Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW – Get Free Report) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 3.770-3.790 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 3.380. The company issued revenue guidance of $11.4 billion-$11.4 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $11.3 billion. Palo Alto Networks also updated its Q4 2026 guidance to 0.960-0.980 EPS.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several equities analysts have weighed in on PANW shares. Wedbush lifted their price objective on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $225.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Needham & Company LLC reduced their target price on Palo Alto Networks from $230.00 to $200.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Truist Financial raised their target price on Palo Alto Networks from $200.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on Palo Alto Networks from $240.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Loop Capital reduced their price objective on Palo Alto Networks from $190.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-five have given a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $238.23.
Check Out Our Latest Report on PANW
Palo Alto Networks Stock Down 1.1%
Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 2nd. The network technology company reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.79 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.94 billion. Palo Alto Networks had a return on equity of 17.60% and a net margin of 12.96%.Palo Alto Networks’s quarterly revenue was up 31.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.37 earnings per share. Palo Alto Networks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.770-3.790 EPS and its Q4 2026 guidance at 0.960-0.980 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Palo Alto Networks will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Insider Activity at Palo Alto Networks
In other news, CEO Nikesh Arora acquired 68,085 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 27th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $146.87 per share, for a total transaction of $9,999,643.95. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 343,394 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $50,434,276.78. This represents a 24.73% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Dipak Golechha sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.42, for a total transaction of $802,100.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 150,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,103,105. The trade was a 3.22% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 94,760 shares of company stock worth $21,660,063. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Key Palo Alto Networks News
Here are the key news stories impacting Palo Alto Networks this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Palo Alto Networks beat fiscal Q3 estimates, reporting EPS of $0.85 versus $0.79 expected and revenue of $3.0 billion versus $2.94 billion expected, with sales up 31.1% year over year. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: The company raised FY2026 and Q4 guidance well above Wall Street forecasts, reinforcing confidence in accelerating demand and stronger profitability ahead. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: Management said AI-related security concerns are driving more customer engagement, with CEO Nikesh Arora saying meeting requests have surged as enterprises prepare for new AI risks. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment also improved, with JPMorgan and Baird raising price targets to $300, which supports the view that the post-earnings rally may have more room if execution holds. Article Title
- Neutral Sentiment: Palo Alto also completed its acquisition of Portkey, an AI gateway provider, which could strengthen its AI-security platform over time, though the near-term financial impact is unclear. Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: An insider sale by the chief accounting officer may create a small overhang, but it appears minor compared with the company’s strong operating results. Article Title
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Palo Alto Networks
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Palo Alto Networks in the second quarter worth $25,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks in the third quarter worth about $33,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks during the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp bought a new stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks during the 4th quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, Ankerstar Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Palo Alto Networks during the 4th quarter valued at about $42,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.82% of the company’s stock.
About Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ: PANW) is a cybersecurity company founded in 2005 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California. The firm develops a broad suite of security products and services designed to prevent successful cyberattacks and protect enterprise networks, clouds, and endpoints. Built around a platform strategy, its offerings target threat prevention, detection, response and governance across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
The company’s product portfolio includes next‑generation firewalls as a core on‑premises capability, alongside cloud‑delivered security services and software for securing public and private clouds.
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