New York, Feb 14, 2026, 16:10 EST — The closing bell has sounded.
- CrowdStrike climbed 4.4% on Friday, finishing the session at $429.64.
- HSBC raised its rating on the cybersecurity firm to “buy,” putting a $446 price target on the stock.
- The long weekend looms, earnings hit March 3, and follow-through remains the focus.
CrowdStrike Holdings (CRWD.O) closed up 4.4% at $429.64 on Friday, lifted by an HSBC upgrade that pushed the cybersecurity name higher going into the weekend. About 3.4 million shares changed hands, well above the 50-day average. Still, the stock sits roughly 24% below its 52-week high.
Subscription software remains a popular target, even as worries about AI’s impact on established models have triggered sharp selling. The S&P 500 Software & Services index has dropped by about $2 trillion since its October high, with Reuters reporting that nearly half of that came off in just the past two weeks. “Sell first think later,” Barclays equity strategist Emmanuel Cau told Reuters. Robert Pavlik at Dakota Wealth highlighted the talk that AI may soon replace “built‑out models.” Reuters
CrowdStrike sits in a tough position. Even though cybersecurity budgets stay protected, the shares often swing alongside the rest of the software sector when moods change.
HSBC now rates CrowdStrike a buy, up from hold, and slapped a $446 target on the shares, according to Investing.com. The call comes as HSBC points to CrowdStrike’s cloud-native approach, with the firm projecting non-GAAP EPS to climb 38.3% per year between fiscal 2026 and 2029, lifted by stronger margins.
Two days ago, CrowdStrike said NordVPN selected its Threat Intelligence to power NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro for consumers. “Cybersecurity isn’t a malware problem – it’s an adversary problem,” CrowdStrike’s chief business officer Daniel Bernard said. NordVPN CTO Marijus Briedis, for his part, stressed the importance of “intelligence we can trust” as a foundation for their offering. CrowdStrike
Cybersecurity shares closed out the week on a positive note—Palo Alto Networks rose 2.5%, while Fortinet added 1.5%, MarketWatch figures show.
No U.S. stock action Monday, Feb. 16—markets are closed for Presidents Day. Trading gets going again Tuesday, Feb. 17.
Even after Friday’s moves, the main question for software names sticks around: how much should investors pay for growth, especially with AI buzz often outweighing fundamentals? If weakness returns to the group or CrowdStrike’s next guidance fails to calm nerves on growth, gains could evaporate fast.
CrowdStrike is set to release fourth-quarter and full-year results after the U.S. market closes Tuesday, March 3. The company will host its conference call at 5 p.m. ET, per its statement.
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