New York, Feb 15, 2026, 15:54 EST — The market has closed.
CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. jumped 4.4% Friday, finishing at $429.64. The stock outpaced the wider market after analysts bumped their rating, capping off the week on a high note. (MarketWatch)
Monday’s Presidents Day holiday keeps U.S. markets closed, leaving traders sidelined until Tuesday’s open. That means a longer break for risk assets. (Investopedia)
Timing is crucial right now for software stocks. Investors, already on edge after a recent selloff sparked by worries that rapid AI advances might upend subscription-driven models, haven’t hesitated to trim their positions. (MarketScreener)
HSBC bumped up CrowdStrike to “buy” from “hold,” tagging a $446 target price. Analysts highlighted CrowdStrike’s broad reach and cloud-based approach, arguing it’s well-positioned as AI and machine learning play a bigger role in cybersecurity. (Investing.com)
Stephen Bersey, who leads U.S. technology research at HSBC, pushed back on fears about AI overtaking enterprise software. “Market concerns that AI will replace enterprise software are misplaced,” he wrote in a February note. (Proactiveinvestors UK)
CrowdStrike’s business hinges on cloud-based cybersecurity subscriptions, but the stock tends to react more to shifts in recurring revenue and margins than to individual contract wins. Annual recurring revenue (ARR) gets close investor attention; it serves as a yardstick for how much subscription revenue CrowdStrike has effectively secured.
The stock swung between $410.54 and $432.85 on Friday, market data showed, with trading volume reaching roughly 3.5 million shares.
Besides CrowdStrike, investors face a holiday-shortened week packed with new U.S. economic data. Inflation numbers and growth figures are in play, both with the potential to jolt rate bets and, along with them, valuations for high-multiple tech stocks. Earnings season isn’t done either: Palo Alto Networks and other major names will report. (Investopedia)
The setup goes both directions. One positive upgrade might not stick if bond yields climb, or if investors judge the AI disruption story unresolved and choose to pull back from software stocks again.
CrowdStrike’s next major moment comes with its quarterly earnings: the company plans to post fourth-quarter and full-year numbers after U.S. markets shut on Tuesday, March 3. The conference call kicks off at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. (nasdaq.com)
