Why Zebra Technologies Stock Galloped 20% Higher Thursday Morning
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By Anders Bylund – Feb 12, 2026 at 3:31PM ESTKey PointsZebra Technologies stock jumped as much as 20% Thursday after management issued guidance well above Wall Street estimates.Higher memory-chip costs will pressure margins in 2026, but management still expects profit growth.The company positions itself as a supplier of AI solutions for frontline business operations, even if it's not a household name in the AI space.We’re bullish on these 10 stocks ›NASDAQ: ZBRAZebra TechnologiesMarket Cap$13BToday's Changeangle-down(8.41%) $21.23Current Price$273.73Price as of February 12, 2026 at 3:58 PM ETZebra Technologies isn't a flashy AI stock, but it might be a bargain-priced way to play the trend. Thursday's earnings report explained why.Shares of Zebra Technologies (ZBRA +8.41%) were up by 10.5% at 2:50 p.m. ET on Thursday. The information manager's stock had gained as much as 20.2% earlier in the day. Zebra's Q4 2025 results were broadly in line with expectations, but management set bullish guidance targets for the next quarter. ExpandNASDAQ: ZBRAZebra TechnologiesToday's Change(8.41%) $21.23Current Price$273.73Key Data PointsMarket Cap$13BDay's Range$273.45 - $303.2752wk Range$205.73 - $352.66Volume98KAvg Vol668KGross Margin46.70% Zebra's guidance is the real story here Zebra's fourth-quarter sales rose 10.6% year-over-year to $1.48 billion. Adjusted earnings jumped from $4.00 to $4.33 per diluted share. The bottom-line result matched the consensus analyst target, while revenue came in slightly above the average estimate of $1.47 billion. Looking ahead, Zebra's management sees revenues of roughly $1.48 billion in the next report, alongside adjusted earnings of approximately $4.18 per share. Both targets are significantly above the current Street projections. A nuts-and-bolts bargain in a flashy AI market Zebra is achieving robust results in a difficult market environment. For instance, higher computer hardware costs (led by soaring memory-chip prices) will weigh on the company's profit margins throughout 2026 -- but management still expects richer profits. From manufacturers and e-commerce retailers to healthcare providers and fast-food restaurants, Zebra's target markets are hungry for digital inventory tracking and other data management tools. Zebra does offer some AI tools, but most investors don't think of the company as an artificial intelligence (AI) specialist. Still, the data you can collect with its tools is perfect fodder for AI-driven analysis. Image source: Zebra Technologies. "Our industry leadership puts us in a unique position to be a supplier of choice of AI solutions for the frontline of business," CEO Bill Burns said on the earnings call. Zebra is a bargain-priced nuts-and-bolts play on the AI boom. Beyond the AI angle, the core business of inventory tracking and data management taps into several other high-growth trends, including e-commerce and digitized healthcare records. The stock trades near the midpoint of its 52-week range right now, but the price might be a bit low. You can pick up Zebra shares at the modest valuation of 2.7 times sales or 28 times trailing earnings, but you get a downright bargain when you include growth prospects in the calculation. The forward P/E ratio is just 14x today.Read NextOct 31, 2025 •By Lee SamahaWhy Shares in Zebra Technologies Fell This Week (and Why They Could Recover)Oct 28, 2025 •By Anders BylundWhy Zebra Technologies Stock Stumbled TodayJun 27, 2025 •By Motley Fool YouTubeZebra Technologies: A Market Beater With Growth PotentialNov 1, 2024 •By Anders BylundZebra's Q3 Soars as Key Sectors Turn the CornerOct 29, 2024 •By Motley Fool Markets TeamZebra: Strong Sales, EPS Outperform Aug 1, 2024 •By Anders BylundZebra Technologies CEO Shares Insights on Consumer Spending and Future GrowthAbout the AuthorAnders Bylund is a contributing Motley Fool media and technology analyst covering semiconductors, cloud computing, internet infrastructure, quantum computing, and streaming media. Previously, Anders was a systems administrator for Nielsen Technology and CSX, gaining hands-on experience with enterprise-class systems. He was also a freelance writer for Ars Technica, TIME, USA Today, CNN, WIRED, and AOL's Daily Finance. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in library and information sciences from Florida State University. He believes in coyotes and time as an abstract.TMFZahrimX@TMFZahrimStocks MentionedZebra TechnologiesNASDAQ: ZBRA$273.73 (+8.41%) $+21.23*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.