Zscaler Falls 4% as FY2027 Growth Guidance Overshadows Earnings Beat; CrowdStrike Slips, Palo Alto Holds Steady
Zscaler posted a clean earnings beat and still sent the whole cybersecurity sector into retreat, raising an uncomfortable question about whether even the strongest growth numbers can justify where these stocks are priced right now.
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Cybersecurity software is under pressure again Friday morning after Zscaler (NASDAQ:ZS | ZS Price Prediction) issued fiscal 2027 growth guidance that overshadowed a clean fourth-quarter beat, and peers are drifting with it. The move sits against a broader tape that’s only modestly softer, so the group weakness stands out.
The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:SPY) is down 0.5% to $769.39, giving back a small piece of a hot summer run. The Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:QQQ) is essentially flat at $717.38, with large-cap tech holding its ground even as software wobbles.
Zscaler stock is down 4% to $170.25 and was down 21% year to date (YTD) through Thursday’s close, the sharpest post-earnings move in the group and a clear signal that fiscal 2027 guidance is what set the tone. Meanwhile, Palo Alto (NASDAQ:PANW) shares are unchanged at $331.96, perhaps still digesting a similar guidance-day reaction from earlier in the week. CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD) stock is down 1% to $212.99, seemingly slipping in sympathy on a day the company itself has no catalyst.
Guidance Steals the Show
Zscaler reported fiscal fourth-quarter revenue of $898.2 million, up 25% year over year (YoY), alongside adjusted earnings of $1.19 per share that topped consensus. CEO Jay Chaudhry credited adoption of the company’s Zero Trust architecture and pointed to agentic AI as a durable driver. Annual recurring revenue reached $3.77 billion, up 25%, with organic ARR growing 20% once the Red Canary contribution is stripped out, according to Zscaler.
For fiscal 2027, Zscaler guided revenue and annual recurring revenue growth to a range of 16.6% to 17.5%, well below the 25% pace Zscaler just delivered in fiscal 2026. The company also announced a restructuring expected to reduce its global workforce by 3%, a cost signal that lines up with a slower growth rate. Management framed the deceleration as the effect of lapping Red Canary’s contribution, though investors aren’t waiting for that reconciliation to travel through the model.
Palo Alto and CrowdStrike Fit the Same Pattern
Palo Alto reported strong fiscal fourth-quarter results on September 1, with revenue up 34.5% YoY to $3.41 billion and next-generation security ARR growing 63% to $9.10 billion, according to Zscaler. In the following session, Palo Alto stock still slipped, echoing a familiar setup where a valuation-heavy leader beats and gives back ground anyway. Its fiscal 2027 revenue guide of $14.10 billion to $14.20 billion implies 23% to 24% growth, a step down from fiscal 2026, and Palo Alto stock was up 80% YTD through Thursday’s close, even after this week’s slide.
CrowdStrike delivered its own strong quarter on August 26, with Q2 FY2027 net new ARR of $332.8 million growing 51% YoY and management raising the full-year revenue guide to $5.99 billion to $6.01 billion, according to Zscaler. The shares are easing today without a fresh CrowdStrike catalyst, which reads as sector sentiment traveling through the group after Zscaler’s outlook shock. CrowdStrike stock was up 81% YTD through Thursday’s close, so the three-name pattern points to a market repricing growth durability across cybersecurity leaders, with the two names that entered the session at rich multiples leaking less than the one whose multiple already reflected weaker growth.
What to Watch Next
Zscaler’s Investor Day in New York on October 6, together with a September 9 launch webcast for the company’s agentic SecOps solution, gives management two near-term chances to reframe the growth conversation with fresh product detail. The Q1 fiscal 2027 revenue guide of $935 million to $939 million already implies 19% YoY growth, above the full-year midpoint and suggesting the deceleration back-loads later in the year as Red Canary comps normalize, according to Zscaler.
Investors can watch for whether Zscaler’s product cadence, its Security for AI ramp, and Z-Flex momentum stabilize the growth narrative before Q2 fiscal 2027 guidance lands. Anyone weighing cybersecurity-sector exposure here should size their positions to survive multi-quarter guidance resets, since valuation compression across the group can outlast any single earnings reaction.
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David Moadel is financial writer specializing in stocks, ETFs, options, precious metals, and Bitcoin. David has written well over 1,000 articles for leading online publications, helping investors understand markets, income strategies, and risk.His work has appeared in The Motley Fool, InvestorPlace, U.S. News & World Report, TipRanks, ValueWalk, Benzinga, Market Realist, TalkMarkets, Finmasters, 24/7 Wall St., and others.With a master’s degree in education, David has taught at the elementary, high school, and college levels. That teaching background shapes his writing style: clear, educational, and practical. David has also built a loyal social-media audience by providing trustworthy financial content on YouTube, X/Twitter, and StockTwits.
