subscription-based services, which generate recurring revenues and higher margins than hardware-centric models. Its total addressable market is projected to hit $158 billion in 2026, creating an opportunity for CrowdStrike to expand its product portfolio and boost its competitive edge.
CrowdStrike has a rapidly expanding customer base, with 41% year over year growth in subscription customers. The total addressable market for CrowdStrike is set to reach $98 billion by 2025. Finally, the company has net solid customer retention and expansion dollar-based retention rates for subscription ARR at 125.3% in Q4 fiscal 2023.
Nice (NICE)
NICE is a global software company providing businesses with cutting-edge contact center software. Its cloud-based product is a market leader, with approximately one out of every three customer service agents using NICE’s software today. With high barriers to entry, NICE has a significant distribution advantage, making it difficult for new competitors to gain traction in the market.
As cloud penetration continues to increase, NICE is expected to take even more market share from legacy on-premises competitors. The company’s revenue per customer will increase due to upselling digital solutions that improve the customer experience. NICE is well-positioned to weather a recession due to its strong free cash flow and skilled management. In addition, its AI-powered smarts have attracted some of the largest consumer-oriented businesses in the world.
Interestingly, NICE is winning contracts for cloud-based customer interaction services while traditional competitors struggle. As a result, recurring revenues will become NICE’s most significant revenue stream in the second half of the year. NICE’s promising position in the AI-driven automation market is bolstered by its progressive product portfolio, which includes the industry’s first conversational CX with ChatGPT-enabled CXone.
NICE’s strong performance is reflected in recent honors, including winning Best Anti-Money Laundering Solution for the second consecutive year and surpassing the milestone of 1 million agents on CXone.
Overall, NICE has established itself as a market leader across multiple areas, including workforce engagement management, contact center as a service, and public safety. In addition, the company’s revenue and profit trends have steadily increased, with cloud revenue driving accelerated total revenue growth. Finally, its recurring revenue expansion provides visibility and cash flow predictability.