New York, Feb 8, 2026, 05:24 EST — Market closed
- CrowdStrike finished Friday’s session 4.9% higher, closing at $395.50.
- That snap ended a seven-day slide, with battered software names catching a bid.
- Attention now turns to whether the deal actually goes through, plus CrowdStrike’s earnings and call set for March 3.
CrowdStrike Holdings shares picked up 4.9% to finish at $395.50 on Friday, the cybersecurity firm riding a broader bounce in U.S. equities following a tough stretch for software stocks.
This rebound is notable. CrowdStrike’s been swept up in the sharp move out of expensive software stocks, leaving traders guessing: has the exodus ended, or is this just a breather? A select group of big, highly liquid stocks are back to behaving like “floor” trades whenever sentiment shifts. 1
CrowdStrike shares ended their seven-day slide, climbing on heavier-than-usual volume. Looks like dip buyers stepped in after the stock’s stretch of losses. 2
Broader market sentiment lent support. Chip stocks shot higher as investors bet that robust AI infrastructure spending isn’t letting up, despite some attention-grabbing forecasts shaking nerves earlier this week. 1
Cybersecurity stocks held up better than much of the software sector, with some investors insisting their products are stickier and budgets less likely to evaporate than those for app companies. That argument has gained traction lately, as fresh AI disruption chatter continues to ripple through the group. 3
There’s been movement on the company front, too. CrowdStrike announced it has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Aramco, aiming to look at joint efforts on critical infrastructure protection and boosting local capabilities. 4
Palo Alto Networks added around 2.9% Friday, while SentinelOne tacked on 2.2%. Both names tracked the wider push into cybersecurity stocks following a turbulent week.
Earnings and guidance are also in play for the group. Fortinet’s recent report and its forward-looking comments managed to calm nerves over security budgets, though software stocks remain a roller coaster for some investors. 5
But here’s the risk: deals built on memorandums don’t always translate into revenue right away, and if growth slows or customers pull back on spending, high-multiple security names can get slammed fast. 4
CrowdStrike’s next big test comes from its own earnings. The company has scheduled its fourth-quarter and full-year report for March 3, once U.S. markets shut. A conference call is set for 5 p.m. Eastern. 6