New York, Feb 6, 2026, 13:04 EST — Regular session.
CrowdStrike Holdings shares climbed 3.7% to $391.20 on Friday afternoon, bouncing back after a sharp drop the previous day that mirrored a wider sell-off in software stocks.
The rebound follows a sharp sell-off sparked by worries over Big Tech’s rising AI expenditures eating into profits and the potential disruption from new AI tools across the sector. Carlota Estragues Lopez, an equity strategist at St. James’s Place, noted, “Headlines … are now being interpreted far more cautiously by investors.” 1
Wall Street bounced back Friday following a tough week for tech stocks, as software and data-services shares attracted buyers after several days of selling. “We’re going to continue to see these ebbs and flows,” said Ben Falcone, managing director at Kayne Anderson Rudnick. 2
CrowdStrike highlighted a new deal in the Gulf this week, revealing it signed a memorandum of understanding — a preliminary agreement — with Saudi oil giant Aramco to explore cybersecurity initiatives in the kingdom. The company said it’s considering steps like establishing in-country cloud capabilities and setting up a regional headquarters. Its Falcon platform would serve as the foundation for wider protection across critical infrastructure. 3
“We’re proud to collaborate with Aramco,” CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz said in the statement. Aramco executive vice president Ahmad O. Al Khowaiter added the companies “aim to demonstrate” an early commitment to their partnership. 3
The stock bounced back after steep declines on Thursday, when CrowdStrike dropped 9.2% and Palo Alto Networks slid 7.2%, dragged down as the broader software sell-off hit security firms as well. 4
On Friday, other cybersecurity stocks showed a mixed picture. Palo Alto Networks climbed roughly 1.8%, Fortinet gained around 3.2%, and SentinelOne saw little movement.
That said, the Aramco deal remains a memorandum of understanding rather than a revenue-generating contract. Investors will be watching closely to see if discussions lead to signed agreements and actual billable projects. Deploying on a large scale within critical infrastructure often takes time, with procurement processes dragging out over several quarters.
CrowdStrike is up against stiff competition in endpoint and cloud security, where buyers frequently compare bundled offerings from bigger players to stand-alone solutions. If deal sizes start to shrink or customers hold off on renewals, the stock could come under pressure following Friday’s rally.
CrowdStrike is set to release its fourth-quarter and full-year results on March 3, right after the U.S. market closes, followed by a conference call. 5
