Capital Research Global Investors reduced its stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW – Free Report) by 3.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,996,535 shares of the network technology company’s stock after selling 66,453 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors’ holdings in Palo Alto Networks were worth $367,784,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in PANW. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Palo Alto Networks during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,415,364,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 67,929,063 shares of the network technology company’s stock worth $12,512,533,000 after purchasing an additional 2,659,100 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 108.3% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,467,692 shares of the network technology company’s stock worth $502,263,000 after purchasing an additional 1,282,738 shares during the last quarter. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. acquired a new position in shares of Palo Alto Networks during the 4th quarter worth approximately $164,968,000. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Palo Alto Networks during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $162,161,000. 79.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
PANW has been the topic of several analyst reports. Susquehanna reaffirmed a “positive” rating and set a $350.00 price target (up from $200.00) on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research report on Wednesday. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $315.00 price target (up from $220.00) on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research report on Wednesday. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $320.00 price target on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $200.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $325.00 price target (up from $285.00) on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research report on Wednesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-seven have assigned a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $306.59.
Trending Headlines about Palo Alto Networks
Here are the key news stories impacting Palo Alto Networks this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains broadly constructive, with multiple firms raising price targets after earnings, including targets of $207 to $360 and several firms reiterating positive forecasts for PANW. HSBC adjusts price target on Palo Alto Networks
- Positive Sentiment: FBN Securities upgraded Palo Alto Networks from “outperform” to “strong-buy,” adding to the bullish analyst backdrop. FBN Securities upgrade
- Neutral Sentiment: Several articles note that PANW’s strong AI security narrative and recent earnings beat have kept the long-term story intact, even as the stock has cooled after its sharp rally. Barron’s on Palo Alto Networks rally
- Negative Sentiment: Cybersecurity peers, especially CrowdStrike, sold off after earnings, and that weakness spilled over to PANW as investors demanded clearer proof of AI monetization and more room for upside after the rally. CrowdStrike sinks, weighing on Palo Alto Networks
- Negative Sentiment: Some commentary argues PANW’s stock has run too far too fast, suggesting valuation concerns and profit-taking are pressuring shares despite solid fundamentals. Seeking Alpha on Palo Alto Networks valuation
Palo Alto Networks Price Performance
Palo Alto Networks stock opened at $272.05 on Monday. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. has a twelve month low of $139.57 and a twelve month high of $302.95. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $205.03 and its 200-day simple moving average is $186.47. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $221.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 222.99, a P/E/G ratio of 9.55 and a beta of 0.94.
Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 2nd. The network technology company reported $0.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.06. Palo Alto Networks had a return on equity of 10.53% and a net margin of 7.95%.The business had revenue of $3 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.94 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.37 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 31.1% on a year-over-year basis. 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. As a group, equities analysts expect that Palo Alto Networks, Inc. will post 2.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Insider Buying and Selling at Palo Alto Networks
In other news, Director John P. Key sold 1,572 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.32, for a total transaction of $272,459.04. Following the sale, the director owned 20,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,466,400. This represents a 7.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Josh D. Paul sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $285.08, for a total value of $313,588.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 81,636 shares in the company, valued at $23,272,790.88. This represents a 1.33% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 72,076 shares of company stock valued at $17,930,587. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.
Palo Alto Networks Company Profile
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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