New York, Feb 27, 2026, 14:14 (ET) — The regular session is underway.
CrowdStrike Holdings (CRWD.O) slid almost 4% Friday, with a hotter U.S. inflation print weighing on software stocks sensitive to higher rates. The stock shed about $15 and last traded at $365.67, not far from its session low of $359.29.
The producer price index climbed 0.5% for January, Labor Department data showed—a notable jump for wholesale inflation. PPI is now running 2.9% above last year’s level. That kind of upside surprise in inflation tends to put pressure on growth stock valuations, especially if yields start to move higher.
Economists read the report as more confirmation that the Federal Reserve probably won’t move on rate cuts until at least the June 16-17 meeting. “We expect the Fed to remain on pause during its upcoming March meeting,” said Ben Ayers, senior economist at Nationwide. Reuters
CrowdStrike shares pulled back, cooling off after their strong run the previous session. The stock still finished Thursday up 4.9% at $381.10, with volume hitting around 6.1 million shares. According to MarketWatch data, it’s trading roughly 33% below the 52-week high.
Quarterly results drop March 3, putting the spotlight on subscription numbers—especially annual recurring revenue (ARR). DA Davidson, still bullish with a buy, trimmed its price target down to $425 from $580, forecasting net new ARR between $315 million and $320 million. That tops the consensus, which sits closer to $301 million.
Joseph Gallo at Jefferies cut his price target on the stock down to $500 from $600, but he’s not budging from his buy rating. In a client note, Gallo said CrowdStrike still deserves its valuation premium, pointing to the company’s “insulation from ‘AI’ risk” as a central reason. TipRanks
CrowdStrike on Thursday moved FalconID into general release, touting the new multi-factor authentication tool as a way to fend off phishing attacks. “Traditional MFA is architecturally broken,” said Chief Technology Officer Elia Zaitsev. CrowdStrike
CrowdStrike’s Fal.Con Gov conference lands in Washington, D.C. on March 18, putting government cyber defense in the spotlight. “In the AI era, defending the nation requires real-time intelligence, AI-driven innovation, and coordinated operations,” President Michael Sentonas said. CrowdStrike
Concerns from rivals haven’t let up in the sector. Zscaler shares tumbled roughly 9% after the bell, hit by a wider quarterly loss and heavier spending. “AI is driving demand for security,” CEO Jay Chaudhry said. Reuters
CrowdStrike supporters are staring down a familiar danger: expensive tech shares remain vulnerable, business results aside. “People are getting concerned about lofty valuations,” said Thomas Plumb, chief executive and portfolio manager at Plumb Funds. Reuters
CrowdStrike reports earnings on March 3. The Street expects $0.74 per share, according to Public. Investors are zeroing in on ARR trends and free cash flow margins. Eyes are also on whether management is seeing stronger appetite for bigger security contracts Public.
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