The cybersecurity sector’s had a great month; here are the ASX’s best performers
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The ASX cybersecurity sector is starting to reap some benefits of increased demand in the wake of the pandemic, with some notable stock price moves — particularly in the last month.
Cyber attacks have continued throughout COVID-19 and with companies working remotely, attacks have potential to be more damaging.
But one of the biggest boosts for the sector came at the end of June when the Morrison government committed to the nation’s largest ever investment into cyber security.
The government will invest $1.35 billion over the next decade into Australia’s capabilities.
It followed up that up this morning with the release of a new Cloud Security Guidance framework, to secure the adoption of cloud services across government and industry.
Minister for Defence, Senator Linda Reynolds said the new guidelines will replace the Certified Cloud Services List, and will allow more homegrown Australian providers to operate and deliver services.
Analysts have been excited about the sector. One is RedLeaf Securities’ John Athanasiou, who told Stockhead earlier this month it had potential to post similar returns to the red-hot buy now, pay later sector.
And investors have ridden the wave too. Stocks in the space are up 20 per cent on average over the past year, and 44 per cent in the last month.
Here are the ASX small cap cybersecurity stocks and their performance:
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| Code | Name | Price (I) | 1 Year % Return | 1 Month % Return | Market Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AR9 | ARCHTIS LTD | 0.26 | 133 | 145 | $31.5M |
| TNT | TESSERENT LTD | 0.2 | 250 | 140 | $99.9M |
| FZO | FAMILY ZONE CYBER SAFETY LTD | 0.4 | 74 | 105 | $129.8M |
| CPT | CIPHERPOINT LTD | 0.044 | -85 | 83 | $4.5M |
| FGL | FRUGL GROUP LTD | 0.033 | -34 | 50 | $3.3M |
| PSZ | PS&C LTD | 0.034 | 8 | 42 | $16.5M |
| 5GN | 5G NETWORKS LTD/AUSTRALIA | 1.765 | 35 | 32 | $131.2M |
| SEN | SENETAS CORP LTD | 0.061 | -34 | 23 | $62.8M |
| HWH | HOUSTON WE HAVE LTD | 0.034 | -77 | 10 | $8.8M |
| VOR | VORTIV LTD | 0.235 | 28 | 10 | $33.5M |
| WHK | WHITEHAWK LTD | 0.091 | -7 | 2 | $15.8M |
| ELS | ELSIGHT LTD | 0.3 | -22 | -2 | $32.1M |
| MWR | MGM WIRELESS LTD | 0.12 | -64 | -8 | $20.6M |
| PRO | PROPHECY INTERNATIONAL HLDGS | 0.665 | 72 | -13 | $43.2M |
The top performer is Tesserent (ASX:TNT) which has more than doubled in the last month.
Tesserent has excited investors with earnings growth and hinting at the possibility of acquisitions. It unveiled a $15 million funding facility for the latter purpose.
Archtis (ASX:AR9) has likewise notched up a gain over 100 per cent in the last month as it has continued to win new clients for its file-sharing platform in the public and private sectors.
Rounding out the trio of stocks that’ve doubled in a month is Family Zone Cyber (ASX:FZO).
Family Zone’s cyber safety platform provides blocking and control services around online content, including managed screen time, social media restrictions and measures aimed to restrict cyber bullying.
Earlier this month it broke through the 1 million users mark – specifically contracted licensed students.
Other top performers include Frugl Group (ASX:FGL) and Cipherpoint (ASX:CPT).
Frugl recently changed its name from Family Insights Group as it rolled out its grocery comparison app. But it also has a VPN network helping to keep kids safe online.
As for Cipherpoint, it sells data security software and has reported strong demand for its products in recent weeks. One noteworthy client is the California State University which renewed its contract just three weeks ago.
