Sector Alpha Week of 2026-07-29
Sector Alpha — machine-written from the numbers · Data as of 2026-07-29

Fortinet, Inc.

FTNT
Technology · Software - Infrastructure

Fortinet, Inc.'s price has outrun its earnings. +43.1% in a year against EPS +7.1% — the market is paying now for delivery later.

The sharpest disagreement: the price moved +43.1% in a year while annual EPS moved +7.1% — the difference is re-rating, and re-rating has to be repaid with earnings.

The price is in a confirmed uptrend (4 weeks in) while the P/E sits at the 82nd percentile of its own 4-year range. Underneath, the last four quarters read improving — profit +20.5% year on year, and 145% of the last 3 years' profit arrived as cash. What settles it: whether earnings grow into a price that has already moved.

Stage
Topping out
fundamental trajectory, 12 quarters
Price
$150
+43.1% 1Y
P/E
58.1×
82nd pctile
of its own 4-year range
Revenue (Mar 26)
$1.9 B
+20.1% YoY
Profit (Mar 26)
$0.5 B
+20.5% YoY
Operating margin
31.4%
+2.2 pp YoY
ROE
132%
FY25
ROIC
60.0%
vs WACC 10.2% → +49.8 pp
Cash conversion
145%
of profit, last 3 FY
01 · Price story

Price story Before the numbers, the tape. A stock price moves through four repeating seasons: a flat base (stage 1), an advance (2), a top (3), a decline (4). Where the price sits in that cycle frames everything below.

Fortinet, Inc. trades at $150, in a confirmed uptrend and 4 weeks into that stage. That is +50.8% against its own 200-day average. It sits at 87% of a 52-week range of $74 to $162. On relative strength it has been ahead of the S&P 500 on a trailing-13-week view for 14 straight weeks.

Today the stock is in a confirmed uptrend — week 4 of stage 2. At $150 it trades +50.8% versus its 200-day average and sits at 87% of its 52-week range ($74–$162).

Jul 26: $150 Weekly closing price ($) with 50- and 200-day averages; shaded bands mark the price stage (grey base, green advance, amber top, red decline). 3-year window.
+50.8% versus the 200-day line, week 4 of stage 2
Price50-day avg200-day avg
S1S2S4S2S2S1S4S3$171$138$106$73.8$41.6$$150$100Jul 23Apr 24Jan 25Oct 25Jul 26
S1S2S4S2S2S1S4S3$171$138$106$73.8$41.6$$150$100Jul 23Jan 25Jul 26
Beating or trailing, week by week since 2016 Each cell is one week from 2016 to now (526 weeks): the stock's trailing 13-week return minus the S&P 500's, green ahead / red behind (±25% ramp). Grey cells are the 13-week warm-up or weeks where the S&P 500 reading is not held.
trailing 13-week return vs the S&P 500
Jul 16Jul 26

Against the market, two honest reads. Cumulative: over the last 10.1 years the stock moved +2,142% while the S&P 500 moved +248% — ahead of the index over the full window. Recent form: on a trailing-13-week view the stock has been ahead for 14 straight weeks — the ribbon below is that same metric, week by week.

What would end the trend, mechanically: two Friday closes in a row below the 200-day line. That is the exit rule — no debates.

→ The trend is one thing; the bill is another. Are you paying up for it? Next: the P/E sits at the 82nd percentile of its own range.

02 · Valuation

Valuation P/E is the price of $1 of annual profit: how many dollars the market pays for each dollar the company earns in a year.

Fortinet, Inc. trades at 58.1× P/E, at the pricey end of its own range (82nd percentile). Its long-run median P/E is 44.6×, measured across 4.3 years of weekly readings. This places the multiple against the stock’s own record, and says nothing about what the business is worth.

Today's P/E of 58.1× is at the pricey end of its own range (82nd percentile), against a long-run median of 44.6× measured over 4.3 years of weekly readings. This is a comparison against the stock's own history — not a claim about what it is worth.

P/E 58.1× vs a 44.6× long-run median P/E, weekly (left axis); earnings per share, trailing twelve months, weekly step line (right axis). 4.3-year window; loss-period spikes above 78× shown pinned at the top. The eps (ttm) bars are red where the reading is lower than the quarter before.
at the pricey end of its own range (82nd percentile)
P/EMedianEPS (TTM) (quarterly)
82.3×$2.868.2×$2.154.0×$1.439.9×$0.725.7×$0.0×$57.91×$3Apr 22Apr 23May 24Jun 25Jul 26
82.3×$2.868.2×$2.154.0×$1.439.9×$0.725.7×$0.0×$57.91×$3Apr 22May 24Jul 26
PEG 2.02 PEG ratio per quarter — the P/E divided by the earnings-growth rate. The dashed line marks 1.0: below it the growth is cheap against the multiple, above it the price already prices the growth in. Last 19 quarters.
above 1.0, the multiple already banks the growth
PEGPEG = 1.0
5.3×4.2×3.0×1.8×0.7××2.02×Sep 21Sep 22Dec 23Dec 24Mar 26
5.3×4.2×3.0×1.8×0.7××2.02×Sep 21Dec 23Mar 26
P/E
58.1×
82nd percentile of 4y
PEG
3.61
as reported

🚨 Why the multiple sits where it does: over the past year annual EPS moved +7.1% against a +43.1% price move — the price outran earnings, pushing the multiple UP its own range.

The price move, decomposed: over 3y, of the +25.0%/yr price move, ~+24.9%/yr came from earnings growth and ~+0.1 pp from the multiple (roughly flat). The split is the honest approximate (price return minus earnings growth); it makes the rally itself visible instead of hiding it behind the percentile.

Put together: the multiple is full against its own past, so the story rests on the earnings line underneath it, not the multiple.

→ Cheap or dear rides on the earnings. Are they actually growing? Next: the fundamental stage — where the business sits in its arc, and how growth has compounded.

03 · Stage: Topping out

Stage: Topping out Every business sits somewhere on a fundamental arc, and this page names the spot before anything else. The last twelve quarters of revenue, profit and EPS growth — plus the return the business earns on its capital — are read as curves: Deteriorating (the curves are falling), Turning around (a trough has just formed and the last few quarters lift off it), Improving (the climb off the trough is sustained), Consistent (steadily positive with healthy returns), Topping out (still high but decelerating from the peak). When the curves genuinely disagree the read is Mixed; too little history is No read. CAGR (compound annual growth rate) is the smooth yearly pace that turns the starting value into the latest one — the fairest way to compare growth across different time spans. Read the columns together: if the 1-year number towers over the 10-year, recent growth is running hotter than the long-run trend. A dash means that window is not held, or the base year was a loss (where a growth rate is not meaningful).

Fortinet, Inc. reads as topping out on its fundamental arc. Topping out — profit and EPS growth have decelerated hard (profit growth +54.1% at its peak → +4.8% latest) while ROCE still reads 40.6%. The read is built from 12 quarters across 4 curves, on full evidence.

Three growth curves, twelve quarters Year-on-year growth of trailing-twelve-month revenue (left axis), profit and EPS (right axis — they swing far wider), % at each quarter-end. A missing point means that reading is not held for the quarter.
the trajectory the stage is read from
RevenueProfitEPS
32%69%27%52%21%35%15%17%9.1%0.0%%%15.8%4.8%6.6%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26
32%69%27%52%21%35%15%17%9.1%0.0%%%15.8%4.8%6.6%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26
ROCE Trailing-twelve-month operating profit (before interest and tax) as a share of average capital employed — total assets minus current liabilities, the standard textbook basis, %.
the return curve, computed quarterly
ROCE
43%41%39%36%34%%40.6%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26
43%41%39%36%34%%40.6%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26
Revenue growth
Steady high
latest +15.8% · span +10.7% to +30.7%
Profit growth
Rolling over
latest +4.8% · span +4.8% to +59.0%
EPS growth
Rolling over
latest +6.6% · span +6.6% to +64.2%
ROCE
Steady high
latest 40.6% · span 34.7%–42.6%

Why it matters: decelerating from a peak is where good stories quietly end — the multiple usually notices late.

Growth, year by year: revenue +14.1% in FY25, profit +8.1% Year-over-year growth per fiscal year, %: revenue (left axis); net profit and EPS (right axis — profit growth swings far wider). Zero line drawn.
Revenue YoYProfit YoYEPS YoY
34%59%28%45%22%31%17%17%11%3.3%%%14.1%8.1%FY21FY23FY25
34%59%28%45%22%31%17%17%11%3.3%%%14.1%8.1%FY21FY23FY25
TTM growth by quarter Trailing-twelve-month growth versus the year-ago TTM, per quarter, %: revenue (left axis); profit and EPS (right axis). The acceleration read compares the last 4 quarters (+15.8%) with the last 8 annualized (+14.9%).
revenue stabilising, profit rolling over
Revenue TTM YoYProfit TTM YoYEPS TTM YoY
32%69%27%52%21%35%15%17%9.1%0.0%%%15.8%4.8%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26
32%69%27%52%21%35%15%17%9.1%0.0%%%15.8%4.8%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26
Compound annual growth rate (%) Compound annual growth rate over each window, %. Revenue, profit and EPS from fiscal-year figures; stock price is the price CAGR over the same spans. A dash = that window is not held, or the base was a loss.
1yr3yr5yr10yr
Revenue+14.1%+15.4%
Profit+8.1%+33.0%
EPS+7.1%+31.7%
Stock price+43.1%+25.0%+22.5%+36.0%
Revenue YoY (Mar 26)
+20.1%
latest quarter vs a year ago
Profit YoY (Mar 26)
+20.5%
latest quarter vs a year ago
Revenue 10y
19.5%
long-run compound pace

→ The stage names the trajectory. Next: the revenue line that produces it, quarter by quarter.

04 · 4-Factor Sector Score

4-Factor Sector Score

59.7/100 — rank 3 of 28 in Software - Infrastructure · 82% evidence confidence

Fortinet, Inc. scores 59.7 out of 100 against the 28 companies it is compared with in Software - Infrastructure, ranking 3. Strong business, demanding price: keep it on the quality list, but require either earnings upgrades or valuation compression.

The four contributions add to the total exactly: 17.9 + 16.5 + 5.4 + 19.9 = 59.7. This is the SAME number shown on the sector comparison — it is computed once, for the whole peer set, and read here.

What would change it: The read weakens if profit growth turns negative or margin improvement reverses while sector-relative strength deteriorates.

05 · Revenue

Revenue Revenue is the top line: everything the company billed its customers in the period.

Fortinet, Inc. reported $1.9 B of revenue in the Mar 26 quarter, +20.1% year on year. That is the 12th straight quarter of year-on-year growth. Over 4 years it has compounded at 19.5% a year. The last full year, FY25, came in at $6.8 B. The last four reported quarters add to $7.1 B.

Fortinet, Inc. reported $1.9 B of revenue in the Mar 26 quarter, +20.1% year on year. That is the 12th straight quarter of year-on-year growth. Over 4 years it has compounded at 19.5% a year. The last full year, FY25, came in at $6.8 B. The last four reported quarters add to $7.1 B.

FY25 revenue came in at $6.8 B (+14.1% on the year), capping 4 years at 19.5% compound. The latest quarter (Mar 26) printed $1.9 B, +20.1% year on year — the 12th consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth.

FY25 revenue $6.8 B (+14.1% YoY) Revenue bars, $ B (left); YoY growth-% line (right). 5-year window. A bar is red when it is lower than the year before.
19.5% a year over 4 years
RevenueYoY growth
7.334%5.528%3.722%1.817%0.011%$ B%$7B14.1%FY21FY23FY25
7.334%5.528%3.722%1.817%0.011%$ B%$7B14.1%FY21FY23FY25
Mar 26: $1.9 B (+20.1% YoY) Quarterly revenue bars, $ B (left); YoY growth-% line (right). Last 12 quarters. A bar is red when it is lower than the quarter before.
12th straight quarter of growth
Revenue (quarterly)YoY growth
2.127%1.521%1.016%0.511%0.05.7%$ B%$2B20.1%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26
2.127%1.521%1.016%0.511%0.05.7%$ B%$2B20.1%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26

Pace check: the last four quarters averaged +15.8% growth against the decade's 19.5% — the current year is running slower than its own long-run rate.

Acceleration check: trailing-twelve-month revenue grew +15.8% over the last 4 quarters against +14.9%/yr over the last 8 — stabilising; TTM profit +4.8% vs +29.1%/yr — rolling over.

→ Revenue grew — did margins hold as it scaled? Next: 31.4% this quarter (+2.2 pp YoY).

06 · Operating margin

Operating margin Operating margin is what is left of every $100 of sales after running the business, before interest and tax. It is the cleanest read on pricing power and cost control.

Fortinet, Inc.'s operating margin is 31.4% in the Mar 26 quarter, +2.2 percentage points against the same quarter a year ago. That is the widest this company has ever printed on a full-year basis. Across 5 fiscal years the operating margin has ranged 19.5% to 30.6%. The current quarter is running above every full year in that window.

Fortinet, Inc.'s operating margin is 31.4% in the Mar 26 quarter, +2.2 percentage points against the same quarter a year ago. That is the widest this company has ever printed on a full-year basis. Across 5 fiscal years the operating margin has ranged 19.5% to 30.6%. The current quarter is running above every full year in that window.

The latest quarter's operating margin is 31.4%, +2.2 pp against the same quarter a year ago. Across 5 fiscal years the operating margin has ranged 19.5%–30.6%, and FY25's 30.6% is the top of that band — a record year.

Why the margin moved: operating margin went +2.2 pp year on year while gross margin went −0.7 pp — the gain came mostly below the gross line: operating leverage, with costs spread over a bigger revenue base.

Worth repeating from the valuation section: cheap against its own history on record margins is not the same thing as cheap — a record margin flatters every ratio built on top of it.

FY25: 30.6% Operating margin by fiscal year, %, line (left); year-on-year change in the margin, in percentage points, line (right). 5-year window.
the widest a 19.5–30.6% band over 5 years
operating marginYoY change (pp)
31%7.3%28%5.5%25%3.6%22%1.7%19%−0.1%%%30.6%0.4%FY21FY23FY25
31%7.3%28%5.5%25%3.6%22%1.7%19%−0.1%%%30.6%0.4%FY21FY23FY25
Mar 26: 31.4% operating margin (+2.2 pp YoY) Quarterly operating margin, %, line (left); year-on-year change in the margin, in percentage points, line (right). Last 12 quarters. Operating profit as a share of revenue, per quarter.
Operating marginYoY change (pp)
35%10%32%6.6%28%3.3%24%−0.1%21%−3.5%%%31.4%2.2%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26
35%10%32%6.6%28%3.3%24%−0.1%21%−3.5%%%31.4%2.2%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26

→ Margins held — did that reach the bottom line? Next: profit +20.5% in the latest quarter.

07 · Net profit

Net profit Net profit is what survives every cost, interest and tax — the number EPS, dividends and book value all grow from.

Fortinet, Inc. earned $0.5 B of net profit in the Mar 26 quarter, +20.5% year on year. Full-year FY25 profit was $1.9 B. The 4-year compound rate is 32.7%. That is 28.6% of the quarter's revenue. The same quarter a year earlier earned $0.4 B.

Fortinet, Inc. earned $0.5 B of net profit in the Mar 26 quarter, +20.5% year on year. Full-year FY25 profit was $1.9 B. The 4-year compound rate is 32.7%. That is 28.6% of the quarter's revenue. The same quarter a year earlier earned $0.4 B.

Mar 26 profit was $0.5 B, +20.5% year on year. On the full year, FY25 printed $1.9 B (+8.1%), and the 4-year compound rate is 32.7%.

FY25 profit $1.9 B (+8.1% YoY) Net profit bars, $ B (left); YoY growth-% line (right). 5-year window. A bar is red when it is lower than the year before.
32.7% a year over 4 years
Net profitYoY growth
2.059%1.545%1.032%0.518%0.04.3%$ B%$2B8.1%FY21FY23FY25
2.059%1.545%1.032%0.518%0.04.3%$ B%$2B8.1%FY21FY23FY25
Mar 26: $0.5 B (+20.5% YoY) Quarterly net profit bars, $ B (left); YoY growth-% line (right). Last 12 quarters. A bar is red when it is lower than the quarter before.
Net profit (quarterly)YoY growth
0.680%0.456%0.331%0.16.5%0.0−18%$ B%$1B20.5%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26
0.680%0.456%0.331%0.16.5%0.0−18%$ B%$1B20.5%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26

Why profit moved: revenue contributed +20.1% and the margin +2.2 pp — the quarter was margin-led: most of the profit growth came from keeping more of each sale.

Pace comparison, last four quarters: profit +6.5% vs revenue +15.8%. Profit is growing slower than sales — costs are eating the growth before it reaches the bottom line.

→ Profit rose — but did the cash follow? Next: 145% of the last 3 years' profit arrived as cash.

08 · Cash flow — the router

Cash flow — the router The P&L says what was earned; the cash-flow statement says what actually arrived. Operating cash flow (CFO) against profit is the cleanest lie detector in the accounts.

Over the last 3 fiscal years 145% of Fortinet, Inc.'s reported profit arrived as operating cash — the cash follows the profit. In FY25 that was $2.6 B of operating cash against $1.9 B of profit. After $0.4 B of capital spending, $2.2 B was left as free cash.

FY25: operating cash of $2.6 B against reported profit of $1.9 B, leaving free cash of $2.2 B after $0.4 B of capital spending. Across the last 3 fiscal years the conversion rate is 145% of profit.

Cash-flow readings here are annual — that is the resolution our series carries, so this section moves once a year.

FY25: CFO $2.6 B vs profit $1.9 B Operating cash flow and net profit by fiscal year, $ B; the line is free cash flow (CFO minus capital spending). 5-year window, annual resolution.
145% of 3-year profit arrived as cash
Operating cashNet profitFree cash
2.82.11.40.70.0$ B$3B$2B$2BFY21FY23FY25
2.82.11.40.70.0$ B$3B$2B$2BFY21FY23FY25
Mar 26: operating cash $1.1 B = 204% of the quarter's profit Operating cash per quarter, $ B (bars); conversion = operating cash as % of net profit (line, right). Last 12 quarters. Dashed line = 100%.
Operating cash (quarterly)Conversion100%
1.2304%0.9239%0.6175%0.3110%0.045%$ B%$1B204%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26
1.2304%0.9239%0.6175%0.3110%0.045%$ B%$1B204%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26

Why: conversion is measured cleanly, but the working-capital day-counts behind it sit below what we hold — the move is shown without inventing its driver.

Router verdict: the visible cash user is investment — the next section checks what the spending is buying.

→ So follow the cash to where it goes. Next: $1.0 B of building over 3 years.

09 · Where the cash goes

Where the cash goes Working capital is the cash tied up between paying suppliers and getting paid: debtor days (customers owe), inventory days (stock waits), and the cash conversion cycle (the whole loop, in days of sales).

Fortinet, Inc. does not report the debtor, inventory and payable day-counts a cash cycle is built from, so this section reads the investment side instead. Capital spending ran $1.0 B over the last 3 years. Averaged over those years that is 4.9% of FY25 revenue a year.

Working-capital day-counts are not in our numbers for this stock, so this section reads the investment side — where the cash is being put to work.

On the investment side: capital spending of $1.0 B over the last 3 fiscal years.

FY25: capex $0.4 B Capital spending per fiscal year, $ B (bars).
steady investment
Capex
0.40.30.20.10.0$ B$0BFY21FY23FY25
0.40.30.20.10.0$ B$0BFY21FY23FY25
Mar 26: capex $0.1 B in the quarter Capital spending per quarter, $ B (bars, left); free cash flow, $ B (line, right). Last 12 quarters.
Capex (quarterly)Free cash
0.241.10.180.80.120.60.060.30.000.1$ B$ B$0B$1BJun 23Sep 24Mar 26
0.241.10.180.80.120.60.060.30.000.1$ B$ B$0B$1BJun 23Sep 24Mar 26

The synthesis: the cash is going into capacity, not disappearing into the cycle — the question becomes whether the new capacity earns.

→ Does all this activity actually earn its cost of capital? Next: ROE is 132% and the ROIC − WACC spread is +49.8 pp.

10 · Return on equity

Return on equity Return on equity (ROE) is the profit the business earns on its shareholders’ money. With the full capital-employed split not in our numbers, ROE is the cleanest long ladder we can draw here.

Fortinet, Inc. earns a ROE of 150% in FY25. That is up from a trough of −282% in FY22. Return on invested capital clears the cost of that capital by +49.8 percentage points, so growth here adds value rather than only size. The wiring behind it is 27.4% net margin on 0.65× asset turns.

FY25 ROE is 150%, recovered from a FY22 trough of −282% — the full ladder below shows the fall and the climb, undoctored.

Why the return is what it is — the wiring (FY25): 27.4% net margin × 0.65× asset turns × 8.38× balance-sheet leverage ≈ 149.2% on equity. Margin is doing the heavy lifting; leverage is a meaningful part of the equation.

The capstone test — ROIC − WACC: 60.0% − 10.2% = a +49.8 pp spread. The 10.2% is an estimate of this company's own cost of capital — read the sign and the size of the spread, not the decimals. A spread this wide means every dollar reinvested creates more than a dollar of value — the engine compounds.

FY25: ROE 150% Return on equity by fiscal year, % (line); ROIC by fiscal year, % (line). 5-year window, dips included. Dashed line = the 10.2% cost of capital used on this page.
the climb back from FY22's −282%
ROEROIC (annual)WACC
194%66%−62%−190%−317%%150%158.5%FY21FY23FY25
194%66%−62%−190%−317%%150%158.5%FY21FY23FY25
Jun 24: ROIC 40.6% (TTM) vs WACC 10.2% Trailing-twelve-month ROIC and ROE, per quarter, %; dashed line = the cost of capital. Last 12 quarters, put on a trailing-twelve-month basis and anchored to the annual figure.
ROIC (TTM)ROE (TTM)WACC
534%−27%−588%−1,149%−1,709%%40.6%168.5%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26
534%−27%−588%−1,149%−1,709%%40.6%168.5%Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26

→ Returns like these — is the balance sheet borrowing to make them? Next: debt-to-equity is 0.57.

11 · Dividend

Dividend

Fortinet, Inc. pays no dividend. Across the last 12 reported quarters it has declared no dividend per share, so there is no payout history to chart and no yield to quote. Companies at this stage typically reinvest earnings rather than distribute them, which makes the cash-flow and reinvestment sections the place that cash shows up.

Fortinet, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend. Across the last 12 reported quarters the company has declared no dividend per share, so there is no payout history to chart and no yield to quote. Companies at this stage typically reinvest earnings instead of distributing them.

→ No payout to follow. The cash question becomes what the business does with what it earns instead.

12 · Debt

Debt Debt-to-equity says how much of the business is funded by borrowings. Low is the safe corner; the trend matters as much as the level.

Fortinet, Inc. carries total debt of $0.5 B against shareholder equity of $1.0 B as of Mar 26, a debt-to-equity of 0.51. On the annual view that ratio went from 1.24 in FY21 to 0.81 in FY25. Read the returns elsewhere on this page with that leverage in mind.

Mar 26: total debt of $0.5 B against shareholder equity of $1.0 B — a debt-to-equity of 0.51. On the annual view, debt-to-equity went from 1.24 (FY21) to 0.81 (FY25). Read the returns on this page with that leverage in mind.

FY25: debt $1.0 B at 0.81× equity Total debt by fiscal year, $ B (bars); debt-to-equity, × (line). 5-year window.
Total debtDebt-to-equity
1.11.6×0.80.2×0.5−1.2×0.3−2.5×0.0−3.9×$ B×$1B0.81×FY21FY23FY25
1.11.6×0.80.2×0.5−1.2×0.3−2.5×0.0−3.9×$ B×$1B0.81×FY21FY23FY25
Mar 26: debt $0.5 B, debt-to-equity 0.51 Total debt per quarter, $ B (bars); debt-to-equity, × (line). Last 12 quarters.
Total debt (quarterly)Debt-to-equity
1.115.8×0.89.7×0.53.5×0.3−2.6×0.0−8.8×$ B×$1B0.51×Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26
1.115.8×0.89.7×0.53.5×0.3−2.6×0.0−8.8×$ B×$1B0.51×Jun 23Sep 24Mar 26

→ Who owns this, and are they adding or leaving? Next: short interest is 2.4% of the float.

13 · Ownership

Ownership There is no quarter-by-quarter holder register to read here, so we read the crowd through short interest — the slice of tradable shares currently sold short, positioned for a fall.

2.4% of Fortinet, Inc.'s tradable float is currently sold short — some money is positioned against it. At typical trading volumes those positions would take about 2.4 days to buy back. There is no quarter-by-quarter holder register to read for this filer, so the crowd is read through short interest instead.

The latest reading: 2.4% of the float is sold short, and at typical trading volumes it would take about 2.4 days to buy those positions back. Some money is positioned against it. This is a single point-in-time reading — we do not yet hold its history, so we show no trend chart.

Short interest
2.4%
of the tradable float
Days to cover
2.4
at typical volumes

Why it sits there: who is doing the shorting, and why, does not travel with the number — the level is shown without inventing its story.

→ One last check: does the safety math agree? Next: the balance-sheet safety line.

14 · Safety line

Safety line The Z-score estimates how far a company sits from balance-sheet distress — above roughly 3 is safe, below roughly 1.8 is the danger zone. It was built for manufacturers, so it is not applied to banks and lenders.

Fortinet, Inc.: the Z-score reads 5.95. A Z-score above roughly 3 reads as safe and below roughly 1.8 as the distress zone, so this sits well clear of distress. It is a distance-to-distress estimate from the balance sheet, not a forecast of failure.

Why it matters: a Z-score of 5.95 sits well clear of the distress zone — the balance sheet is not the risk here.

The safety line in one sentence: the Z-score reads 5.95.

Related companies · same industry · Software - Infrastructure Every company is compared on the shape of its own curves, not static ratios. The Revenue, EPS and ROCE columns each draw that company's last 12 quarters as a mini line of the ACTUAL level (trailing-twelve-month revenue and EPS, and the ROCE itself) — so a line that climbs is a business getting bigger, a line that sinks is one shrinking. The colour tracks the same line: green when it is rising or steadily healthy, amber when it is rolling over from a high (still elevated but turning down), red when it is falling, grey when flat or stuck. Colour and direction always agree — a green line never points down. The ROCE curve is the return on capital (annual readings for peers, so a slightly coarser line than the quarterly one at the top of this page). The Stage column then runs the same 12-quarter trajectory classifier used at the top of the page on each company and names where it sits. What lands a company in each bucket: CONSISTENT — growth stays positive across the window and returns are healthy (ROCE ≥ 15%, or ROE ≥ 12% for lenders); IMPROVING — profit or EPS fell into real decline, bottomed a few quarters back, and has climbed back to positive and held there; TURNING AROUND — the same kind of trough but more recent, with the latest quarters just lifting off it (an early, unconfirmed turn); TOPPING OUT — growth is still positive but decelerating hard from its own peak while returns have stopped rising; DETERIORATING — two or more growth curves are shrinking (latest below zero) and staying there, not one soft quarter; MIXED — the curves genuinely disagree, or no clean majority, so no single word fits; NO READ — fewer than eight usable quarters. It is a like-for-like read of every company against its own past, not a ranking against the group.
CompanyP/EMkt capRevenueEPSROCEStage
Fortinet, Inc. this page58.1×$110BMixed
Microsoft Corporation23.4×$2.9TMixed
Oracle Corporation20.6×$346BMixed
Palantir Technologies Inc.138.9×$296BConsistent
Palo Alto Networks, Inc.278.1×$260BTurning around
CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc.$185BNo read
Cloudflare, Inc.$94BNo read
Synopsys, Inc.90.9×$73BDeteriorating
Block, Inc.63.1×$50BNo read
Cerebras Systems Inc.135.8×$44BNo read
CoreWeave, Inc.$37BNo read
NetApp, Inc.27.5×$34BMixed
Twilio Inc.296.5×$29BNo read
VeriSign, Inc.30.5×$25BMixed
Corpay, Inc.23.1×$25BMixed
MongoDB, Inc.$25BNo read
Zscaler, Inc.$25BNo read
Okta, Inc.98.6×$24BNo read
F5, Inc.32.1×$23BMixed
Samsara Inc.376.2×$22BNo read
Toast, Inc.48.6×$19BNo read
Gen Digital Inc.17.6×$17BImproving
Joint Stock Company Kaspi.kz7.4×$16BDeteriorating
Akamai Technologies, Inc.37.8×$16BMixed
Nutanix, Inc.61.8×$16BNo read
Rubrik, Inc.$15BNo read
Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.13.6×$14BConsistent
GoDaddy Inc.15.3×$14BImproving
DigitalOcean Holdings, Inc.50.1×$13BMixed
PayPay Corporation13.5×$10BNo read
SailPoint, Inc.$9BNo read
Dropbox, Inc.17.6×$7BMixed
Core Scientific, Inc.$7BNo read
UiPath, Inc.20.2×$6BNo read
SentinelOne, Inc.$6BNo read
WEX Inc.18.2×$6BMixed
ACI Worldwide, Inc.30.3×$6BMixed
Amdocs Limited11.0×$6BMixed
GitLab Inc.$6BNo read
Zeta Global Holdings Corp.$5BNo read
12 · Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

What is Fortinet, Inc.'s stock price today?

Fortinet, Inc. trades at $150, +43.1% over the past year. The company is valued at $110 B. The stock sits at 87% of its 52-week range of $74–$162, +50.8% versus its 200-day average. On the tape, the price is in a confirmed uptrend, 4 weeks in. — as of 29 July 2026.

What were Fortinet, Inc.'s latest quarterly results?

Fortinet, Inc. reported revenue of $1.9 B and net profit of $0.5 B for the Mar 26 quarter. Revenue rose 20.1% and profit rose 20.5% year on year. Earnings per share were $0.72. The operating margin was 31.4%, 2.2 pp higher than a year earlier. — as of 29 July 2026.

What is Fortinet, Inc.'s revenue?

Fortinet, Inc. reported revenue of $1.9 B in the Mar 26 quarter, +20.1% year on year. For the full FY25 fiscal year, revenue was $6.8 B (+14.1%). Over the last 4 years revenue compounded at 19.5% a year. — as of 29 July 2026.

What is Fortinet, Inc.'s profit?

Fortinet, Inc. earned $0.5 B of net profit in the Mar 26 quarter, +20.5% year on year. Full-year FY25 profit was $1.9 B. The operating margin ran 31.4% in the latest quarter. — as of 29 July 2026.

What is Fortinet, Inc.'s market cap?

Fortinet, Inc.'s market capitalisation is $110 B at a stock price of $150. Market cap is the share price multiplied by shares outstanding, so it is restated whenever the price moves. — as of 29 July 2026.

What is Fortinet, Inc.'s P/E ratio?

Fortinet, Inc. trades at a P/E of 58.1×, at the 82nd percentile of its own 4-year range, against a long-run median of 44.6×. This is a comparison with the stock's own history, not a value call — as of 29 July 2026.

Does Fortinet, Inc. pay a dividend?

No — Fortinet, Inc. has declared no dividend per share in any of its last 12 reported quarters, so there is no payout history and no yield to quote. That is a reading of the filed statements, not an estimate. — as of 29 July 2026.

Is Fortinet, Inc. overvalued?

On its own history, Fortinet, Inc. looks expensive against its own history: its P/E of 58.1× sits at the 82nd percentile of its 4-year range (long-run median 44.6×). That is a percentile read against the stock's own past, not a price opinion or a direction call. One caveat: margins are the best this company has ever printed — cheap on record margins is not the same thing as cheap. — as of 29 July 2026.

Is Fortinet, Inc. growing?

Yes — Fortinet, Inc. is growing: latest-quarter revenue +20.1% year on year, profit +20.5%, and the margin +2.2 pp at 31.4%. The 4-year compound rates are 19.5% (revenue) and 32.7% (profit). The earnings engine currently reads: improving — as of 29 July 2026.

How is Fortinet, Inc. performing?

Fortinet, Inc. is in a confirmed uptrend, 4 weeks in. Its latest quarter's revenue rose 20.1% and profit rose 20.5% year on year. Against the S&P 500 it has been ahead on a trailing-13-week view for 14 weeks. This describes what the data did, not a rating. — as of 29 July 2026.

What stage is Fortinet, Inc. in?

Topping out — profit and EPS growth have decelerated hard (profit growth +54.1% at its peak → +4.8% latest) while ROCE still reads 40.6%. The read comes from the last 12 quarters of growth (revenue growth +15.8% latest, profit growth +4.8% latest, eps growth +6.6% latest) plus the ROCE curve, classified by deterministic rules — a trajectory read, not a buy or sell call — as of 29 July 2026.

Is Fortinet, Inc. in an uptrend?

Yes — the price is in a confirmed uptrend (week 4 of stage 2), trading +50.8% versus its 200-day average and at 87% of its 52-week range. Price stages cycle base → advance → top → decline, and the stage names where this stock sits in that cycle — as of 29 July 2026.

Is Fortinet, Inc. beating the market?

On recent form, yes — Fortinet, Inc. has been ahead of the S&P 500 on a trailing-13-week view for 14 straight weeks, the same metric the week-by-week ribbon on this page draws. Separately, on the cumulative view: over the last 10.1 years the stock moved +2,142% against the S&P 500's +248% — ahead of the index over the full window. — as of 29 July 2026.

Will Fortinet, Inc.'s stock price go up?

This page publishes no price forecast for Fortinet, Inc. What it measures instead: the stock price is $150, the price is in a confirmed uptrend 4 weeks in. Its P/E of 58.1× sits at the 82nd percentile of its own 4-year range. — as of 29 July 2026.

Is the market betting against Fortinet, Inc.?

Somewhat — short interest is 2.4% of Fortinet, Inc.'s tradable float, about 2.4 days to cover at typical volumes. A moderate reading: some money is positioned against it. With no quarter-by-quarter holder register here, short interest is the cleanest crowd read we hold — as of 29 July 2026.

Does Fortinet, Inc. have too much debt?

It is moderate — Fortinet, Inc.'s debt-to-equity is 0.57. A year-by-year borrowings ladder is not in our numbers for this stock, so the latest reading is the cleanest hold. Read the returns on this page with that leverage in mind — as of 29 July 2026.

What is Fortinet, Inc.'s capex?

Fortinet, Inc. spent $1.0 B on capital expenditure over the last 3 fiscal years, a figure derived from the change in fixed assets plus depreciation. In FY25 alone that was $0.4 B. — as of 29 July 2026.

What is Fortinet, Inc.'s cash flow?

Fortinet, Inc. generated $2.6 B of operating cash flow in FY25 and $2.2 B of free cash flow after $0.4 B of capital spending. Reported profit that year was $1.9 B, so operating cash ran ahead of profit. — as of 29 July 2026.

Is Fortinet, Inc.'s profit real cash?

Yes — over the last 3 fiscal years, 145% of Fortinet, Inc.'s reported profit arrived as operating cash. In FY25, operating cash was $2.6 B against reported profit of $1.9 B. The cash then goes mostly into building capacity. Cash-flow resolution is annual — as of 29 July 2026.

How financially safe is Fortinet, Inc.?

On the balance sheet, the Z-score reads 5.95 — above roughly 3 is safe, below roughly 1.8 is the distress zone. That sits well clear of trouble. — as of 29 July 2026.

Where is Fortinet, Inc. in its business cycle?

Fortinet, Inc.'s FY25 operating margin was 30.6%, against a 5-year band of 19.5%–30.6%: the top of the band — a record year. Record profitability is late-cycle territory: every ratio flatters at the top, and the story leans on margins holding. The latest quarter ran 31.4%. Profitability versus a company's own long band is the cleanest cycle clock this page holds — as of 29 July 2026.

What could break the Fortinet, Inc. story?

The sharpest disagreement: the price moved +43.1% in a year while annual EPS moved +7.1% — the difference is re-rating, and re-rating has to be repaid with earnings. Mechanically, two Friday closes in a row below the 200-day average would end the price trend — that is the exit rule this page tracks — as of 29 July 2026.

Is Fortinet, Inc. a stock worth studying right now?

This is not investment advice. The machine read: Fortinet, Inc.'s price has outrun its earnings. +43.1% in a year against EPS +7.1% — the market is paying now for delivery later. The sharpest open question: whether earnings grow into a price that has already moved. Every number on this page is drawn deterministically from the raw series, with no forecasts and no price opinions — as of 29 July 2026.

Chat with this pageChat with pageChatChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AI