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Cloudflare (NET)
NYSE:NET

Cloudflare (NET) AI Stock Analysis

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NET

Cloudflare

(NYSE:NET)

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Neutral 57 (OpenAI - 5.2)
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Neutral 57 (OpenAI - 5.2)
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Neutral 57 (OpenAI - 5.2)
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Neutral 57 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:57Neutral
Price Target:
$220.00
▲(3.55% Upside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:02/12/26
NET scores mid-range primarily due to strong earnings-call guidance and improving cash generation, which offset ongoing GAAP profitability shortfalls and higher balance-sheet leverage. The score is further constrained by weak technical trends (price below key moving averages with negative MACD) and limited valuation support given the negative P/E and no dividend yield.
Positive Factors
Cash Generation
Sustained and improving operating and free cash flow provide durable financial flexibility to fund network capex, sales expansion, and strategic investments without immediate reliance on equity markets. This strengthens execution capacity while the company works toward consistent GAAP profitability.
Enterprise Momentum & Large Contracts
Rapidly growing new ACV and multi-year large deals indicate strong enterprise trust and higher contract visibility. Large, lasting contracts raise recurring revenue quality, improve upsell potential, and deepen customer dependence on the platform, supporting predictable expansion over multiple quarters.
Developer Platform & AI Tailwind
High developer adoption and rising AI/agent workload drive structural demand for edge compute and security services. Embedding developers and AI workloads creates sticky usage patterns, broadens addressable market, and supports cross-product monetization over the medium term.
Negative Factors
Elevated Leverage
Material increase in leverage raises financial risk and reduces flexibility if revenue or margins unexpectedly weaken. Higher interest or covenant pressure could constrain capital allocation choices and heighten refinancing risk until consistent net profitability and cash conversion are firmly established.
Gross Margin Pressure & Higher CapEx
Rising paid-traffic allocation and elevated network capex increase ongoing cost and capital intensity, compressing structural gross margins. If higher capex and COGS allocation persist to support traffic growth, long-term margin targets may be harder to achieve without offsetting pricing or efficiency gains.
Revenue Variability from Usage-Based Deals
A rising share of usage-based and pool-of-funds contracts creates more volatile quarter-to-quarter revenue and makes forecasting, capacity planning, and margin management more difficult. Over time this can complicate sales compensation, guide reliability, and enterprise budgeting relationships.

Cloudflare (NET) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Cloudflare Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionCloudFlare, Inc. operates as a cloud services provider that delivers a range of services to businesses worldwide. The company offers an integrated cloud-based security solution to secure a range of combination of platforms, including public cloud, private cloud, on-premise, software-as-a-service applications, and IoT devices. Its security products comprise cloud firewall, bot management, distributed denial of service, IoT, SSL/TLS, secure origin connection, and rate limiting products. The company also offers performance solutions, which include content delivery and intelligent routing, as well as content, mobile, and image optimization solutions. In addition, it provides reliability solutions comprising load balancing, anycast network, virtual backbone, DNS, DNS resolver, online, and virtual waiting room solutions. Further, the company offers Cloudflare internal infrastructure solutions, including on-ramps, which connect users, devices, or locations to its network; and filters, which are the products that protect, inspect, and privilege data. Additionally, it provides developer-based solutions, such as serverless computing/programmable network, website development, domain registration, Cloudflare apps, analytics, and data localization management; Consumer DNS Resolver, a consumer app to browse the Internet; and Consumer VPN for consumers to secure and accelerate traffic on mobile devices. The company serves customers in the technology, healthcare, financial services, consumer and retail, and non-profit industries, as well as government. CloudFlare, Inc. was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
How the Company Makes MoneyCloudflare primarily makes money by selling subscription-based cloud services to customers on contracted terms, typically priced by service tier, usage, and/or the scope of deployment (e.g., number of domains, applications, users, traffic, or security features). The company’s core revenue stream is recurring subscription revenue from its integrated platform of security and performance products, including application and network security (such as DDoS protection and web application security), performance services (such as content delivery and traffic acceleration), and enterprise connectivity and access offerings (such as Zero Trust/ZTNA and secure web gateway capabilities). Cloudflare also generates revenue from usage-based components and add-on services where pricing can scale with consumption (for example, higher traffic volumes, advanced security features, or additional platform capabilities). It sells through a combination of self-serve digital channels (particularly for smaller customers and developers) and an enterprise sales motion for larger organizations, with expansion revenue driven by customers adopting additional products over time on the same platform. Significant factors supporting earnings include the breadth of its global edge network (which enables delivering multiple services from the same infrastructure), customer retention and upsell/cross-sell across product families, and partnerships/channels such as resellers, systems integrators, managed service providers, and cloud/platform ecosystem integrations that help drive enterprise adoption.

Cloudflare Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Any
Any
Revenue by Geography
Revenue by Geography
Breaks down revenue across different regions, revealing where Cloudflare is strongest and where it may face risk or growth potential due to local economic conditions or market share shifts.
Chart InsightsCloudflare's revenue growth is robust across all regions, with the United States leading the charge, reflecting a strategic focus on large customers and partnerships. The Asia Pacific and EMEA regions also show strong momentum, supported by strategic wins and AI integration. Despite a slight decline in gross margin, the company's increased sales productivity and expanding customer base underscore its growth potential. The departure of a key executive poses a risk, but the positive outlook and strategic investments suggest continued revenue expansion, aligning with the company's guidance for sustained growth.
Data provided by:The Fly

Cloudflare Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Feb 10, 2026
(Q4-2025)
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% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Apr 30, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call presented strong top-line acceleration, robust enterprise momentum, record new ACV, substantial customer additions, improving retention, and materially stronger free cash flow and profitability — all signaling successful execution of go-to-market and product strategies. Headwinds include a modest gross-margin decline (below target), higher network expense allocation and capital intensity, and increasing revenue variability from usage-based pool-of-funds deals. On balance, the positive operational and financial momentum, large-enterprise wins, AI-driven demand tailwind, and cash generation materially outweigh the margin and variability challenges.
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Strong Revenue Growth
Total revenue of $614.5M in Q4 FY2025, up 34% year-over-year, with FY2026 guidance of $2.785B–$2.795B (up 28%–29% YoY) and Q1 2026 revenue guide of $620M–$621M (up 29%–30% YoY).
Enterprise Momentum and New ACV Acceleration
Record new ACV in Q4, with new ACV book growing nearly 50% YoY — fastest growth since 2021. Closed the largest annual contract in company history ($42.5M ARR) and earlier in the year closed largest total contract value ($130M over five years).
Large Customer Expansion & Retention
4,298 customers paying >$100K (up 23% YoY). Revenue from large customers grew 42% YoY and contributed 73% of Q4 revenue (up from 69% a year ago). Dollar-based net retention rate was 120% (up 9% YoY, +1% QoQ). Customers spending >$1M reached 269 (up 55% YoY).
Profitability and Cash Generation
Operating income of $89.6M (operating margin 14.6%, consistent YoY) and net income of $106.8M (diluted EPS $0.28). Free cash flow of $99.4M in the quarter (16% of revenue), up from $47.8M prior year (approximately +108% YoY). Cash, cash equivalents and securities of $4.1B at quarter end.
Developer Platform & AI Tailwind
Cloudflare Workers/dev tools showed outsized growth: >4.5M active human developers on the platform. January weekly agent-generated requests on the network more than doubled month-over-month. Management emphasized AI/agent-driven demand as a material long-term tailwind across products.
Geographic and Customer-Count Strength
Paid customers ~332,000 (record addition of ~37,000 sequentially, +40% YoY). Regional growth: US revenue +31% YoY (49% of revenue), EMEA +31% YoY (27% of revenue), APAC +50% YoY (16% of revenue).
Backlog and Contract Visibility
Remaining performance obligations (RPO) of $2.496B, up 48% YoY and 16% sequentially; current RPO improved 34% YoY to 63% of total RPO, indicating stronger near-term visibility.
Go-to-Market Execution & Channel Progress
Global sales productivity increased YoY for the eighth consecutive quarter and surpassed 2021 all-time highs. Sales capacity growth fastest since 2022, highest quota attainment in four years, and channel initiatives showing traction (published price lists, partner momentum).
Negative Updates
Gross Margin Pressure
Fourth-quarter gross margin was 74.9%, down 270 basis points YoY and 40 basis points sequentially, falling just below the stated long-term target range (75%–77%). Management attributed the decline to higher paid-traffic allocation to COGS and mix impacts from the developer platform.
Higher Network Expense Allocation and CapEx Mix
Paid vs. free traffic increased, resulting in the highest-ever allocation of network expenses to cost of goods sold. Network CapEx was 13% of revenue in Q4 and is expected to be 12%–15% of revenue for FY2026 — a tick-up in capital intensity compared with prior periods.
Revenue Variability from Usage-Based Contracts
Pool-of-funds deals and higher usage-oriented revenue are growing (pool-of-funds ≈20% of ACV in Q4; mid-teens for full 2025), which increases variable revenue share and may cause more quarter-to-quarter volatility (larger Q4s and smaller Q1s) in revenue recognition.
Rising Headcount and Ongoing Investment Needs
Total headcount increased ~21% YoY to ~5,200, which — while driving growth — implies continued investment and scaling expense. Although operating expenses as a percent of revenue improved, the larger workforce and capex mix require continued discipline to sustain margins.
Company Guidance
Cloudflare guided Q1 2026 revenue of $620.0M–$621.0M (up ~29%–30% year‑over‑year), operating income of $70M–$71M, an effective tax rate of 20%, and diluted EPS of $0.23 assuming ~377M shares outstanding; for full‑year 2026 it expects revenue of $2.785B–$2.795B (up ~28%–29% year‑over‑year), operating income of $378M–$382M, an effective tax rate of 20%, diluted EPS of $1.11–$1.12 (≈377M shares assuming cash settlement of 2026 convertible notes), with revenue weighted ~46% in H1, expected network CapEx of ~12%–15% of revenue for the year, and management saying it is comfortable with consensus free cash flow estimates for 2026.

Cloudflare Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Cash flow is a major positive (TTM operating cash flow ~$667M; TTM free cash flow ~$332M, accelerating), but overall profitability is still a gap with negative TTM net margin (~-4.7%). Balance-sheet risk is elevated due to sharply higher debt in TTM (~$3.5B) and high debt-to-equity (~2.41), which offsets strong gross margins (~mid-70% range).
Income Statement
56
Neutral
Cloudflare shows strong top-line momentum and consistently high gross profitability, with gross margin holding around the mid-70% range (TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months): ~74.5%). Revenue growth is solid in TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) (~7.7%) and has been strong historically, but profitability remains the main gap: EBIT and net income are still negative in TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) (net margin ~-4.7%). The trajectory is improving versus 2021–2022 losses, yet the company has not converted that scale into sustained bottom-line profits.
Balance Sheet
44
Neutral
The balance sheet carries meaningful leverage. Total debt increased sharply in TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) (~$3.5B) versus 2024 (~$1.46B), pushing debt relative to equity higher (TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) debt-to-equity ~2.41). Equity has grown, but returns to shareholders remain negative (TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) return on equity ~-7.5%) due to ongoing losses. Overall, the company has a sizable asset base, but the increased leverage raises financial risk until profitability becomes more consistent.
Cash Flow
72
Positive
Cash generation is a clear strength. Operating cash flow is strong and improving (TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months): ~$667M vs 2024: ~$380M), and free cash flow is positive and accelerating (TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months): ~$332M; free cash flow growth ~53%). Free cash flow has materially improved from negative levels in 2021–2022, supporting flexibility despite reported net losses. A key watch item is that cash generation does not fully translate into strong earnings yet, but the cash flow trend is favorable.
BreakdownDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue2.17B1.67B1.30B975.24M656.43M
Gross Profit1.61B1.29B989.74M742.63M509.29M
EBITDA207.43M62.05M-42.62M-92.13M-125.17M
Net Income-102.27M-78.80M-183.95M-193.38M-260.31M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets6.04B3.30B2.76B2.59B2.37B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments4.10B1.86B1.67B1.65B1.82B
Total Debt3.70B1.46B1.44B1.58B1.29B
Total Liabilities4.58B2.25B2.00B1.96B1.56B
Stockholders Equity1.46B1.05B763.05M623.96M815.80M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow324.32M195.39M119.46M-39.77M-43.09M
Operating Cash Flow666.87M380.43M254.41M123.59M64.65M
Investing Cash Flow-1.81B-330.22M-186.20M-235.70M-709.32M
Financing Cash Flow1.94B12.79M-192.19M6.35M847.49M

Cloudflare Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price212.45
Price Trends
50DMA
185.65
Positive
100DMA
197.93
Positive
200DMA
198.96
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
7.33
Negative
RSI
65.98
Neutral
STOCH
91.09
Negative
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For NET, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 212.45 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 188.66, above the 50-day MA of 185.65, and above the 200-day MA of 198.96, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 7.33 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 65.98 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 91.09 is Negative, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for NET.

Cloudflare Risk Analysis

Cloudflare disclosed 79 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Cloudflare 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

Cloudflare 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
$136.28B71.1815.49%15.30%-60.71%
72
Outperform
$61.74B31.84123.64%14.78%22.52%
70
Outperform
$21.88B27.19-40.40%0.94%5.47%-0.03%
69
Neutral
$112.04B-686.05-4.68%22.05%-341.24%
66
Neutral
$24.72B-232.70-3.48%23.24%-8.83%
61
Neutral
$37.18B12.37-10.20%1.83%8.50%-7.62%
57
Neutral
$74.78B-671.68-7.48%28.06%-7.44%
* Technology Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
NET
Cloudflare
212.45
96.43
83.11%
FTNT
Fortinet
84.49
-12.18
-12.60%
PANW
Palo Alto Networks
167.45
-17.55
-9.49%
VRSN
Verisign
238.60
2.14
0.91%
ZS
Zscaler
153.76
-48.89
-24.13%
CRWD
CrowdStrike Holdings
441.78
76.95
21.09%

Cloudflare Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
Cloudflare Highlights Strong Q4 Growth and Improving Profitability
Positive
Feb 10, 2026

On February 10, 2026, Cloudflare reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results showing strong top-line growth and improving profitability metrics, underpinned by rising demand from AI- and agent-driven Internet workloads. Fourth-quarter revenue rose 34% year-over-year to $614.5 million and full-year revenue climbed nearly 30% to $2.17 billion, while the company closed its largest-ever contract and expanded remaining performance obligations, signaling robust enterprise adoption.

Despite a GAAP operating loss of $49.2 million in the quarter and $207.2 million for 2025, Cloudflare delivered meaningful non-GAAP profitability, including Q4 non-GAAP operating income of $89.6 million and free cash flow margins expanding to 16.2% in Q4 and 12.0% for the year. Management framed the rise of AI agents as a structural tailwind that is driving more code and traffic onto its network, reinforcing Cloudflare’s positioning as a core infrastructure provider and strengthening its financial profile for investors, as evidenced by higher operating cash flow and a cash balance exceeding $4.1 billion at year-end 2025.

Cloudflare also reiterated its use of multiple disclosure channels, including its website, investor portal, press site, and social media accounts, to disseminate material information to investors and the public. The company emphasized that supplemental financial data and reconciliations of GAAP to non-GAAP figures are available on its investor relations website as part of its broader effort to provide transparency around financial performance and business trends.

The most recent analyst rating on (NET) stock is a Hold with a $230.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Cloudflare stock, see the NET Stock Forecast page.

Executive/Board Changes
Cloudflare Announces Planned Transition in Chief Legal Leadership
Neutral
Feb 10, 2026

On February 6, 2026, Cloudflare, Inc. announced that its Chief Legal Officer, Doug Kramer, has decided to resign from his role after nearly a decade with the company, with his resignation to take effect on March 31, 2026. Following his departure from the position, Kramer will remain with Cloudflare as a senior advisor, while the company expects to elevate current Deputy Chief Legal Officer and Global Head of Public Policy, Alissa Starzak, to succeed him as Chief Legal Officer, signaling a planned and orderly legal leadership transition.

The most recent analyst rating on (NET) stock is a Hold with a $230.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Cloudflare stock, see the NET Stock Forecast page.

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 12, 2026