Zscaler Inc (ZS) — Quality & forensics
As of 2026-09-21 — refreshed nightly. Closelook readings from an investment research diary, not ratings or advice.
The Closelook module scores
- Valuation 21
- Quality 38
- Growth 61
- Balance sheet 32
- Cash quality 59
- Capital allocation 10
- Momentum 53
Scores are computed nightly across the coverage universe and read relative to it — the methodology lives in the company-scoring explainer.
Financial forensics — the academic screens
Sits in the safe zone (above 2.99). The Z-Score estimates financial-distress risk from five balance-sheet and earnings ratios.
Nine binary fundamental-strength checks across profitability, leverage and operating efficiency.
Screens reported earnings for statistical manipulation patterns — below the −1.78 manipulation-risk threshold. A screen, not an accusation.
Continue: the ZS chart & overview · the earnings record
FAQ · from the current data · as of 2026-09-21
Quick answers
What is Zscaler Inc's Closelook quality reading?
The composite reads 43/100 across 7 modules, as of 2026-09-21: valuation 21, quality 38, growth 61, balance sheet 32, cash quality 59, capital allocation 10, momentum 53. Closelook scores are research diary readings, not ratings or investment advice.
What is Zscaler Inc's Altman Z-Score?
4.06, which sits in the safe zone (above 2.99) as of 2026-09-21. The Altman Z-Score estimates financial distress risk from five balance-sheet and earnings ratios.
What is Zscaler Inc's Piotroski F-Score?
4 of 9, as of 2026-09-21. The F-Score counts nine binary fundamental-strength signals across profitability, leverage and operating efficiency.
What does Zscaler Inc's Beneish M-Score indicate?
-3.00 — below the −1.78 manipulation-risk threshold, as of 2026-09-21. The M-Score screens reported earnings for statistical manipulation patterns; it is a screen, not an accusation.
Mentioned on Closelook
Where ZS appears in the diary — 12 pieces, newest first. Every link is our own writing.
Long reads
- Agentic Application Software: The SaaSpocalypse Map
CrowdStrike (CRWD) · Palo Alto Networks (PANW) · Zscaler (ZS) · Rubrik (RBRK) · SentinelOne (S) Healthcare IT Adapter — regulatory moat buys time Regulatory requirements (FDA, HIPAA, clinical trial compliance) create switching costs that…
101 and glossary
- Cloudflare as Agentic Toll Booth: The Infrastructure Tax on Every Agent
Key Companies NET Cloudflare Toll booth positioning: Workers + R2 + Zero Trust for agents ZS Zscaler Competitor in security, but no compute/storage layer FSLY Fastly CDN competitor, but no agent runtime AMZN AWS Full stack but…
Dailies
- Fed day — relief before the decision: 10-year 4.96%, Brent under $107.63, chips reclaim $505, Nasdaq-100 above $708.69
Software sits the relief out: the software ETF flat at $105.41, Microsoft −0.5% to $494.39, ServiceNow −0.8%, Amazon flat, Alphabet +0.3%, Apple +0.4%; the security names hold — Palo Alto +1.2%, Cloudflare +0.8%, CrowdStrike +0.5%…
- Rates — Fed day at a 5% 10-year: the hike is priced, the cycle is not; Yardeni cuts the S&P target to 7,900
Inside technology the sort of Monday paused: the semiconductor ETF rose 1.0% to $502.07 — still under the $505 line it lost on Monday — on AMD +2.8%, Marvell +2.4%, Arm +1.7%, Nvidia +1.1% and Micron +0.9%, while the equipment names that…
- AI trade — sellers of compute sold, buyers bought: chips −5.6%, software +5%, SoftBank +7% in Tokyo
The software ETF gained 5.0% to $106.64, its best day of the year, and the security names that Sunday’s Weekly Signal named as the buyers of frontier models rose 13% to 17%: Zscaler, SentinelOne, CrowdStrike, Palo Alto.
- Rates — the 10-year hits 5.01%: Dow −0.9%, Russell −1.2%, the AI sort pauses, Oracle and Adobe hold their lines
The security group keeps its bid — CrowdStrike +2.9%, SentinelOne +2.3%, Zscaler +1.8% — and the buyers of compute give some back: Alphabet −1.6%, Amazon −1.5%, Apple −1.0%, Microsoft −0.8%.
- AI trade — the pacing call splits tech: chips −5%, software +4.5%, security +12–15%, 10-year hits 5%
The software ETF is up 4.5% at $106.07, its best day of the year, and the security names that Sunday’s Weekly said were being sold on price and bought on flow are up 12% to 15%: Zscaler +14.8%, SentinelOne +14.6%, CrowdStrike +14.7%, Palo…
- Oil knocks on $100 and Wall Street sells everything but the AI pipe: Intel +9%, Lumentum +11%, Dow −1.2% — Seoul buys the dip and the Kospi is back above 7,000
On the other side, the iShares software ETF fell 1.8%: Shopify −7.6%, UiPath −7.8%, Atlassian −6.9%, ServiceNow −5.0%, Workday −4.9%, Zscaler −4.6%, Intuit −4.1%, Adobe −3.5%.
- The trade flips at midday: chips fade, software bounces — Meta +6%, Cloudflare +9%, Datadog +6% while oil holds $101 and the 10-year hits 4.85%
Zscaler and Samsara are graded at the close.
- Samsara jumps 15%, Zscaler beats and goes nowhere, bitcoin tops $81,000 — Wall Street’s best day in a month lands the night before the jobs report
Zscaler beat, guided above the street, spiked 10% and gave it all back within the hour, ending about 1% higher.
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then Software - Infrastructure. Scored names rank on their Closelook score; names without one rank on trend state — above or below their 50- and 200-day averages — never on a score they do not carry.
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