-- Fortinet (FTNT) delivered stronger-than-expected Q1 results driven by robust firewall demand, operational technology security momentum, and early artificial intelligence data center deployments, Morgan Stanley said in a note Thursday.
Product revenue jumped 41% year over year as enterprise customers upgraded to higher-performance appliances for AI infrastructure needs, and total billings rose 31% on strong demand across Secure Networking, Unified SASE, and AI-driven SecOps offerings, the brokerage said.
The company also raised its fiscal 2026 outlook, but sustainability of the hardware-driven growth remains uncertain amid possible demand pull-forward dynamics and slowing subscription and service revenue growth, according to the note.
"Better billings and deferred revenue trends help, though near-term upside looks limited pending durable software attach acceleration," the brokerage said.
Morgan Stanley maintained its underweight rating on the stock, but raised its price target to $80 from $70.
Shares of Fortinet were up more than 23% in Thursday trading.
Price: $110.70, Change: $+20.75, Percent Change: +23.06%