Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) Issues Earnings Results

Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The network technology company reported $0.43 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.77 by ($0.34), Zacks reports. Palo Alto Networks had a net margin of 14.64% and a return on equity of 21.93%. Palo Alto Networks updated its FY 2025 guidance to 3.260-3.280 EPS and its Q4 2025 guidance to 0.870-0.890 EPS.

Palo Alto Networks Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:PANW traded up $0.18 on Tuesday, reaching $194.48. 8,485,607 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,717,047. Palo Alto Networks has a 52 week low of $142.01 and a 52 week high of $208.39. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $177.67 and its 200 day simple moving average is $185.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $128.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 109.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.64 and a beta of 1.02.

Insider Activity

In other Palo Alto Networks news, EVP Lee Klarich sold 120,774 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $189.27, for a total value of $22,858,894.98. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 293,010 shares in the company, valued at approximately $55,458,002.70. The trade was a 29.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Nikesh Arora sold 227,414 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.73, for a total value of $39,281,220.22. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 317,571 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $54,854,038.83. This trade represents a 41.73% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 568,962 shares of company stock valued at $96,933,690. Insiders own 2.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Palo Alto Networks

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Palo Alto Networks stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in shares of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW) by 147.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,761 shares of the network technology company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,031 shares during the period. Brighton Jones LLC’s holdings in Palo Alto Networks were worth $1,230,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. 79.82% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $225.00 price target on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $235.00 target price on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research note on Tuesday. HSBC raised shares of Palo Alto Networks from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $156.00 price target on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Roth Capital started coverage on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a report on Thursday, May 15th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $210.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $223.00 target price on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research note on Monday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have given a hold rating, twenty-eight have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Palo Alto Networks presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $203.46.

About Palo Alto Networks

Palo Alto Networks, Inc provides cybersecurity solutions worldwide. The company offers firewall appliances and software; and Panorama, a security management solution for the global control of network security platform as a virtual or a physical appliance. It also provides subscription services covering the areas of threat prevention, malware and persistent threat, URL filtering, laptop and mobile device protection, DNS security, Internet of Things security, SaaS security API, and SaaS security inline, as well as threat intelligence, and data loss prevention.