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NetScout Systems

NTCT
66
Software - Infrastructure · Technology
Price
$38.49
+0.45 (+1.18%)
Market Cap
$2.80B
Exchange
NASDAQ
Winston Score
66
Winston is curious
A decent business — some strong pillars, some weaker.
Data as of Aug 23, 2026 · filings through Jun 30, 2026
How the score breaks down
Quality
Good
Growth
Strong
Cash Flow
Exceptional
Stability
Exceptional
Valuation
Strong

Share count falling — buybacks

4.5% over 4y

The company has reduced its share count over this period, returning value to shareholders through buybacks.

Diluted shares outstanding: 75.1M (2022) → 71.7M (2026)

Winston Score History

The full picture

NetScout Systems makes software and hardware tools that help large organizations monitor and protect their computer networks. Its main products — sold under the nGeniusONE and Arbor brands — help customers see what is happening on their networks in real time and defend against cyberattacks like DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) floods. Customers include major telecommunications companies, large enterprises, government agencies, and defense organizations.

NetScout earns money by selling software licenses, hardware appliances, and ongoing maintenance and support subscriptions. It operates primarily in North America but also serves customers in Europe and Asia, generating roughly $800–900 million in annual revenue. Its competitive moat comes from deep integration into carrier-grade networks and a large installed base that is costly for customers to replace. The main risk is that large telecom and government customers tend to delay or cut spending during budget cycles, which can cause lumpy, unpredictable revenue from year to year.

Growth Profile

When traditional metrics don't capture the full picture, these are the signals growth stock investors use instead.

Revenue Growth

-1.0% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Revenue declining

EPS Growth

-3.8% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Earnings declining

R&D Spend

$159M/ year

Flat (+4% vs prior year)

18.5% of revenue

In line with sector average (15%)

Steady R&D investment year-over-year

Insider Activity

3.7%ownership

Declining

Insider ownership declining — could be dilution or selling

Cash Position

Cash flow positive

$705M cash & investments

Quarterly Free Cash Flow

↑ Burn rate improving

Company generates more cash than it spends — no dilution risk from fundraising

Revenue declining

NetScout Systems's revenue is actually shrinking. In a growth stock, that removes the core investment thesis. The low Winston Score here may be warranted — unless there's a turnaround story.

The Winston Score above measures business quality today. Growth stocks often score lower because they invest in the future rather than maximising current profits. These metrics show what matters most for evaluating that future.

Score breakdown

Every number that matters to educated investors.

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Quality

Profit per sale
Gross Margin
78.9%
Premium pricing power — 78.9% gross margin
Profit after running costs
Operating Margin
6.9%
Modest — 6.9% operating margin
Return on the money invested
ROCE
7.7%
Weak — 7.7% return on capital

ROIC between 5% and 15%. They earn 5 to 15 cents back per year on every dollar invested.

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Growth

Sales growth
Sales YoY
+5.8%
Slow sales growth (+5.8% YoY)
Profit growth
EPS YoY
+63.9%
Earnings growing fast (+63.9% YoY)

Earnings growing 25%+ a year. The compounder zone.

How steady the profit is
EPS Consistency
6/8 quarters
Earnings grew in most of the last 8 quarters

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Cash Flow

Profit that turns into cash
Cash Conversion
225%
Turns 225% of profit into real cash
Spare cash per sale
FCF Margin
29.2%
Converts sales into free cash efficiently (29.2%)

Free cash flow margin above 20%. Out of every $100 in sales, more than $20 is real cash they keep.

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Stability

What it owes vs what it owns
Debt / Equity
0.02
Conservative — low debt load (0.02)
Covers its interest
Interest Cover
76.06x
Comfortably covers interest (76.1x)

Interest coverage above 8. Profits cover interest many times over.

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Valuation

Price vs profit
P/E Ratio (TTM)
23.0x
Growth-priced — P/E 23.0

P/E above the market average. People are paying up for expected growth.

Cheaper or dearer next year
P/E vs Forward
+8.3
GROWING
Earnings expected to grow meaningfully — cheaper on forward P/E (23.0 → 14.7)

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Dividends

Not applicable for this business.
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