Political tensions around election integrity, foreign interference and the Save America Act are pulling security and trust in US institutions back into the spotlight. For investors, that mix of uncertainty and policy focus can redirect attention toward companies linked to national defense, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure, especially where election security is a core concern. This article looks at how that news backdrop connects to our US Defense and Cybersecurity Stocks screener. It also highlights three stocks that appear positively exposed to these themes, helping you think through where the current headlines might intersect with long term investment ideas or risks.

Palo Alto Networks (PANW)

Overview: Palo Alto Networks is a global cybersecurity company that helps governments and businesses secure their networks, cloud environments, devices and AI systems, using platforms like Prisma, Strata and Cortex to prevent, detect and respond to attacks.

Operations: The company generates about US$10.6b in revenue entirely from security software and services, with roughly US$6.6b coming from the United States and the rest spread across EMEA, APAC and other Americas.

Market Cap: US$288.5b

Investors looking at Palo Alto Networks in the context of election security and growing digital conflict are seeing a cybersecurity leader closely tied to US critical infrastructure, federal agencies and large enterprises. Its AI driven platforms and platformization approach are helping shift more revenue into recurring, higher margin software, even as acquisitions, integration work and share dilution create execution and valuation risks. Forecast double digit earnings and revenue growth, strong free cash flow margins and broad analyst interest sit alongside concerns that the stock trades on rich expectations, with some pointing to pressure on recent profit margins and heavy executive pay. The question is whether Palo Alto Networks’ role in defending against politically motivated cyberattacks justifies those expectations.

So much of the Palo Alto Networks story is about confidence in its AI driven security platforms, yet the real test is whether the current valuation leaves enough room for upside or disappointment, which is exactly what the DCF valuation analysis for Palo Alto Networks starts to unpack.

Atlassian (TEAM)

Overview: Atlassian provides cloud based software like Jira, Confluence and Trello that helps technical and non technical teams plan projects, track work and share knowledge so organizations can coordinate complex, security sensitive workflows at scale.

Operations: Atlassian generates about US$6.2b in revenue from Software & Programming, with roughly US$2.6b from the United States, US$1.9b from other EMEA markets, US$660.1m from Germany, US$673.1m from Asia Pacific and US$385.1m from other Americas.

Market Cap: US$23.3b

Atlassian sits at the intersection of AI, cloud collaboration and cybersecurity, which matters when election interference concerns push organizations to harden how sensitive work gets planned and shared. Its AI native tools like Rovo and Jira’s new development capabilities aim to raise productivity and deepen usage, while recent recognition in developer productivity platforms and expanded Google Cloud ties speak to growing relevance. On the flip side, Atlassian is still loss making, recent analyst price targets have been trimmed and the stock has been volatile, reflecting questions around cloud migration timing, AI monetization and long term expectations. For investors, one key consideration is how the combination of growth forecasts and security centric workflows compares with those execution and valuation risks.

Atlassian’s AI fueled collaboration story and security centric workflows are only half the picture; the real tension is how expectations line up with execution in the analyst forecasts for Atlassian and what that reveals next

N-able (NABL)

Overview: N-able provides cloud based software that helps managed service providers and IT teams monitor devices, secure endpoints, back up data and manage AI era risks from a single platform, aiming to keep business networks running and protected.

Operations: N-able generates about US$526.9m in revenue from Internet Software & Services, with roughly US$258.1m from the United States, US$54.2m from the United Kingdom and US$214.5m from other international markets.

Market Cap: US$894.8m

N-able operates where rising election security concerns intersect with day to day IT reality, helping service providers protect endpoints, back up critical systems and shine a light on “shadow AI” tools that could leak sensitive data. The stock is priced below some fair value estimates and analyst targets. Earnings forecasts indicate a possible shift from losses to profitability, yet investors still face questions around current unprofitability, reliance on external borrowing and elevated executive pay. Recent leadership hires in revenue, innovation and AI, along with expansion of a global capability center in India, indicate the company is working to scale its platform for a higher stakes cybersecurity environment. Investors may weigh these developments against execution considerations and industry consolidation risks.

N-able’s potential shift toward profitability, leadership hires and India expansion hint at a business that may be earlier in its story than the market credits. The analyst forecasts for N-able could reveal a twist investors have not priced in yet

The three stocks in this article are only a starting point, with the full US Defense and Cybersecurity Stocks screener surfacing 31 more US defense and cybersecurity companies whose stories connect to election security, national security and critical infrastructure in different ways. Use Simply Wall St to identify, analyze and filter for the specific catalysts and narratives that matter to you so you can focus on the highest conviction opportunities in this theme.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.