Element Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW – Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 5,000 shares of the network technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,705,000.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 147.7% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,761 shares of the network technology company’s stock worth $1,230,000 after acquiring an additional 4,031 shares in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 169.1% during the fourth quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 5,212 shares of the network technology company’s stock valued at $948,000 after purchasing an additional 3,275 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in Palo Alto Networks by 66.3% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,484 shares of the network technology company’s stock worth $713,000 after purchasing an additional 1,389 shares during the period. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in Palo Alto Networks by 11,100.0% in the second quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 560 shares of the network technology company’s stock worth $115,000 after purchasing an additional 555 shares during the period. Finally, Main Street Financial Solutions LLC raised its holdings in Palo Alto Networks by 6.0% in the second quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 4,398 shares of the network technology company’s stock worth $900,000 after purchasing an additional 249 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.82% of the company’s stock.
Palo Alto Networks Stock Performance
Shares of PANW stock opened at $339.90 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $277.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 278.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 11.76 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 0.86. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. has a one year low of $139.57 and a one year high of $398.88. The company’s 50-day moving average is $339.90 and its 200 day moving average is $244.71.
Key Headlines Impacting Palo Alto Networks
Here are the key news stories impacting Palo Alto Networks this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised price targets. JPMorgan increased its target from $326 to $384 and maintained an “overweight” rating, while Benchmark raised its target from $340 to $400 and reiterated a “buy” rating. These revisions reflect continued confidence in Palo Alto Networks’ growth prospects. JPMorgan price target article Benchmark price target article
- Positive Sentiment: Cybersecurity demand remains a long-term growth driver. Strong firewall bookings, expanding software revenue and increasing AI-related network traffic are supporting the company’s Network Security outlook. Can Rising Network Security Demand Boost PANW’s Long-Term Growth?
- Neutral Sentiment: Earnings are the next major catalyst. Palo Alto Networks was expected to report quarterly results on Tuesday. Investors will focus on billings, recurring software and platform growth, profitability and forward guidance to determine whether the company’s elevated valuation is justified. Palo Alto Networks Expected to Post Earnings on Tuesday
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation and profit-taking may be weighing on the stock. Despite favorable analyst commentary, PANW trades at a very high reported P/E ratio of about 279 and has risen sharply over the past year. The decline while the market gained indicates investors may be locking in profits or demanding stronger near-term results before bidding shares higher. Palo Alto Networks Stock Sinks As Market Gains
Insider Transactions at Palo Alto Networks
In related news, CAO Josh D. Paul sold 1,100 shares of Palo Alto Networks stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $285.08, for a total value of $313,588.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 81,636 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,272,790.88. This trade represents a 1.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director James J. Goetz sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $279.90, for a total value of $5,598,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 20,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,598,000. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 37,935 shares of company stock valued at $10,809,461. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
PANW has been the subject of several recent research reports. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $345.00 price objective (up from $265.00) on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $370.00 target price (up from $315.00) on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price target on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $340.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $335.00 price target on shares of Palo Alto Networks and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Citizens Jmp boosted their price objective on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $320.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty have assigned a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $365.87.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on Palo Alto Networks
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.
Featured Articles
- Five stocks we like better than Palo Alto Networks
- Pathward’s Credit Scare Tests Its Comeback Story
- Wiring the AI Boom: Rumble’s $13.7B Pivot
- StoneX: Too Far Too Fast?
- DICK’s Sporting Goods Faces Pain Now for a Bigger Prize
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.
