Why Cloudflare (NET) Might be Well Poised for a Surge

Cloudflare (NET) appears an attractive pick given a noticeable improvement in the company's earnings outlook. The stock has been a strong performer lately, and the momentum might continue with analysts still raising their earnings estimates for the company.Analysts' growing optimism on the earnings prospects of this web security and content delivery company is driving estimates higher, which should get reflected in its stock price. After all, empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements. Our stock rating tool -- the Zacks Rank -- is principally built on this insight.The five-grade Zacks Rank system, which ranges from a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive externally-audited track record of outperformance, with Zacks #1 Ranked stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 2008.For Cloudflare, strong agreement among the covering analysts in revising earnings estimates upward has resulted in meaningful improvement in consensus estimates for the next quarter and full year.The chart below shows the evolution of forward 12-month Zacks Consensus EPS estimate:12 Month EPSCurrent-Quarter Estimate RevisionsThe company is expected to earn $0.27 per share for the current quarter, which represents a year-over-year change of +28.6%.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Cloudflare has increased 37.14% over the last 30 days, as one estimate has gone higher compared to no negative revisions.Current-Year Estimate RevisionsFor the full year, the earnings estimate of $1.20 per share represents a change of +29.0% from the year-ago number.In terms of estimate revisions, the trend for the current year also appears quite encouraging for Cloudflare. Over the past month, two estimates have moved higher compared to no negative revisions, helping the consensus estimate increase 157.9%.Favorable Zacks RankThe promising estimate revisions have helped Cloudflare earn a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). The Zacks Rank is a tried-and-tested rating tool that helps investors effectively harness the power of earnings estimate revisions and make the right investment decision.You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Our research shows that stocks with Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and 2 (Buy) significantly outperform the S&P 500.Bottom LineInvestors have been betting on Cloudflare because of its solid estimate revisions, as evident from the stock's 13.8% gain over the past four weeks. As its earnings growth prospects might push the stock higher, you may consider adding it to your portfolio right away.Beyond Nvidia: AI's Second Wave Is HereThe AI revolution has already minted millionaires. But the stocks everyone knows about aren't likely to keep delivering the biggest profits. AI’s second wave is moving from infrastructure to implementation and these companies are at the forefront of this transition, positioned to become what Amazon and Google were to the internet era.See Stocks Now >>This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks