Equities Weekly: Cybersecurity – Sector Positioned for Structural Growth
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Chief Investment Office4 Jun 2025
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Cybersecurity: Opportunities amid danger. According to research from Check Point, the average number of cyberattacks per organisation rose 47% y/y in 1Q25, signalling a sharp escalation in cyber threat. Recent breaches at Coinbase and Marks & Spencer (M&S) served as clear examples of this escalating trend. Coinbase indicated up to USD400mn in related costs following a USD20mn ransom demand tied to compromised customer data. Meanwhile, M&S was forced to suspend its online shopping operations, resulting in a potential USD403mn hit to its profits. These cyberattacks reinforce our view that cybersecurity is no longer a discretionary IT expense, but an increasingly essential area of expenditure.

On a YTD basis, the sector has delivered c.14% returns, outperforming global equities by c.8 %pts. We expect this encouraging momentum to continue, driven by:

  • Robust market growth: Corporate IT budgets are shifting decisively towards cyber defence as digital risk intensifies. According to Business Wire, the cybersecurity market is expected to see a strong CAGR of 11.3%, growing from USD215bn in 2025 to USD697bn in 2035.
  • Strong earnings momentum: Consensus estimates are pointing to strong earnings growth of c.36% y/y in 2025 and c.15% y/y in 2026 for cybersecurity companies, significantly outpacing that of global (c.8% and 12% respectively). This underscores the sector’s strong profitability.

Equity fund flows: For the week ending 28 Mar, equity fund flows show a clear bifurcation, with Developed Market (DM) Equity Funds experiencing outflows, while Emerging Market (EM) Equity Funds continue to attract inflow. Within the DM space, US Equity Funds saw outflows of USD5bn as investor sentiment was weighed down by uncertainties surrounding Trump’s tariff policies. On the other hand, Europe Equity Funds attracted inflows, supported by better-than-expected Eurozone services PMI (50.5 vs 50.1 consensus), signalling resilience in the region’s service sector.

Figure 1: Cybersecurity outperformed global equities


Source: Bloomberg, DBS


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