Cloudflare Acquires Human Native to Enhance AI Data Marketplace
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 15 2026
0mins
Should l Buy NET?
Source: CNBC
Cloudflare's stock fell 3.01% and hit a 20-day low amid positive market conditions, with the Nasdaq-100 and S&P 500 both up over 0.5%.
The decline in Cloudflare's stock comes despite the announcement of its acquisition of Human Native, an AI data marketplace, aimed at improving transactions between AI developers and content creators. CEO Matthew Prince highlighted that this acquisition will enhance creators' rights and revenue, establishing a transparent economic model for content monetization. The market reacted positively to the acquisition, but the stock's performance indicates a sector rotation as investors reassess their positions in tech stocks.
This acquisition is expected to strengthen Cloudflare's position in the AI sector, potentially attracting more investor interest. However, the stock's current decline suggests that market sentiment may be shifting, prompting a reevaluation of tech investments.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy NET?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on NET
Wall Street analysts forecast NET stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for NET is 253.24 USD with a low forecast of 131.00 USD and a high forecast of 318.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
25 Analyst Rating
15 Buy
10 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 163.050
Low
131.00
Averages
253.24
High
318.00
Current: 163.050
Low
131.00
Averages
253.24
High
318.00
About NET
Cloudflare, Inc. is a connectivity cloud company. Its full suite of products consists of its website and application services to deliver security, performance, and reliability for an organization's websites, applications, and application programming interfaces (APIs); its secure access service edge (SASE) platform, which contains its suite of Zero Trust and network services solutions to help ensure traffic in and out of an organization’s internal network and devices is verified and authorized as well as to securely connect data centers, cloud services, and branch offices to an organization with its Connectivity Cloud; its developer-based solutions to build and deploy serverless applications with scale, performance, security and reliability, and its consumer offerings. Its website and application security product offerings include Web Application Firewall, Bot Management, Distributed Denial of Service Protection, API Security, SSL/TLS Encryption, Script Management, and Security Center.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Key Earnings Reports and Economic Outlook This Week
- DuPont Earnings Expectations: DuPont is expected to report earnings of $0.43 per share and revenue of $1.69 billion for Q4 2025, with analysts noting ongoing pressure in short-cycle businesses, while slight improvements in the automotive sector may influence investor sentiment.
- Cisco's AI Focus: Cisco anticipates earnings of $1.02 per share and revenue of $15.1 billion for Q2 FY2026, with CEO highlighting a major multi-year campus networking refresh, making AI infrastructure demand a critical growth driver.
- Importance of Employment Report: The January employment report is expected to show an addition of 80,000 nonfarm payrolls and an unchanged unemployment rate of 4.4%, directly impacting private consumption and U.S. GDP, making it crucial for investors to monitor.
- Consumer Price Index Insights: The January CPI is projected to increase by 2.5% year-over-year, with core CPI rising by 2.6%, providing essential inflation details despite not being the Fed's preferred measure, particularly regarding persistent shelter cost inflation.
See More
Key Focus Areas This Week: Jobs, Consumer Prices, Coca-Cola, CVS, Ford, McDonald's, and More
- Market Performance: The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 2.5% and closed above 50,000 for the first time.
- Nasdaq Struggles: In contrast, the Nasdaq Composite ended the week down 1.8%, despite a strong rally on Friday.
See More
The Impact of Software Concerns on Private Credit and Recommended BDC Stocks to Consider
- Private Credit Sector: The emergence of private credit "cockroaches" indicates a shift in the market, particularly affecting the software sector.
- Investment Opportunities: This situation may present new investment opportunities in shares of business development companies that hold the debt of these affected companies.
See More
The Impact of Software Concerns on BDC Stocks: Reasons Some May Be Good Investment Opportunities
- Private Credit Sector: The private credit sector is facing challenges, likened to "cockroaches" emerging from the software industry.
- Opportunities in Business Development Companies: This situation may present investment opportunities in business development companies that hold the debt of affected firms.
See More
Analysts Focus on Take-Two and Mondelez
Report Overview: Recent reports from investment and research firms provide insights into analysts' perspectives on various companies.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in these reports do not reflect the opinions or recommendations of Barron’s.
Investment Services: Some report issuers may have existing or potential investment-banking relationships with the companies analyzed.
Purpose of Reports: The reports serve as a sampling of market analysis rather than definitive investment advice.
See More
US Market Update: Intensifying Competition Between Enterprise Software and AI
- Weak Job Data: ADP's report indicates that the U.S. labor market showed little change in January, with hiring growth falling short of expectations, reflecting a sluggish economic recovery that may negatively impact the stock market.
- Increased Investment Risks: Private equity firms like KKR and Blackstone face challenges from Anthropic's B2B strategy in the enterprise software sector, potentially affecting their investment returns amid rapid AI advancements.
- AMD Stock Volatility: Despite AMD's quarterly results exceeding expectations, its stock dropped 10%, indicating market concerns about future growth, while analysts' target price adjustments reflect uncertainty in the market.
- Texas Instruments Acquisition Plan: Texas Instruments has agreed to acquire Silicon Laboratories for $7.5 billion, and although its stock fell 3.5%, this move will enhance its market share in connectivity chips for industrial and consumer applications, demonstrating a strategic focus on future growth.
See More
Key Earnings Reports and Economic Outlook This Week
- DuPont Earnings Expectations: DuPont is expected to report earnings of $0.43 per share and revenue of $1.69 billion for Q4 2025, with analysts noting ongoing pressure in short-cycle businesses, while slight improvements in the automotive sector may influence investor sentiment.
- Cisco's AI Focus: Cisco anticipates earnings of $1.02 per share and revenue of $15.1 billion for Q2 FY2026, with CEO highlighting a major multi-year campus networking refresh, making AI infrastructure demand a critical growth driver.
- Importance of Employment Report: The January employment report is expected to show an addition of 80,000 nonfarm payrolls and an unchanged unemployment rate of 4.4%, directly impacting private consumption and U.S. GDP, making it crucial for investors to monitor.
- Consumer Price Index Insights: The January CPI is projected to increase by 2.5% year-over-year, with core CPI rising by 2.6%, providing essential inflation details despite not being the Fed's preferred measure, particularly regarding persistent shelter cost inflation.
See More
Key Focus Areas This Week: Jobs, Consumer Prices, Coca-Cola, CVS, Ford, McDonald's, and More
- Market Performance: The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 2.5% and closed above 50,000 for the first time.
- Nasdaq Struggles: In contrast, the Nasdaq Composite ended the week down 1.8%, despite a strong rally on Friday.
See More
The Impact of Software Concerns on Private Credit and Recommended BDC Stocks to Consider
- Private Credit Sector: The emergence of private credit "cockroaches" indicates a shift in the market, particularly affecting the software sector.
- Investment Opportunities: This situation may present new investment opportunities in shares of business development companies that hold the debt of these affected companies.
See More
The Impact of Software Concerns on BDC Stocks: Reasons Some May Be Good Investment Opportunities
- Private Credit Sector: The private credit sector is facing challenges, likened to "cockroaches" emerging from the software industry.
- Opportunities in Business Development Companies: This situation may present investment opportunities in business development companies that hold the debt of affected firms.
See More
Analysts Focus on Take-Two and Mondelez
Report Overview: Recent reports from investment and research firms provide insights into analysts' perspectives on various companies.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in these reports do not reflect the opinions or recommendations of Barron’s.
Investment Services: Some report issuers may have existing or potential investment-banking relationships with the companies analyzed.
Purpose of Reports: The reports serve as a sampling of market analysis rather than definitive investment advice.
See More
US Market Update: Intensifying Competition Between Enterprise Software and AI
- Weak Job Data: ADP's report indicates that the U.S. labor market showed little change in January, with hiring growth falling short of expectations, reflecting a sluggish economic recovery that may negatively impact the stock market.
- Increased Investment Risks: Private equity firms like KKR and Blackstone face challenges from Anthropic's B2B strategy in the enterprise software sector, potentially affecting their investment returns amid rapid AI advancements.
- AMD Stock Volatility: Despite AMD's quarterly results exceeding expectations, its stock dropped 10%, indicating market concerns about future growth, while analysts' target price adjustments reflect uncertainty in the market.
- Texas Instruments Acquisition Plan: Texas Instruments has agreed to acquire Silicon Laboratories for $7.5 billion, and although its stock fell 3.5%, this move will enhance its market share in connectivity chips for industrial and consumer applications, demonstrating a strategic focus on future growth.
See More
