Core and Main Inc vs Fortinet Inc — how do they compare? Core and Main Inc trades at $44.88 (market cap $8.46B), while Fortinet Inc trades at $168.43 (market cap $122.23B). The key difference: Fortinet Inc is far larger — about 14.4× Core and Main Inc's market cap, and Fortinet Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, Core and Main Inc nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CNM | FTNT | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $8.46B | $122.23B |
Sector | Technology | Technology |
52-Week High | $66.98 | $166.83 |
52-Week Low | $44.29 | $74.39 |
Enterprise Value | $10.76B | $119.43B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Core & Main (CNM) trades at $44.74, down 2.44% today, amid bearish technical signals but strong fundamentals. The stock shows consistent earnings beats, with Q1 2026 EPS of $0.72 exceeding expectations, and maintains solid profitability with a 23.73% ROE. Recent news highlights municipal strength and margin gains, though residential segments face weakness. Cash flow trends improved in 2026 projections, with net cash flow rising to $142M from $7M in 2025.
The outlook is mixed: analyst consensus leans bullish with 57% buy ratings, but technical indicators signal near-term pressure. Key risks include industry headwinds like high operating costs and residential market softness. Investors should weigh strong fundamentals against current bearish momentum for entry timing.
Fortinet (FTNT) trades at $160.62, up 1.97% on the day, with strong technical momentum and bullish moving averages. The company reported robust earnings beats in recent quarters, with Q1 2026 EPS of $0.82 exceeding the $0.619 estimate. Revenue growth remains solid, reaching $6.80B in 2025, while high valuation ratios like a P/E of 62.26 reflect premium investor expectations. Recent news highlights expansion in AI-driven security solutions, positioning FTNT to capitalize on rising cybersecurity demand.
The outlook for FTNT is positive, driven by sustained demand for cybersecurity and AI integration, though elevated valuations and competitive pressures pose risks. Analyst consensus is mixed with 42.65% buy ratings, but the average price target of $121.11 suggests caution relative to the current price. Investors should monitor execution against raised 2026 guidance and industry spending trends.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Core & Main is a leading US distributor of water, wastewater, storm drainage, and fire protection products. It provides essential infrastructure solutions to municipalities, private water companies, and contractors.
Read more on CNM →Fortinet is a cybersecurity vendor that sells products, support, and services to small and midsize businesses, enterprises, and government entities. Its products include unified threat management appliances, firewalls, network security, and its security platform, Security Fabric. Services revenue is primarily from FortiGuard security subscriptions and FortiCare technical support. At the end of 2021, products were 38% of revenue and services were 62% of sales. The California-based company sells products worldwide.
Read more on FTNT →