Fortinet: Navigating Sequential Volatility
Fortinet (NASDAQ:FTNT) primarily generates revenue by selling integrated cybersecurity hardware, software licenses, and subscription services to enterprise customers.
It recently expanded its lineup with new firewall models and faced shareholder legal investigations, while reporting an approximately 29% net income margin for the quarter ended March 31, 2026.
CrowdStrike: Steady Sequential Growth
CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD) earns revenue mostly by selling cloud-based subscriptions for its security modules that protect endpoints, identity, and data.
It authorized a $500 million share repurchase increase and announced a 5% workforce reduction, and generated an approximately 5% net income margin for the quarter ended Jan. 31, 2026.
Why Revenue Matters for Retail Investors
Revenue represents the total amount of money a business brings in from its core operations before any expenses are subtracted. Tracking this metric helps investors measure a company’s total customer sales volume and baseline growth trajectory over time.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
Quarterly Revenue for Fortinet and CrowdStrike
|
Quarter (Period End) |
Fortinet Revenue |
CrowdStrike Revenue |
|---|---|---|
|
Q2 2024 |
$1.4 billion (period ended June 2024) |
$921.0 million (period ended April 2024) |
|
Q3 2024 |
$1.5 billion (period ended Sept. 2024) |
$963.9 million (period ended July 2024) |
|
Q4 2024 |
$1.7 billion (period ended Dec. 2024) |
$1.0 billion (period ended Oct. 2024) |
|
Q1 2025 |
$1.5 billion (period ended March 2025) |
$1.1 billion (period ended Jan. 2025) |
|
Q2 2025 |
$1.6 billion (period ended June 2025) |
$1.1 billion (period ended April 2025) |
|
Q3 2025 |
$1.7 billion (period ended Sept. 2025) |
$1.2 billion (period ended July 2025) |
|
Q4 2025 |
$1.9 billion (period ended Dec. 2025) |
$1.2 billion (period ended Oct. 2025) |
|
Q1 2026 |
$1.8 billion (period ended March 2026) |
$1.3 billion (period ended Jan. 2026) |
Data source: Company filings. Data as of May 28, 2026.
Foolish Take
Comparing revenue between Fortinet and CrowdStrike provides interesting insights to investors. As the older company, Fortinet’s total sales are higher than CrowdStrike’s. It is also seeing year-over-year revenue growth, which is a sign that its business is growing.
However, the trend over the past two years reveals CrowdStrike is experiencing consistent revenue growth nearly every quarter, while sequential quarterly sales are lumpy for its cybersecurity rival. For CrowdStrike to deliver an increase every quarter is impressive, and indicates strong customer demand for its cybersecurity solutions. If this sales trend continues, CrowdStrike is likely to overtake Fortinet in total sales over time.