A couple weeks ago, I showed you a market-crushing leader that defines high-tech wealth.

The fact is that Proofpoint Inc. (NASDAQ: PFPT) is a great way to play the field of anti-phishing cyber security, a major growth field.

But don’t take my word for it. None other than the FBI says these kinds of intrusions cost the American public $12.5 billion in financial damages in the 55 months ended May 2018.

And during that period, early Proofpoint’s stock totally cleaned up.

From Nov. 12, 2012, when it closed at $10.22 through its most recent closing high of $130.14 on Oct. 15, 2019, PFPT made 1,173.4%.

Along the way, the stock beat the benchmark S&P 500 by a stunning 902.5%.

Even better, just $25,000 invested in Proofpoint would have turned into $313,350 in only seven years.

But don’t worry. I still see plenty of upside ahead. In as little as three years, that original $25,000 will be worth a conservatively estimated $1.27 million.

Let me show you why it’s still not too late to get in on all the action…

Keeping Up with Cybercrime
You may recall from our last chat that Proofpoint pioneered the whole field of protection against phishing attacks.

“Phishing attack” is a term we use to describe a specific type of cyber intrusion. In this field, thieves and hackers send out reams of bogus emails that look real.

They use Photoshop to copy and paste a company’s logo so that customers are predisposed to click on the embedded link. But once that happens, you are being set up for theft.

These crafty hackers gain access to your credit card or other sensitive financial data and proceed to rob you blind, not to mention sell your identity on the Dark Web.

Good thing we have a guy like Eric Hahn on our side. No, he’s not a household name like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates, but his work is very important for millions of us who use email at home or work.

Hahn is the former chief technology officer of early web leader Netscape, a firm that really pushed the field of browsers. Even back then, Hahn saw that the Internet could eventually cause major headaches, including hacks and cyber theft.

So, he decided to get ahead of the curve and launched Proofpoint back in 2002. At first, the company focused on email threats with its Proofpoint Protection Server.

As a growth investor, I’m happy to report that the firm has, in recent years, been steadily branching out to cover so much more. And doing so has greatly increased its addressable market.

Today, email protection is an important legacy business worth a juicy $2 billion. But it’s just one part of the firm’s expanding revenue base.

This aggressive, growth-centric firm now also offers advanced threat analysis and archiving services, each of which are also $2 billion target markets.

But wait, there’s more…

The Profit Is the Point
Widen the scope of Proofpoint’s business to include information protection, threat response, cloud defense, and browser isolation tools, and we’re talking a $12 billion market.

Consider that more than half of all Fortune 1000 firms use one or several of Proofpoint’s software tools. And Proofpoint also has deals in place with the nation’s top five banks, seven of the top 10 global retailers, and 14 of the top 15 research universities.

Make no mistake, this firm is always on the cutting edge. Just look at its accolades. It recently won 14 gold and silver plaques in the 2019 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards run by the online data firm Cybersecurity Insiders.

I believe this market crusher could double again from here. Not just once mind you, but twice – and in three years.

Here’s why I say that. Over the past three years, the company has grown its earnings per share by an amazing 88%. At that rate, it’s doubling roughly every 10 months.

But I prefer to under promise and over deliver. So, to be more conservative, let’s cut that profit track record in half and project from there.

And remember, stock prices tend to track earnings gains, giving us a great way to forecast our profits.

If Proofpoint grows its earnings by 44% a year, they would double again in a little more than 18 months. That would bring our total cash haul to $636,700.

And another 18 months out, or three years from here, that figure is on track to double again to $1.27 million.

As you can see, just this one stock alone could very well make you a bona fide high-tech millionaire.

— Michael A. Robinson

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Source: Money Morning