Ahead of CrowdStrike Earnings, Here's What Barchart Data Says Comes Next for CRWD Stock

Ahead of CrowdStrike Earnings, Here's What Barchart Data Says Comes Next for CRWD Stock

Wajeeh Khan

Mon, August 24, 2026 at 6:40 PM GMT+3 2 min read

• CRWD -2.78%

Investors are pulling back from CrowdStrike (CRWD) shares ahead of the cybersecurity firm's Q3 earnings scheduled for Aug. 26 after market close.

According to Barchart, consensus is for CRWD to record $0.05 in earnings per share (EPS) for its third financial quarter, representing a massive year-over-year improvement.

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For CrowdStrike stock, the quarterly release is particularly significant given it's already up nearly 70% versus the start of this year.

Options Pricing Signals Further Upside in CRWD Stock

CRWD shares' outstanding performance in the first half of 2026 hasn't deterred options traders — at least for the near term.

For contracts expiring Aug. 28, the put volume currently trails call volume by about 33%, which is typically interpreted as a bullish skew.

Barchart's data also reveals that the derivatives market sees CrowdStrike's stock price surpassing $206 by the end of this week, signaling potential for a 7.63% rally on the back of the earnings event.

On the flip side, however, historical data warrant some caution in playing CRWD ahead of the Q3 print, as the cybersecurity stock has lost 3.11% on average in September over the past six years, a seasonal trend that somewhat dulls its appeal for the near term.

Why Is Options Market Bullish on CrowdStrike Shares?

CrowdStrike shares have continued to benefit from robust demand for cybersecurity products, and the growing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is broadly expected to further support spending on its Falcon platform.

Investors remain encouraged by the firm's strong execution following the 2024 global AI outage, which weighed heavily on its stock price but did not derail its longer-term growth story.

With the stock already up sharply in 2026, traders could be positioning for further upside if CRWD delivers a better-than-expected outlook alongside its Q3 results.

Note that Barchart also currently has a "64% BUY" opinion on CrowdStrike, indicating technical momentum also currently favors continued upside ahead.

How Wall Street Recommends Playing CrowdStrike?

Investors should note that Wall Street analysts also share options traders' optimism on CRWD stock.

The consensus rating on CrowdStrike sits at "Moderate Buy" currently, with price targets as high as $256 indicating potential upside of nearly 35% from here.

On the date of publication, Wajeeh Khan did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com