Cloudflare shares jump as AI security push and strong growth narrative draw buyers

Cloudflare (NET) is up 7.1% today. Here is some analysis on what might have caused this price movement.

Analysis: The most likely catalyst was a fresh wave of investor enthusiasm around Cloudflare’s AI and cybersecurity product push, especially its early-September launch of a vulnerability discovery and remediation service built with OpenAI’s Daybreak models. The move also appears to be supported by momentum from Cloudflare’s strong August results, which showed accelerating growth and higher full-year guidance. This could also be because investors responded positively to management’s September conference appearance and the broader market’s renewed appetite for AI infrastructure names. ([cloudflare.net](https://www.cloudflare.net/news/news-details/2026/Cloudflare-Partners-with-OpenAI-Daybreak-Models-to-Redefine-Vulnerability-Management-with-AI-Powered-Edge-Defense/default.aspx))

Details:

Cloudflare introduced a new managed defense offering on September 3 that uses OpenAI cyber models with Cloudflare network data to identify, block, and help fix software vulnerabilities. ([cloudflare.net](https://www.cloudflare.net/news/news-details/2026/Cloudflare-Partners-with-OpenAI-Daybreak-Models-to-Redefine-Vulnerability-Management-with-AI-Powered-Edge-Defense/default.aspx))

In its second-quarter release, Cloudflare reported revenue of $696.1 million, up 36% from a year earlier, and projected third-quarter revenue of $736 million to $737 million. ([sec.gov](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1477333/000147733326000053/q226exhibit991.htm))

Company investor materials show expanding enterprise reach, including more than 4,600 large customers as of the second quarter of 2026 and more than 45% of the Fortune 500 as paying customers. ([cloudflare2019ipo.q4web.com](https://cloudflare2019ipo.q4web.com/home/default.aspx))

Cloudflare’s investor calendar listed a September 9 appearance at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference, which may have helped reinforce the company’s AI and security growth story for investors. ([cloudflare.net](https://www.cloudflare.net/?utm_source=openai))

Sources:

Cloudflare Investor Relations, SEC, Investing.com

Disclaimer: This price movement analysis was generated with the help of AI. Please double-check the information provided for mistakes.

$NET Insider Trading Activity

$NET insiders have traded $NET stock on the open market 483 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 0 have been purchases and 483 have been sales.

Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $NET stock by insiders over the last 6 months:

MATTHEW PRINCE (CEO & Board Co-Chair) has made 0 purchases and 224 sales selling 785,793 shares for an estimated $185,553,037.
MICHELLE ZATLYN (PRESIDENT & BOARD CO-CHAIR) has made 0 purchases and 126 sales selling 537,290 shares for an estimated $135,011,607.
THOMAS J SEIFERT (Chief Financial Officer) has made 0 purchases and 42 sales selling 105,000 shares for an estimated $28,668,367.
CARL LEDBETTER has made 0 purchases and 17 sales selling 60,000 shares for an estimated $14,811,885.
ALISSA MICHELLE STARZAK (Chief Legal Officer) has made 0 purchases and 13 sales selling 22,114 shares for an estimated $5,317,896.
JOHN GRAHAM-CUMMING has made 0 purchases and 42 sales selling 13,724 shares for an estimated $3,279,333.
JANEL RILEY (Chief Accounting Officer) has made 0 purchases and 14 sales selling 11,962 shares for an estimated $2,909,375.
MARK J HAWKINS has made 0 purchases and 4 sales selling 532 shares for an estimated $125,735.
KATRIN SUDER sold 293 shares for an estimated $74,105

To track insider transactions, check out Quiver Quantitative's insider trading dashboard. You can access data on insider stock transactions through the Quiver Quantitative API insider transaction endpoint.

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$NET Hedge Fund Activity

We have seen 688 institutional investors add shares of $NET stock to their portfolio, and 588 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.

Here are some of the largest recent moves:

JPMORGAN CHASE & CO added 5,269,562 shares (+inf%) to their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $1,292,518,167
BAILLIE GIFFORD & CO removed 2,225,353 shares (-13.2%) from their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $545,834,583
T. ROWE PRICE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC. added 1,892,593 shares (+inf%) to their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $464,215,211
D. E. SHAW & CO., INC. added 1,834,969 shares (+1626.3%) to their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $450,081,196
SIXTH STREET PARTNERS MANAGEMENT COMPANY, L.P. added 1,795,993 shares (+inf%) to their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $440,521,163
CAPITAL WORLD INVESTORS added 1,590,123 shares (+7.0%) to their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $390,025,369
CITADEL ADVISORS LLC added 1,584,523 shares (+444.3%) to their portfolio in Q1 2026, for an estimated $326,950,475

To track hedge funds' stock portfolios, check out Quiver Quantitative's institutional holdings dashboard. You can access data on hedge funds moves and 13F filings through the Quiver Quantitative API 13F endpoint.

$NET Government Contracts

We have seen $1,080,426 of award payments to $NET over the last year.

Here are some of the awards which we have have seen pay out the most over the last year:

GOV TOP LEVEL DOMAIN REGISTRY AND DNS SERVICE: $1,030,426

To track government contracts to publicy traded companies, check out Quiver Quantitative's government contracts dashboard. You can access data on government contracts through the Quiver Quantitative API government contracts endpoint.

$NET Congressional Stock Trading

Members of Congress have traded $NET stock 1 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 0 have been purchases and 1 have been sales.

Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $NET stock by members of Congress over the last 6 months:

REPRESENTATIVE GILBERT RAY CISNEROS, JR. sold up to $15,000 on 08/18.

To track congressional stock trading, check out Quiver Quantitative's congressional trading dashboard. You can access data on congressional stock trades through the Quiver Quantitative API Congress trades endpoint.

$NET Analyst Ratings

Wall Street analysts have issued reports on $NET in the last several months. We have seen 1 firms issue buy ratings on the stock, and 0 firms issue sell ratings.

Here are some recent analyst ratings:

BTIG issued a "Buy" rating on 06/10/2026

To track analyst ratings and price targets for $NET, check out Quiver Quantitative's $NET forecast page.

$NET Price Targets

Multiple analysts have issued price targets for $NET recently. We have seen 12 analysts offer price targets for $NET in the last 6 months, with a median target of $255.0.

Here are some recent targets:

Patrick Colville from Scotiabank set a target price of $300.0 on 07/07/2026
Patrick Walravens from Citizens set a target price of $270.0 on 06/15/2026
Joel Fishbein from Truist Securities set a target price of $250.0 on 06/11/2026
Gray Powell from BTIG set a target price of $269.0 on 06/10/2026
Mike Cikos from Needham set a target price of $280.0 on 06/10/2026
John Difucci from Guggenheim set a target price of $140.0 on 06/10/2026
Thomas Blakey from Cantor Fitzgerald set a target price of $230.0 on 06/10/2026

This article is not financial advice. See Quiver Quantitative's disclaimers for more information. Note that there may be inaccuracies due to mistakes in ticker-mapping, and other anomalies.