Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its stake in Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW – Free Report) by 7.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 179,314 shares of the network technology company’s stock after buying an additional 13,163 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.’s holdings in Palo Alto Networks were worth $33,029,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Palo Alto Networks during the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Knuff & Co LLC acquired a new position in Palo Alto Networks in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Steph & Co. increased its holdings in Palo Alto Networks by 88.2% in the 4th quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 143 shares of the network technology company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Sittner & Nelson LLC increased its holdings in Palo Alto Networks by 73.8% in the 4th quarter. Sittner & Nelson LLC now owns 146 shares of the network technology company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Winch Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in Palo Alto Networks by 96.1% in the 3rd quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 149 shares of the network technology company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.82% of the company’s stock.
Insider Buying and Selling at Palo Alto Networks
In related news, CAO Josh D. Paul sold 1,100 shares of Palo Alto Networks stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.40, for a total transaction of $177,540.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 83,136 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,418,150.40. This trade represents a 1.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Nikesh Arora bought 68,085 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 27th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $146.87 per share, with a total value of $9,999,643.95. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 343,394 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $50,434,276.78. The trade was a 24.73% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 72,076 shares of company stock valued at $17,930,587 over the last three months. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Palo Alto Networks News Roundup
- 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
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of equities analysts have issued reports on PANW shares. Rosenblatt Securities upped their target price on Palo Alto Networks from $275.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $325.00 target price (up from $285.00) on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a report on Wednesday. Stephens upped their target price on Palo Alto Networks from $180.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Needham & Company LLC raised their price target on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $200.00 to $350.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group set a $300.00 price target on shares of Palo Alto Networks and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-seven have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $306.29.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on PANW
Palo Alto Networks Price Performance
PANW stock opened at $272.05 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $205.03 and a 200-day moving average price of $186.58. The company has a market capitalization of $221.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 222.99, a PEG ratio of 10.28 and a beta of 0.94. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. has a 52-week low of $139.57 and a 52-week high of $302.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 0.86.
Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, June 2nd. The network technology company reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.79 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.94 billion. Palo Alto Networks had a net margin of 7.95% and a return on equity of 10.53%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 31.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm 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. As a group, equities analysts expect that Palo Alto Networks, Inc. will post 2.15 EPS for the current year.
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.
Featured Articles
- Five stocks we like better than Palo Alto Networks
- AI Server Earnings: Wall Street Sees One Clear Standout
- Navitas: NVIDIA’s AI Power Broker?
- A Lulu of a Miss Sends Lululemon to New Lows—Look Out Below
- NVIDIA’s New Power Play: Why Fluence Is Surging
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PANW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW – Free Report).
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.
