Research analysts at Barclays have increased their price target for F5 (NASDAQ:FFIV) from $267.00 to $283.00, as stated in a report released on January 27, 2026. The firm has assigned an “equal weight” rating to the network technology company’s stock, which indicates that it expects F5’s performance to be in line with the broader market. This new target price reflects a potential downside of approximately 2.85% from the stock’s previous close.
Several other analysts have also weighed in on F5’s stock performance recently. On October 28, 2023, Evercore ISI reiterated a “cautious” rating. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley reduced their price target from $336.00 to $296.00 while maintaining an “equal weight” rating. On the same day, Piper Sandler upgraded F5 to an “overweight” rating and set a new target price of $325.00, up from $295.00. In contrast, Bank of America lowered its price target from $260.00 to $250.00, reflecting an “underperform” rating. Lastly, Zacks Research improved its rating from “strong sell” to “hold” on January 9, 2026.
A consensus of analysts currently rates F5 as a “Hold,” with an average target price of $307.11.
F5 Reports Strong Quarterly Earnings
F5’s latest quarterly earnings report, released on January 27, revealed that the company exceeded analyst expectations. It reported earnings per share (EPS) of $4.45, surpassing the consensus estimate of $3.63 by $0.82. The company generated revenue of $822.47 million, which also exceeded the analyst forecast of $755.97 million. This performance marks a 7.3% increase in revenue year-over-year.
Additionally, F5 achieved a net margin of 22.42% and a return on equity of 21.76%. Comparatively, during the same quarter last year, the company reported an EPS of $3.84. Looking ahead, F5 has provided guidance for the second quarter of 2026, estimating an EPS of between $3.340 and $3.460. For the full fiscal year 2026, the guidance ranges from $15.650 to $16.050 EPS. Analysts project that F5 will achieve an EPS of $11.20 for the current year.
Insider Trading and Institutional Holdings
In other developments, executive vice president Chad Michael Whalen sold 9,436 shares of F5 on November 3, 2023, at an average price of $249.77, totaling approximately $2.36 million. Following this transaction, Whalen retained ownership of 25,641 shares, valued at around $6.40 million. This sale represents a 26.90% reduction in his holdings.
Additionally, another executive vice president, Thomas Dean Fountain, sold 8,318 shares on the same day for about $2.08 million, decreasing his ownership by 27.00% to 22,493 shares, worth around $5.62 million. Over the last quarter, company insiders have sold a total of 33,815 shares valued at approximately $8.44 million, representing just 0.52% of the total shares outstanding.
Institutional investors currently hold approximately 90.66% of F5’s shares. Notable changes among institutional stakeholders include a 0.8% increase in F5 shares by MGO One Seven LLC, which now owns 4,927 shares valued at $1.45 million. Other firms, including Pacific Sage Partners LLC and Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd, also adjusted their positions in recent weeks.
F5 Inc. specializes in application services and delivery networking, assisting organizations in ensuring the availability, performance, and security of their applications. Its core offerings include advanced load balancing, traffic management, and application security solutions aimed at optimizing user experiences and protecting against cyber threats.
As the company continues to navigate a dynamic market, analysts and investors alike will be observing its performance closely, particularly in light of these recent developments and the upcoming earnings guidance.
