Analyst Ratings January 28, 2026

Cantor Fitzgerald Trims Check Point Price Target to $200, Retains Neutral Stance

Analyst cites software multiple contraction and hardware growth concerns ahead of Q4 2025 results

By Marcus Reed CHKP
Cantor Fitzgerald Trims Check Point Price Target to $200, Retains Neutral Stance
CHKP

Cantor Fitzgerald cut its 12-month price target on Check Point Software to $200 from $220 while keeping a Neutral rating. The firm pointed to software multiple compression and worries over hardware growth—against a backdrop of mixed firewall demand—and flagged rising DRAM prices as a margin headwind. Check Point trades near its 52-week low but remains supported by strong gross margins and valuation metrics that suggest the stock is reasonably priced versus expected growth.

Key Points

  • Cantor Fitzgerald cut Check Point's price target to $200 from $220 but maintained a Neutral rating; stock trades near its 52-week low.
  • Rising DRAM prices and hardware growth concerns are cited as headwinds that could alter firewall economics and customer preferences toward SASE architectures.
  • Subscription revenue growth is a potential offset, supporting an already high gross margin and providing modest upside ahead of Q4 2025 results.

Cantor Fitzgerald reduced its price objective on Check Point Software (NASDAQ:CHKP) to $200 from $220 on Wednesday, while leaving its rating on the cybersecurity company at Neutral. The new target implies upside relative to the stock's most recent quoted price of $180.19.

Valuation and market context

InvestingPro data show Check Point trading close to a 52-week low of $173.77 and indicate the shares appear modestly undervalued when compared with Fair Value estimates. Cantor Fitzgerald pointed to a combination of software multiple contraction and concerns about hardware growth as the principal reasons for the lower target, even as the firm's broader investment view remained unchanged going into Check Point's fourth-quarter 2025 earnings release, scheduled for February 12.

Demand signals and subscription momentum

The research note emphasized divergent signals from the market: some channels have reported soft firewall demand, while Cantor Fitzgerald's own channel checks detected quarter-over-quarter improvement. Those latter checks suggest growing traction in Check Point's subscription offerings, which the firm said could support the company's already high gross margin - reported at 87.97% - if recurring revenue continues to scale.

Near-term outlook and macro pressures

Cantor Fitzgerald projects modest upside for Check Point's Q4 2025 results and expects fiscal 2026 guidance to come in roughly in line with market consensus, at just under 6% revenue growth. The firm also signaled a cautious stance on margins, noting potential pressure as DRAM prices rise.

In its note the research house highlighted plans by Samsung Electronics (KRX:005930) and SK Hynix (KRX:000660) to increase server memory prices by as much as 70% in the first quarter. Given that DRAM comprises about 10-15% of a firewall's bill of materials, Cantor Fitzgerald suggested this cost dynamic could push some customers to explore alternatives to traditional firewalls, such as Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) architectures.

Balance sheet and valuation markers

Despite the identified risks, Check Point's reported financial ratios continue to look favorable under Cantor Fitzgerald's lens: a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.83 and a PEG ratio of 0.79. Those metrics led the firm to characterize the stock as reasonably valued in relation to its growth rate.

Company moves and peer analyst activity

Check Point has been active on the product and partnership front. The company announced a collaboration with Hendrick Motorsports aimed at strengthening cybersecurity measures, and it introduced a new offering called Exposure Management to prioritize and automate remediation of vulnerabilities, with an explicit focus on combatting AI-enabled threats.

Other sell-side analysts have remained engaged. TD Cowen reiterated a Buy rating and kept a $285 price target, citing an ongoing firewall refresh cycle and uptake of certain security solutions. Truist Securities trimmed its price objective to $225 but maintained a Buy rating, pointing to Check Point's high profitability and potential platform-driven expansion. Stephens moved the stock to Overweight and raised its target to $240, noting increased confidence in the company's trajectory toward 2026.

Research tools and analysis referenced

Cantor Fitzgerald referenced InvestingPro analysis in framing its view and the company noted that multiple InvestingPro ProTips underscore Check Point's financial resilience. The firm left its near-term investment stance unchanged while flagging both upside potential from subscription momentum and downside risks tied to hardware cost inflation and shifting buyer preferences.


With Q4 2025 results on the calendar for Feb. 12, market participants will be watching for clearer signs on subscription revenue growth, margin direction, and how management plans to navigate potential DRAM-driven cost pressures that could influence product mix decisions among enterprise customers.

Risks

  • Significant increases in server memory (DRAM) prices could compress margins and raise the bill of materials for firewall products, affecting enterprise IT spending decisions.
  • Weak firewall demand reported in some distribution channels may indicate uneven hardware growth, creating near-term revenue pressure for vendors in the cybersecurity hardware market.
  • Contraction in software valuation multiples could limit upside in share price despite solid profitability metrics.

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