NBH Bank acquired a new position in shares of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW – Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 5,139 shares of the network technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,753,000.
A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Solstein Capital LLC bought a new stake in Palo Alto Networks during the second quarter valued at $26,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Palo Alto Networks during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Palo Alto Networks in the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. EMC Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Palo Alto Networks in the 2nd quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, TOP Private Wealth LLC. acquired a new position in shares of Palo Alto Networks in the 2nd quarter valued at about $34,000. Institutional investors own 79.82% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several equities research analysts recently commented on PANW shares. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $394.00 target price (up from $387.00) on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research note on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird set a $420.00 price target on Palo Alto Networks in a research note on Wednesday. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and set a $450.00 price target (up from $400.00) on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a report on Wednesday. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $425.00 price objective on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research note on Wednesday. Forty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Palo Alto Networks currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $385.67.
Palo Alto Networks Stock Up 0.4%
PANW stock opened at $333.26 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $350.18 and its 200 day simple moving average is $254.82. The company has a market cap of $271.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 653.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 10.10 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 0.87. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $139.57 and a fifty-two week high of $398.88.
Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 1st. The network technology company reported $1.02 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.04. Palo Alto Networks had a return on equity of 8.50% and a net margin of 2.67%.The firm had revenue of $3.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.35 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.95 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 34.5% on a year-over-year basis. 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, research analysts expect that Palo Alto Networks, Inc. will post 2.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Insider Buying and Selling at Palo Alto Networks
In other Palo Alto Networks news, EVP Dipak Golechha sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $289.56, for a total transaction of $1,447,800.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 145,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,058,590. This represents a 3.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Aparna Bawa sold 290 shares of Palo Alto Networks stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $348.74, for a total transaction of $101,134.60. Following the transaction, the director owned 6,437 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,244,839.38. This represents a 4.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 38,635 shares of company stock worth $11,150,578 in the last ninety days. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
More Palo Alto Networks News
Here are the key news stories impacting Palo Alto Networks this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Technical and earnings support: A bullish hammer chart pattern suggests potential near-term support after the recent pullback. Rising earnings estimates and the company’s fiscal fourth-quarter beat—$1.02 in adjusted EPS versus $0.98 expected, with revenue up 34.5% to $3.41 billion—also support the possibility of a rebound. Palo Alto Could Find a Support Soon
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism: DA Davidson raised its price target to $420, while Susquehanna and BTIG lifted targets to $415 and $404, respectively. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an overweight rating, adding to a generally bullish Wall Street view. DA Davidson Raises Price Target
- Positive Sentiment: Long-term AI opportunity: Analysts and commentary continue to highlight Palo Alto Networks’ expanding cybersecurity platform and products designed to protect enterprises from AI-related threats. The company’s strong growth profile has helped sustain investor interest despite recent volatility. Palo Alto Networks AI Cybersecurity Growth
- Neutral Sentiment: Sector pressure is limiting momentum: Zscaler’s softer fiscal 2027 growth outlook overshadowed its earnings beat and weighed on cybersecurity peers. Palo Alto Networks has been more resilient than some competitors, but sector-wide concerns remain. Zscaler Growth Guidance Pressures Cybersecurity Stocks
- Neutral Sentiment: AI acquisition: Palo Alto Networks reportedly paid about $500 million in cash and stock for Console, an AI help-desk automation startup. The deal could broaden its AI capabilities, although integration and valuation risks may limit its immediate stock impact. Palo Alto Networks Console Acquisition
- Negative Sentiment: Premium valuation and insider sale: PANW’s very high valuation leaves little room for disappointment, while Chief Accounting Officer Josh Paul’s sale of 900 shares worth approximately $336,000 adds a minor cautionary signal. However, the sale reduced his holdings by only 1.23%, limiting its significance.
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.
See Also
- Five stocks we like better than Palo Alto Networks
- Revolution Medicines Got Its Breakthrough—What Moves It Next?
- Retail Earnings Just Exposed a Bigger Divide in the U.S. Consumer Economy
- FB Financial’s Southern Expansion and Buybacks Drive Analyst Optimism
- AST SpaceMobile Stock Soared 12%—This Was the Catalyst
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.
