By Steven Scheer
TEL AVIV, April 30 (Reuters) – Check Point Software Technologies reported a higher than expected 13% rise in quarterly profit, boosted by double-digit revenue growth in subscriptions that protect and prevent corporate networks from cyber threats.
The Israel-based company, however, trimmed its 2026 revenue estimate on lower sales from firewall appliances.
“We see a short-term impact on our business that will negatively affect our 2026 revenue projections,” chief executive Nadav Zafrir told an analysts’ call, while describing the impact as transitory.
“Our plans to further invest in our firewall business make us optimistic about the future growth trajectory,” he said.
Check Point reported first-quarter diluted earnings per share of $2.50, excluding one-time items, up from $2.21 a year earlier and ahead of the $2.40 analysts’ forecast for adjusted EPS, according to LSEG.Revenue grew 5% to $668 million, in line with analysts’ forecasts, with security service revenue up 11% to $323 million.
Check Point’s Nasdaq-listed shares fell 14% in early trading to $120. As of Wednesday’s close, they were down 25% so far in 2026.
Zafrir earlier told a news conference that growth was being driven by emerging technologies such as email and cloud-based security protection products. He said the need to protect against attacks from artificial intelligence sources was rapidly becoming another growth driver, with global tensions also fuelling demand from the government and defence sectors.
Zafrir said Check Point was constantly seeking out potential acquisitions that would be strategic and act as “a game changer.”
“We are talking to everyone all the time, trying to see what can fit into each one of our pillars.”
For the second quarter, Check Point projected revenue of $660 million to $690 million and adjusted EPS of $2.40 to $2.50, compared with market forcasts of $706 million and $2.54, respectively.
For the full year, it now expects revenue of $2.77 billion to $2.85 billion, revised down from a prior $2.83 billion-$2.95 billion range. It left annual EPS goal unchanged at $10.05 to $10.85.
(Reporting by Steven Scheer, Editing by Louise Heavens and Tomasz Janowski)
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