Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Why Elastic Stock Soared 10% Higher Today

By Nicholas Rossolillo – Dec 8, 2021 at 4:32PM

Key Points

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More

Fresh off earnings, one Wall Street analyst is optimistic.

What happened

Shares of Elastic (ESTC -4.41%) were rallying over 10% higher today as of market close. This comes after a recent double-digit percentage plunge -- first on worries of the omicron variant, then a sell-off following what was actually a rock solid quarterly earnings update last week.  

Someone in an office working on computers.

Image source: Getty Images.

The cause of today's reversal? A Wall Street analyst thinks the punishment dealt to Elastic is unwarranted.

So what

Specifically, J.P. Morgan analyst Mark Murphy upgraded Elastic from neutral to overweight with a $156 one-year price target. Closing today at just over $128 per share, that implies some 21% upside for the stock if the prediction is correct.  

Short-term stock price outlooks aren't all that meaningful for long-term investors who own businesses for their potential years down the road, but I for one agree with the note that Elastic's downturn looks overdone. The company has consistently grown at a double-digit percentage pace for years (42% sales growth in the last quarter), and it has managed its transition to cloud-based software far better than industry peer Splunk. If you're looking for a top data analytics and cloud observability stock, Elastic deserves to be in the conversation right now.

Now what

For the current fiscal year, Elastic expects revenue to grow about 36% year over year to at least $826 million. Based on that outlook, shares currently trade for 14.5 times sales. Not a terrible premium for a high-growth software outfit with lots of expansion ahead of it -- and one that could someday be highly profitable, too.

Given Elastic's enduring growth trajectory, today's analyst upgrade and subsequent stock jump isn't so unusual. Keep this cloud-based software company on your radar.

JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Nicholas Rossolillo and his clients own shares of Splunk. The Motley Fool owns and recommends Elastic and Splunk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Premium Investing Services

Invest better with The Motley Fool. Get stock recommendations, portfolio guidance, and more from The Motley Fool's premium services.