Observed Signal · Sep 17, 2026 · Investment Opinion · Source: CNBC Investing · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Platform Market: Investor Steve Grasso buys Cloudflare stock on AI growth
CNBC Pro contributor Steve Grasso has purchased shares of Cloudflare, a cybersecurity and network services company, citing its superior growth rate and new opportunities from AI. Grasso notes Cloudflare's revenue grew 36% year-over-year to $696 million in the last quarter, outpacing competitors CrowdStrike and Zscaler. He highlights that existing customers are increasing spending by about 20%, and AI is creating new revenue streams, such as helping companies manage AI bot traffic and using OpenAI models for security. Despite the stock trading at a premium of 40 times sales and being up 68% year-to-date, Grasso believes momentum can continue, though he advises using stop orders to manage risk. The next catalyst is Cloudflare's third-quarter earnings report.
The article discusses a single investor's opinion on Cloudflare stock, not a major industry event. While it touches on AI trends in cybersecurity, it lacks broad industry impact.
Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Cloudflare's revenue grew 36% year-over-year to $696 million in the last quarter.
- Cloudflare's stock is up about 68% this year and recently hit an all-time high.
- Cloudflare trades at roughly 40 times sales, higher than cybersecurity peers.
- Cloudflare uses OpenAI models to help customers find and fix code vulnerabilities.
- Existing Cloudflare customers are spending about 20% more than a year ago.
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Ontology Mapping & Concepts
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