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Seattle, Washington-based F5, Inc. (FFIV) offers multi-cloud application security and delivery solutions. Valued at $17 billion by market cap, the company offers software-based solutions, as well as manages, controls, and optimizes internet traffic and content. F5 also offers solutions that automatically deliver internet content for service providers and e-businesses.
Shares of this multi-cloud application services and security company have outperformed the broader market over the past year. FFIV has gained 63.2% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has rallied nearly 20.7%. In 2025, FFIV stock is up 17.5%, surpassing SPX’s 2.2% rise on a YTD basis.
Zooming in further, FFIV’s outperformance is also apparent compared to the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK). The exchange-traded fund has gained about 17.9% over the past year. Moreover, FFIV’s double-digit returns on a YTD basis outshine the ETF’s 1% gain over the same time frame.
FFIV's outperformance can be attributed to its strong portfolio, innovation strategy, and resilient business model, leveraging trends in multi-cloud security, automation, and AI. The company continues to enhance its capabilities with solutions by integrating with NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) BlueField-3 DPUs to optimize large-scale AI workloads. Additionally, its collaborations with MinIO, OVHcloud, and NetApp further strengthen its hybrid and multi-cloud networking, security, and data management offerings, along with growing demand for content delivery networks.
On Jan. 28, FFIV shares closed up more than 2% after reporting its Q1 results. Its adjusted EPS of $3.84 surpassed Wall Street expectations of $3.37. The company’s revenue was $766.5 million, topping Wall Street forecasts of $715.8 million. For Q2, FFIV expects adjusted EPS to be between $3.02 and $3.14, and expects revenue to be between $705 million and $725 million.
For the current fiscal year, ending in September, analysts expect FFIV’s EPS to grow 7.1% to $11.19 on a diluted basis. The company’s earnings surprise history is impressive. It beat the consensus estimate in each of the last four quarters.
Among the 12 analysts covering FFIV stock, the consensus is a “Hold.” That’s based on one “Moderate Buy” rating, 10 “Holds,” and one “Moderate Sell.”
The configuration has been fairly stable over the past three months.
On Jan. 31, BofA kept an “Underperform” rating on FFIV and raised the price target to $260.
The mean price target of $304.56 represents a 3% premium to FFIV’s current price levels. The Street-high price target of $360 suggests an upside potential of 21.8%.
