FortiEDR's Advancements Make Fortinet Stock a Strategic Buy for 2025

Fortinet FTNT has significantly strengthened its position in the cybersecurity market with its latest advancements in endpoint detection and response technology. The company's recently announced FortiEDR enhancements and the new FortiEndpoint unified client represent a strategic evolution that addresses the growing complexity of securing distributed endpoints across hybrid environments.The cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve rapidly as organizations embrace remote and hybrid work models, creating unprecedented challenges for IT security teams. Fortinet's FortiEDR is positioned at the forefront of this transformation, offering comprehensive security across diverse operating systems and environments.FTNT's impressive 43.2% surge in the past year, outpacing the Zacks Computer and Technology sector’s return of 5.7% and many of its tech sector peers, underscores the company’s bright prospects in the cybersecurity sector. 1-Year PerformanceImage Source: Zacks Investment ResearchMarket-Leading Innovations Address Critical Security GapsWhat sets Fortinet's latest offerings apart is the integration of FortiEDR endpoint security and FortiClient network security capabilities into a unified solution called FortiEndpoint. This consolidation addresses a critical pain point for security operations teams who struggle with siloed systems and disconnected security logs.The company's fourth-quarter 2024 earnings report revealed impressive performance metrics that underscore the momentum behind Fortinet's endpoint security strategy. With total revenues growing 17% year over year to $1.66 billion and product revenues increasing 18% to $574 million, Fortinet has demonstrated its ability to execute while maintaining strong profitability.Most notably, Fortinet achieved a record operating margin of 39%, highlighting the company's operational efficiency while continuing to invest in growth areas. For investors looking at cybersecurity stocks in 2025, this combination of growth and profitability presents a compelling case.Extended OS Support Creates Competitive AdvantageA key differentiator for FortiEDR is its extensive support for both modern and legacy operating systems. Unlike many competitors that focus primarily on current OS versions, Fortinet extends protection to older yet still operational systems like Windows XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003.This comprehensive approach addresses a significant market need, as many organizations still rely on legacy systems for critical operations. By securing these vulnerable endpoints, Fortinet fills a security gap that many competitors overlook.Integration With FortiRecon Enhances Threat IntelligenceThe integration of FortiEDR with FortiRecon significantly enhances security operations by providing comprehensive visibility into the external attack surface. This integration enables security analysts to prioritize alerts based on critical risk factors, including vulnerability severity and threat intelligence relevance.This development aligns perfectly with Fortinet's broader Security Fabric strategy, which has been a cornerstone of the company's success. The holistic approach to security, combining network, endpoint, and cloud protection under a unified management framework, continues to resonate with customers seeking to simplify their security infrastructure.Financial Performance Indicates Strong Growth TrajectoryFortinet's financial performance positions it well for continued growth in 2025. The company reported Unified SASE ARR growth of 28% and Security Operations ARR growth of 32% year over year, highlighting strong momentum in key strategic areas.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 revenues is pegged at $6.76 billion, suggesting 13.49% year-over-year growth. The consensus estimate for earnings has moved north by 0.8% to $2.45 per share over the past 30 days.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchFind the latest EPS estimates and surprises on Zacks Earnings Calendar.While Fortinet's Price/Book ratio of 50.37 significantly exceeds the Zacks Internet Software industry average of 23.74, this premium valuation reflects investor confidence in the company's growth potential and technological leadership.FTNT’s Price/Book Ratio Depicts Premium ValuationImage Source: Zacks Investment ResearchInvestment Outlook: Strong Buy for 2025For investors looking at cybersecurity stocks in 2025, Fortinet presents a compelling opportunity. The company's technological innovations, particularly in endpoint security, address critical market needs while its financial performance demonstrates an attractive combination of growth and profitability.While competitors like Palo Alto Networks PANW, Cisco Systems CSCO and CrowdStrike CRWD continue to evolve their security offerings, Fortinet's unified approach to security and its strong position in both network and endpoint protection create a competitive moat that will be difficult for others to overcome.The company's ability to balance innovation with execution, combined with its strong financial discipline, positions Fortinet as a leader in the cybersecurity space for 2025 and beyond. Investors seeking exposure to the growing cybersecurity market would be well-served by adding FTNT to their portfolios at current levels. Fortinet currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Zacks Names #1 Semiconductor StockIt's only 1/9,000th the size of NVIDIA which skyrocketed more than +800% since we recommended it. NVIDIA is still strong, but our new top chip stock has much more room to boom.With strong earnings growth and an expanding customer base, it's positioned to feed the rampant demand for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things. Global semiconductor manufacturing is projected to explode from $452 billion in 2021 to $803 billion by 2028.See This Stock Now for Free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO): Free Stock Analysis Report Fortinet, Inc. (FTNT): Free Stock Analysis Report Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW): Free Stock Analysis Report CrowdStrike (CRWD): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks