Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW) Receives $387.60 Consensus Price Target from Analysts

Shares of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANWGet Free Report) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the fifty analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and thirty-nine have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $387.5957.

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on PANW shares. Loop Capital boosted their price objective on Palo Alto Networks from $290.00 to $350.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Robert W. Baird set a $420.00 target price on shares of Palo Alto Networks and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. Phillip Securities downgraded shares of Palo Alto Networks from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $320.00 to $346.00 in a report on Monday, September 7th. Roth Capital reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $300.00 price target (up from $210.00) on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Finally, New Street Research set a $415.00 price objective on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Palo Alto Networks

Palo Alto Networks Price Performance

NASDAQ PANW opened at $373.94 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $349.58 and its 200-day moving average price is $263.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $305.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 733.23, a PEG ratio of 9.58 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.87. Palo Alto Networks has a 1-year low of $139.57 and a 1-year high of $398.88.

Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANWGet Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, September 1st. The network technology company reported $1.02 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $3.41 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.35 billion. Palo Alto Networks had a return on equity of 8.50% and a net margin of 2.67%.Palo Alto Networks’s revenue was up 34.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.95 earnings per share. Palo Alto Networks has set its FY 2027 guidance at 4.160-4.190 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.960-0.980 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Palo Alto Networks will post 2.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting Palo Alto Networks

Here are the key news stories impacting Palo Alto Networks this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: Cybersecurity stocks rallied broadly after warnings about AI safety heightened expectations for increased spending on threat prevention and data protection. Palo Alto Networks benefited alongside CrowdStrike and Zscaler, reinforcing the sector-wide nature of the move. Cybersecurity Stocks Surge as AI Safety Warnings Spark Security Bid
  • Positive Sentiment: Analysts and investors continue to view Palo Alto as a leading beneficiary of rising enterprise cybersecurity demand. Its latest reported quarter included revenue of $3.41 billion, up 34.5% year over year and ahead of estimates, while earnings also exceeded expectations.
  • Positive Sentiment: The proliferation of agentic AI could accelerate demand for Palo Alto’s security products as companies seek to secure autonomous systems, applications and data. The company’s accelerating sales growth is a bullish factor for the investment case. The Proliferation of Agentic AI Has Been Great News for Palo Alto Stock Investors
  • Neutral Sentiment: A review of second-quarter cybersecurity results highlighted Palo Alto’s growth and competitive position relative to peers, but also suggested that investors should weigh execution and profitability trends as the sector matures. Cybersecurity Stocks Q2 In Review: Palo Alto Networks Vs Peers
  • Negative Sentiment: Although sales are accelerating, margins are contracting, which could limit earnings growth and make Palo Alto’s very elevated valuation more difficult to justify.
  • Negative Sentiment: One comparison concluded that Fortinet may be the more attractive cybersecurity investment because of stronger SASE momentum, AI-related demand and a lower valuation, creating a relative-valuation headwind for PANW. PANW vs. FTNT: Which Cybersecurity Stock Should You Buy Right Now?

Insider Activity at Palo Alto Networks

In related news, EVP Dipak Golechha sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $289.56, for a total value of $1,447,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 145,250 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $42,058,590. This trade represents a 3.33% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Helle Thorning-Schmidt sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $346.85, for a total value of $242,795.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 5,898 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,045,721.30. The trade was a 10.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 9,667 shares of company stock valued at $3,058,443. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of PANW. Trilogy Capital Inc. grew its position in Palo Alto Networks by 1.8% in the second quarter. Trilogy Capital Inc. now owns 2,127 shares of the network technology company’s stock worth $725,000 after buying an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Wisconsin Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Wisconsin Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,206 shares of the network technology company’s stock valued at $1,093,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Orrstown Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Orrstown Financial Services Inc. now owns 3,197 shares of the network technology company’s stock worth $1,090,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Principia Wealth Advisory LLC boosted its stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 125.0% during the 2nd quarter. Principia Wealth Advisory LLC now owns 81 shares of the network technology company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Finally, WNY Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter. WNY Asset Management LLC now owns 1,751 shares of the network technology company’s stock worth $597,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.82% of the company’s stock.

About Palo Alto Networks

(Get Free Report)

Palo Alto Networks, Inc is a cybersecurity company that provides security products and services to businesses, governments and other organizations worldwide. The company helps customers protect networks, cloud environments, endpoints, applications and connected devices from cyber threats.

Its portfolio includes next-generation firewalls and network security technologies, as well as cloud-delivered security solutions such as Prisma Access and Prisma Cloud. Palo Alto Networks also offers Cortex products for endpoint protection, security operations, threat detection and response, and automation.

Recommended Stories

Analyst Recommendations for Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW)

Receive News & Ratings for Palo Alto Networks Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Palo Alto Networks and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.