SentinelOne vs. Zscaler: A $6,692 gap from one cybersecurity call

As seen on the 24/7 Wall St. homepage on August 3, 2026.

the next-gen security showdown · 1y
$10K invested in each — worth today:
S$13.7K1.4×
ZS$7.0K0.7×

Same $10,000 into cybersecurity on January 2: SentinelOne turned it into $13,695 while Zscaler left $7,003. Picking the wrong name in the same theme cost a $6,692 gap inside one year.

Continue ReadingShow less

SentinelOne (S) and Zscaler (ZS) both compete in next-generation cybersecurity, yet their 2026 trajectories could hardly have been more different. A $10,000 position in SentinelOne opened on January 2 grew to $13,695 — a 37% return — while the same bet on Zscaler shrank to $7,003, a loss of 30%. The gap between those two outcomes widened to $6,692 inside a single year.

The chart tells a tale of two paths. SentinelOne spent much of the first half underwater before surging through mid-year, briefly touching the $13,000 range before closing near its peak. Zscaler moved in the opposite direction, sliding sharply from the opening weeks and spending extended stretches below the $6,000 mark on a $10,000 basis before a partial recovery left it still deeply negative at year-end.

Sponsored

_________________________________

What's Your Number...?

Here's a question most people 5y from retirement can't answer: at your current savings rate, how much do you need, and how long will it actually last? A good advisor can put a date on that in a single meeting. SmartAsset's free quiz matches you with up to three fiduciary advisors serving your area, so you can get YOUR retirement number now (sponsor)

__________________________________________

For investors who treat cybersecurity as a single, monolithic theme, the contrast is a reminder that sector-level conviction and stock-level outcome can diverge sharply. SentinelOne's multiple of 1.37 times the starting investment against Zscaler's 0.7 times illustrates how much stock selection mattered relative to simply owning the space.

Mentioned: S, ZS