This company bought back stock in last month’s software rout. It was a good move
Every weekday, the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer releases the Homestretch — an actionable afternoon update, just in time for the last hour of trading on Wall Street. Stocks tumbled Thursday as U.S. crude prices continued their climb back towards $100 per barrel on uncertainty over potential supply disruptions in the Middle East. That inverse relationship between crude and equities has been with us since the start of the Iran war nearly two weeks ago. With the S & P Short Range Oscillator becoming more and more oversold, we’re looking to hold our nose and do some buying for the portfolio. Our trading restrictions have limited our opportunities, but earlier we shared a shopping list of names we’re watching closely. Palo Alto Networks bought the software selloff . The company said late Wednesday it added $1 billion to its share repurchase authorization after opportunistically buying last month. Between Feb. 20 and Feb. 24, the company bought 6.8 million shares in the open market at an average price of $147.69. Great timing by management with shares up about 13% since then. In late February, we downgraded Palo Alto Networks to our 3 rating , meaning sell into strength. We still hold Palo Alto Networks in high regard and view it as a best-of-breed cybersecurity name. However, we didn’t want to continue owning two cybersecurity stocks and preferred CrowdStrike for its better growth. That being said, we have been reluctant to sell Palo Alto into the recent strength because the war in Iran has escalated the cyber threat environment, supporting the need for enterprises to consolidate with the best technology providers to protect their systems. Earlier Thursday, we reported on the rise of Iran-linked cyberattacks, something that CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz confirmed directly to Jim Cramer in a text message. “You will see a lot more companies get targeted that are related to the conflict in Iran. And while the smoke screen of the war is going on, China is ramping up their activities,” Kurtz told Jim. Up next, after the closing bell , Adobe, Rubrik, SentinelOne, ServiceTitan, and Ulta Beauty deliver earnings. There are no major quarterly reports set for Friday morning. On the data side, though, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge — the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index — is out before the bell. Durable goods data and the University of Michigan survey of consumer sentiment and inflation expectations are also set for release. (See here for a full list of the stocks in Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
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