Cybersecurity Stocks Okta and SentinelOne Fall After Results

Shares of cybersecurity providers SentinelOne (S:US) and Okta (OKTA:US) fell sharply this week after both companies reported weaker-than-expected results for the January quarter.

Okta shares slipped nearly 18% on Thursday after the application software company’s earnings report was published. Both the adjusted profit per share and revenue came in better than what analysts expected.

However, investors are worried about the weakness in the outlook for current remaining performance obligations (CRPO). This financial metric is focused on the subscription backlog that is expected to be recognized over the next 12 months and is one of the key areas for investors. Hence, shares fell sharply despite the raised full-year forecast. 

“While macroeconomic pressures are increasing, we are well positioned to advance our leadership position by delivering valuable product innovation to our customers while delivering non-GAAP profitable growth to our shareholders,” said Todd McKinnon, CEO and co-founder of Okta. 

Congress member Ro Khanna actively traded Okta shares last year. Like many other growth stocks, Okta shares tumble in 2022 amid FED’s aggressive rate-hike campaign.

Similarly, SentinelOne shares fell as much as 35% at the Friday open after the cybersecurity company cut its full-year forecast. The company’s management also blamed the underperformance on “macroeconomic pressures [that] continue to impact deal sizes, sales cycles, and pipeline conversion rates.”

SentinelOne now expects full-year revenue at $595 million, down from the prior forecast of $635.5 million and below the consensus of $636.4M.