Zacks Investment Ideas Feature Highlights: Okta

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – September 11, 2017 – Today, Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights Features: Okta (Nasdaq: (NASDAQ:OKTA) – Free Report).

This Recent IPO Is Still Under the Radar

Last night Okta (Nasdaq: OKTA – Free Report) reported earnings for just the second time in company history. As a recent IPO the market is still getting to know this company and there is an old adage that investment managers tend to follow. The saying is that they need to see a year of performance before they can commit real money to a new stock. I am going to suggest that if the first two-quarters are anything like the next two, you will not be penalized for getting in a little before the institutions do.

Brief Description

OKTA is an identity solution provider, helping company's grant access to resources on any device while still ensuring strong security. A recent conference of customers and partners had 2,400 attendees which was an increase of 50% from the year ago level.

Recent Quarter

After the close on September 7, OKTA reported a loss of $0.16 and that was $0.10 better than Wall Street had expected. Revenues of $61M were $5M more than expected and represented growth of 63% from the year ago period.

Guidance was strong, with the company projecting EPS next quarter to be a loss of between $0.24 to $0.25 when Wall Street was looking for a loss of $0.29. Revenues were guided to $62M - $63M when the consensus was calling for $60M.

The company also guided full year earnings and revenue ahead of expectations.

Upgrades Coming?

At the time this article was written the analyst reports were not yet published. Following earnings events, sell side brokerages typically release an updated model which is the foundation of the Zacks Rank. OKTA is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) but with the solid beat and upside to guidance we can expect the Rank to move higher in the coming days.

There could also be some upgrades coming as well. Canaccord Genuity has the stock as a hold with a $25 price target, so this report could be enough to move that needle higher. JMP Securities also has the stock at the equivalent of a hold rating with a market perform. Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) has the stock at a neutral, which is basically the same thing as a hold. JP Morgan and Pacific Crest both have the stock at "Overweight" which is the same as a buy rating.

Tomorrow could bring an upgrade or two, but it will almost certainly see higher target prices from Goldman and Canaccord. Goldman has a nearly bearish target of $22 on the stock so look for that number to increase in a significant way. Canaccord has a $25 target on OKTA which is more than $3 below where the stock was trading when after hours trading ended last night.

My Take

With the EFX security breach, a lot of software security names were being bid higher in after hours. Look for some carry over onto OKTA today as well. The options market was pricing in a move of more than 11%, but the same was true of last quarter when options were calling for a move of 13% but the stock only moved up 5%. To me, it all hinges on the potential for an upgrade from at least one of the analysts. If that comes then this stock could easily trade over $30 for a new 52 week high.

Zacks' 10-Minute Stock-Picking Secret

Since 1988, the Zacks system has more than doubled the S&P 500 with an average gain of +25% per year. With compounding, rebalancing, and exclusive of fees, it can turn thousands into millions of dollars.

But here's something even more remarkable: You can master this proven system without going to a single class or seminar. And then you can apply it to your portfolio in as little as 10 minutes a month.

Learn the secret >>

Looking for Ideas with Even Greater Upside?

Today's investment ideas are short-term, directly based on our proven 1 to 3 month indicator. In addition, I invite you to consider our long-term opportunities. These rare trades look to start fast with strong Zacks Ranks, but carry through with double and triple-digit profit potential. Starting now, you can look inside our home run, value, and stocks under $10 portfolios, plus more. Click here for a peek at this private information>>

Get the full Report on OKTA – FREE

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZacksResearch

Join us on Facebook (NASDAQ:FB): https://www.facebook.com/ZacksInvestmentResearch

Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.

Media Contact

Zacks Investment Research

800-767-3771 ext. 9339

support@zacks.com

https://www.zacks.com/performance

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.