1 Stock-Split Stock to Buy Before It Jumps 27% According to 1 Wall Street Analyst

There's been a resurgence in the popularity of stock splits in recent years, driven by rising corporate profits and surging stock prices. It was common practice in the late 1990s, but fell out of fashion before enjoying a renaissance. This is historically a sign of a company performing at a high level, as evidenced by years, or even decades, of strong operating and financial results, which have driven the stock price out of reach for everyday investors.

Historically, these top-performing stocks continue to outpace their peers. History shows that companies that conduct stock splits generate stock price increases of 25%, on average, in the year following the announcement, compared with average gains of 12% for the S&P 500, according to data compiled by BofA analyst Jared Woodard.

Let's look at one recent stock split that still has plenty of upside ahead, according to Wall Street.

Image source: Getty Images.

AI in its DNA

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been all the rage in recent years, but CrowdStrike Holdings (NASDAQ: CRWD) has built a cybersecurity empire that leveraged AI before it was fashionable. The company's Falcon platform offers the most sophisticated threat protection available, infused with its Charlotte AI, which was designed for the world of generative and agentic AI.

The need for its services has never been greater. The global average cost of a data breach last year was $4.44 million, according to a report by IBM, and the threat worsens with every passing year. The abilities of AI to find exploits take that problem to the next level.

CrowdStrike has long been a trailblazer in the cybersecurity industry. It was recognized as a Leader in Gartner's 2026 Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection for the seventh consecutive year. Perhaps as importantly, the company was chosen as a Leader in Gartner's inaugural 2026 Magic Quadrant for Cyberthreat Intelligence Technologies, cited for its "completeness of vision" and "ability to execute."

The company's results are compelling. For its fiscal 2027 first quarter (ended April 30), CrowdStrike reported revenue that climbed 26% year over year to $1.39 billion, driven higher by record annual recurring revenue (ARR) that grew 24% to $5.5 billion. This drove adjusted earnings per share (EPS) up 51% to $1.10.

Wall Street is bullish about CrowdStrike's future. Of the 54 analysts who offered an opinion in June, 78% rate it a buy or strong buy. Furthermore, Wall Street's average price target on the stock is about $712, implying additional upside of 10% compared to Wednesday's closing price.

However, one analyst is much more bullish. Rosenblatt Securities analyst Catharine Trebnick has a price target of $825 -- the highest among her Wall Street peers -- suggesting CrowdStrike stock could climb as much as 27% from its current price (as of market close on Wednesday). The analyst called CrowdStrike's Q1 financial report "outstanding." She goes on to say that the "intersection of frontier AI models and cybersecurity has positioned the Falcon platform as critical AI infrastructure."

Her thinking is on point. When AI start-up Anthropic unveiled its Claude Mythos Preview, the frontier AI model revealed "thousands of high-severity vulnerabilities, including some in every major operating system and web browser" that hackers could use to gain access to critical systems. Anthropic formed a coalition to address these exploits, and CrowdStrike was one of just two cybersecurity companies invited to participate.

CrowdStrike's valuation is enough to make value investors cringe, so it likely won't be a fit for everyone. The stock is currently selling for 111 times forward earnings -- which is pricey to be sure. However, CrowdStrike has soared 362% over the past three years, more than five times the 71% return of the S&P 500, which underlines why it's worthy of a premium valuation.

Bank of America is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Danny Vena, CPA has positions in CrowdStrike. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends CrowdStrike and International Business Machines. The Motley Fool recommends Gartner. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.