Although the NASDAQ 100 is trading slightly in the green, CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD | CRWD Price Prediction) stock is down 7% to $198.99 midday Wednesday. The decline comes even after Truist raised its price target on the stock sharply ahead of next week’s earnings. Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) stock is also down 5% to $355.54 in the same session. The selloff pulls in CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks on a day with no company-specific catalyst identified. Broad software and technology selling appears to be driving the move, and cybersecurity software is falling with the broader complex rather than acting as an obvious safe haven from AI-hardware rotation. CrowdStrike stock is up 82% year to date through Tuesday’s close. Palo Alto Networks stock is up 103% over the same window. Both names have run hard into a crowded earnings week, and today’s drawdown is happening from elevated multiples that leave little room for disappointment. The Truist note leans into that setup constructively for CrowdStrike, yet the stock is trading as if positioning matters more than fundamentals ahead of earnings. Traders may want to keep an eye on whether the pre-earnings drift extends into next week or resets before the release. Truist Raises Targets but Prefers Smaller Names Truist analyst Junaid Siddiqui raised CrowdStrike’s price target to $245 from $187.50 while keeping a Buy rating. The firm called cybersecurity spending resilient overall and described the CrowdStrike setup as “constructive” heading into earnings. Siddiqui also raised Rubrik’s price target to $135 from $90, and SailPoint’s price target to $23 from $18, both Buy-rated, as part of an off-cycle software earnings preview. Truist named Rubrik and SailPoint its preferred cybersecurity picks, calling both positioned for “beat-and-raise quarters.” The firm’s core thesis is that enterprise cyber budgets are concentrating on identity security, cyber resilience, AI governance,
CrowdStrike Sinks 7% Despite Truist Price Target Raise to $245, Palo Alto Networks Falls 5%
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