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Fortinet (FTNT)
NASDAQ:FTNT

Fortinet (FTNT) AI Stock Analysis

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FTNT

Fortinet

(NASDAQ:FTNT)

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Outperform 72 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:72Outperform
Price Target:
$88.00
▲(10.00% Upside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:02/06/26
FTNT scores well primarily due to strong profitability and free-cash-flow generation, reinforced by upbeat 2026 guidance and strong execution highlights from the earnings call. The score is held back by a weak technical trend (below key moving averages), a mid-range valuation multiple (P/E ~32.5 with no dividend yield), and balance-sheet variability with higher recent leverage alongside slowing recent growth.
Positive Factors
High gross & operating margins
Sustained very high gross margins and a stepped-up operating margin provide durable profitability levers: they fund continued R&D, sales expansion and infrastructure investment, support pricing flexibility versus peers, and make the business resilient across cycles and capital needs.
Strong free cash flow generation
Large, consistent free cash flow and high conversion rates create lasting financial optionality: enables buybacks, targeted capex for cloud/SASE, debt management and M&A, while reducing reliance on external financing and supporting investment in long-term product leadership.
Market leadership & SASE/product acceleration
Strong product acceleration and rapid SASE adoption indicate structural market share gains and platform leverage: growing ARR and large deals expand sticky recurring revenue, increase cross-sell into networking base, and position Fortinet to sustain higher long-term billings and customer retention.
Negative Factors
Slowing revenue growth
Marked deceleration in revenue growth reduces the pace of scale benefits and challenges sustaining historic operating leverage. Over the medium term, slower top-line expansion heightens reliance on margin improvement and cash returns to maintain profitability per share growth.
Rising leverage and balance-sheet variability
Material increase in leverage and volatile equity levels constrain financial flexibility and increase interest and refinancing risk, especially with large maturities. Balance-sheet swings reduce room for aggressive M&A or defensive spending during downturns.
Services revenue lag & billings volatility
Delayed conversion of product billings into services slows steady recurring revenue growth and weakens predictability of cashflows. Persistent billings volatility (e.g., SecOps) complicates forecasting, weakens subscription stickiness, and may pressure long-run margin stability.

Fortinet (FTNT) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Fortinet Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionFortinet, Inc. provides broad, integrated, and automated cybersecurity solutions in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It offers FortiGate hardware and software licenses that provide various security and networking functions, including firewall, intrusion prevention, anti-malware, virtual private network, application control, web filtering, anti-spam, and wide area network acceleration. The company also provides FortiSwitch product family that offers secure switching solutions for connecting customers their end devices; FortiAP product family, which provides secure wireless networking solutions; FortiExtender, a hardware appliance; FortiAnalyzer product family, which offers centralized network logging, analyzing, and reporting solutions; and FortiManager product family that provides central and scalable management solution for its FortiGate products. It offers FortiWeb product family provides web application firewall solutions; FortiMail product family that secure email gateway solutions; FortiSandbox technology that delivers proactive detection and mitigation services; FortiClient that provides endpoint protection with pattern-based anti-malware, behavior-based exploit protection, web-filtering, and an application firewall; FortiToken and FortiAuthenticator product families for multi-factor authentication to safeguard systems, assets, and data; and FortiEDR/XDR, an endpoint protection solution that provides both comprehensive machine-learning anti-malware execution and real-time post-infection protection. It provides security subscription, technical support, professional, and training services. It sells its security solutions to channel partners and directly to various customers in telecommunications, technology, government, financial services, education, retail, manufacturing, and healthcare industries. It has strategic alliance with Linksys. Fortinet, Inc. was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.
How the Company Makes MoneyFortinet generates revenue primarily through the sale of security hardware, software licenses, and subscription services. Its key revenue streams include the sale of FortiGate firewalls and other security appliances, which provide essential network security functions. Additionally, Fortinet earns recurring revenue through subscription services for threat intelligence, security updates, and support services. The company also engages in partnerships with technology and service providers to enhance its market reach and product offerings, contributing to its earnings through joint ventures and collaborative sales efforts. Furthermore, the increasing demand for cloud security solutions and managed security services in the face of rising cyber threats has bolstered its revenue potential.

Fortinet Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Any
Any
Gross Profit by Type
Gross Profit by Type
Shows profitability across different product lines or services, highlighting which areas are most lucrative and where Fortinet might focus for growth.
Chart InsightsFortinet's services gross profit continues its upward trajectory, driven by strong customer acquisition and innovation in secure operations. Despite a sequential decline in service revenue due to fewer days in the fiscal quarter, the company remains optimistic about maintaining growth. Product gross profit shows volatility, likely influenced by macroeconomic uncertainties and potential tariff impacts. However, the introduction of the FortiGate 700G series and leadership in key segments like SD-WAN and OT security could bolster future product performance. Fortinet's strategic investments and market leadership position it well for continued growth despite external challenges.
Data provided by:The Fly

Fortinet Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Feb 05, 2026
(Q4-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Apr 30, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call emphasized strong top-line growth, robust product acceleration, leadership in secure networking and Unified SASE, impressive margins and record cash generation, alongside disciplined capital returns and confident guidance for 2026. Headwinds discussed were manageable operational issues—memory/component pricing, short-term services revenue timing, and some quarterly volatility in SecOps billings—plus modest FX and debt-repayment effects. Overall the positive execution, market leadership, and reaffirmed multi-year targets materially outweigh the near-term operational and cost pressures.
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Strong Q4 Billings and Revenue Growth
Total billings grew 18% year-over-year to $2.37 billion in Q4 2025; total revenue grew 15% year-over-year to $1.91 billion.
Product Revenue Acceleration
Product revenue increased ~20% year-over-year to $691 million in Q4, with both hardware and software each growing ~20%.
Unified SASE Momentum
Unified SASE billings grew 40% in Q4; Unified SASE ARR increased 11% to $1.28 billion, and FortiSASE ARR grew over 90%.
AI and OT Growth
AI-driven security billings grew 6% in Q4 and 22% for the full year; AI-related ARR was up 21% for the year. Operational technology (OT) billings grew more than 25% in Q4.
Market Leadership and Share Gains
Fortinet remained #1 in firewall unit market share at 55% and reported the highest product revenue among segment security peers; secure networking billing grew 13%, outpacing the market.
Broad Enterprise Deal Flow and Customer Adds
Number of deals >$1M increased by over 30% in Q4 and total deal value grew by over 40%; 7,200 new organizations adopted the Unified FortiOS platform in the quarter.
Strong Profitability and Cash Generation
Q4 non-GAAP gross margin was 80.3%; operating margin was 37.3% (above guidance). Q4 free cash flow was $577 million (adjusted FCF $589 million, 31% margin).
Record Full-Year Financials and Rule of 45
Full-year 2025: billings grew 16% to $7.55 billion; revenue grew 14% to $6.8 billion; product revenue +16%; service revenue +13% to $4.58 billion. Gross margin 81.3%; operating margin 35.5% (up 50 bps); operating income $2.41 billion (+16%); EPS +16% to $2.76. Fortinet exceeded the Rule of 45 for the sixth consecutive year.
Capital Return and Balance Sheet Actions
Q4 share repurchases ~730k shares for $57 million and 4.6M shares for $356 million quarter-to-date; board approved a $1 billion increase in buyback authorization and remaining repurchase authorization is ~ $1.4 billion.
Confident 2026 Guidance
Q1 2026 guidance: billings $1.77–1.87 billion (midpoint +14%), revenue $1.70–1.76 billion (midpoint +12%), non-GAAP gross margin 80–81%, operating margin 30–32%. Full-year 2026 guidance: billings $8.4–8.6 billion (midpoint +13%), revenue $7.5–7.7 billion (midpoint +12%), service revenue $5.05–5.15 billion (midpoint +11%); reaffirmed midterm targets of billings/revenue CAGR >12% and achieving the Rule of 45.
Negative Updates
Supply-Chain and Memory Price Pressure
Management highlighted higher memory and component prices as a supply-chain headwind; they have taken inventory measures (about six months on hand) and are implementing targeted price increases (announced appliance price actions in the ~5%–20% range depending on product).
Services Revenue Lags Near-Term
While product revenue accelerated in 2025, management expects service revenue growth to pick up in the second half of 2026, indicating a near-term lag in services conversion despite strong product billings.
Q4 SecOps Billings Volatility
SecOps billings showed a deceleration in Q4 relative to prior quarters (company characterized billings as more volatile), though annual SecOps growth remained compelling.
First-Quarter Timing and FX Headwinds
Q1 2026 has two fewer days than Q4 for service recognition and management noted a modest headwind from recent USD weakness could affect Q1 results.
Debt Repayment Effects on Interest Income
Planned repayment of a $500 million senior debt tranche at the end of Q1 will reduce net interest income for the year (management called this out as a modeling/contribution consideration).
Product End-of-Service Considerations
Management noted some older product/service lines may reach end-of-service prompting either upsell to new products or higher-supported-service fees; this may create transitional complexity and variable customer choices.
Company Guidance
Fortinet guided Q1 2026 billings of $1.77–$1.87B (midpoint ≈ +14%) and revenue of $1.70–$1.76B (midpoint ≈ +12%), with non‑GAAP gross margin of 80–81%, non‑GAAP operating margin of 30–32%, non‑GAAP EPS of $0.59–$0.63 (assumes 746–750M shares), infrastructure investment of $80–$120M, a non‑GAAP tax rate of 18% and cash taxes of $45–$50M (and a $500M senior debt tranche maturing at end‑Q1). For full‑year 2026 they guided billings of $8.4–$8.6B (midpoint ≈ +13%), revenue of $7.5–$7.7B (midpoint ≈ +12%), service revenue of $5.05–$5.15B (midpoint ≈ +11%) with non‑GAAP gross margin 79–81%, non‑GAAP operating margin 33–36%, non‑GAAP EPS $2.94–$3.00 (assumes 747–753M shares), infrastructure investment $350–$450M, an 18% tax rate and cash taxes of $350–$400M; the company reaffirmed achieving the Rule of 45 for the seventh consecutive year and reiterated midterm targets of product revenue growth of ~10–15% and billings/revenue CAGRs above 12%.

Fortinet Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Strong profitability and cash generation support a high score: gross margins ~75–81%, operating margin up to ~35% (TTM), and free cash flow ~$2.23B with solid conversion (~83–89% of net income). The main offsets are slowing revenue growth (~12% in 2024 and ~4% in TTM) and a middling balance sheet profile with rising leverage (debt-to-equity ~1.35 in TTM) and equity volatility.
Income Statement
86
Very Positive
FTNT shows strong and improving profitability with very high gross margins (~75% to ~81%) and a step-up in operating performance (operating margin rising from ~19% in 2021 to ~35% in TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months)). Net margin is also robust (~29% in 2024; ~29% in TTM). The main weakness is growth deceleration: revenue growth slowed meaningfully from ~20–32% (2021–2023) to ~12% (2024) and ~4% in TTM, which can pressure valuation and future operating leverage.
Balance Sheet
62
Positive
Leverage is moderate in the most recent periods, with debt-to-equity moving up to ~1.35 in TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) from ~0.67 in 2024, alongside declining equity ($1.49B in 2024 to $1.24B in TTM). Earlier years also show volatility, including negative equity in 2022–2023, which highlights balance-sheet variability. Offsetting this, the company is highly profitable relative to equity in recent periods (very high return on equity), but the combination of equity swings and rising leverage keeps the balance-sheet score in the middle of the range.
Cash Flow
84
Very Positive
Cash generation is a clear strength: operating cash flow and free cash flow are large and growing, with free cash flow up ~10% in TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) and reaching ~$2.23B. Free cash flow conversion is solid, running at ~83–89% of net income across the periods provided, indicating earnings are translating well into cash. The main drawback is that operating cash flow relative to revenue is only around ~51–65% depending on the year (as provided), and it dipped in TTM versus 2024, suggesting some working-capital or timing headwinds despite strong absolute cash flow.
BreakdownDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue6.80B5.96B5.30B4.42B3.34B
Gross Profit5.50B4.80B4.07B3.33B2.56B
EBITDA2.42B2.20B1.47B1.08B727.70M
Net Income1.85B1.75B1.15B857.30M606.80M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets10.39B9.76B7.26B6.23B5.92B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments3.58B4.07B2.44B2.21B2.55B
Total Debt996.30M994.30M992.30M990.40M988.40M
Total Liabilities9.15B8.27B7.72B6.51B5.12B
Stockholders Equity1.24B1.49B-463.40M-281.60M781.70M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow2.23B1.88B1.73B1.45B1.20B
Operating Cash Flow2.59B2.26B1.94B1.73B1.50B
Investing Cash Flow-599.10M-727.40M-649.30M763.90M-1.33B
Financing Cash Flow-2.37B-50.10M-1.57B-2.13B82.80M

Fortinet Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price80.00
Price Trends
50DMA
80.64
Negative
100DMA
82.10
Negative
200DMA
88.32
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
0.55
Positive
RSI
46.17
Neutral
STOCH
25.38
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For FTNT, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 80 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 82.39, below the 50-day MA of 80.64, and below the 200-day MA of 88.32, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of 0.55 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 46.17 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 25.38 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for FTNT.

Fortinet Risk Analysis

Fortinet disclosed 62 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Fortinet reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Fortinet Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (61)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
74
Outperform
$308.80B27.5024.34%2.09%8.91%14.53%
72
Outperform
$60.00B33.66135.72%14.78%22.52%
72
Outperform
$124.32B83.5516.26%15.30%-60.71%
69
Neutral
$17.61B16.5137.27%6.31%25.27%
62
Neutral
$27.45B-644.02-2.41%23.24%-8.83%
62
Neutral
$104.81B-8.88%22.05%-341.24%
61
Neutral
$37.18B12.37-10.20%1.83%8.50%-7.62%
* Technology Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
FTNT
Fortinet
80.00
-28.69
-26.40%
CHKP
Check Point
159.04
-56.17
-26.10%
CSCO
Cisco Systems
79.20
17.46
28.28%
PANW
Palo Alto Networks
148.70
-41.69
-21.90%
ZS
Zscaler
159.75
-37.30
-18.93%
CRWD
CrowdStrike Holdings
388.60
-3.12
-0.80%
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Feb 06, 2026