Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) Price Target Raised to $253.00 at Sanford C. Bernstein

Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) had its price target upped by equities researchers at Sanford C. Bernstein from $209.00 to $253.00 in a report released on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has an “outperform” rating on the network technology company’s stock. Sanford C. Bernstein’s price objective points to a potential downside of 11.12% from the stock’s current price.

Several other research analysts have also commented on PANW. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $275.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a report on Wednesday. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $345.00 price target on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research report on Wednesday. New Street Research decreased their price objective on Palo Alto Networks from $240.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, DA Davidson raised their price objective on Palo Alto Networks from $190.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-seven have assigned a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $290.43.

Palo Alto Networks Price Performance

Shares of PANW stock opened at $284.66 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $195.20 and its 200 day moving average is $184.31. Palo Alto Networks has a 1-year low of $139.57 and a 1-year high of $302.95. The company has a market cap of $232.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 157.57, a PEG ratio of 10.83 and a beta of 0.94.

Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, June 2nd. The network technology company reported $0.85 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.06. The business 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 12.96% and a return on equity of 17.60%. The firm’s revenue was up 31.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $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. On average, analysts anticipate that Palo Alto Networks will post 2.14 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Palo Alto Networks

In related news, EVP Lee Klarich sold 62,904 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $258.65, for a total value of $16,270,119.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 235,983 shares in the company, valued at $61,037,002.95. This trade represents a 21.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Dipak Golechha sold 5,000 shares of Palo Alto Networks stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.42, for a total value of $802,100.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 150,250 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $24,103,105. This represents a 3.22% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 94,760 shares of company stock worth $21,660,063 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Palo Alto Networks

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. First Nebraska Trust Co acquired a new position in Palo Alto Networks in the 1st quarter worth approximately $534,000. Foguth Wealth Management LLC. acquired a new stake in Palo Alto Networks during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $168,000. Financial Solutions Advisory Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks in the 1st quarter valued at $296,000. Integrated Investment Consultants LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 4.8% in the 1st quarter. Integrated Investment Consultants LLC now owns 2,188 shares of the network technology company’s stock valued at $351,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blue Fin Capital Inc. increased its stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 11.2% in the first quarter. Blue Fin Capital Inc. now owns 2,536 shares of the network technology company’s stock worth $407,000 after acquiring an additional 255 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.82% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Palo Alto Networks

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

• Positive Sentiment: Palo Alto Networks delivered a solid earnings beat, reporting EPS of $0.85 versus $0.79 expected on revenue of $3.0 billion versus $2.94 billion expected, with sales up 31.1% year over year. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Management lifted FY2026 and Q4 guidance above Wall Street forecasts, signaling stronger demand and better profitability ahead. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: CEO Nikesh Arora said AI-related security concerns are driving more customer meetings and broader enterprise interest in Palo Alto’s platform, which supports the bull case for long-term growth. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts turned more constructive after the results, with multiple firms raising price targets, including Needham, DA Davidson, Benchmark, BMO Capital, BTIG, Stephens, Loop Capital, and JPMorgan, reflecting improved confidence in PANW’s outlook. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Loop Capital raised its price target to $290 but kept a “hold” rating, which suggests some upside has already been priced in after the stock’s sharp rally. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: A small insider sale by the chief accounting officer may add a bit of headline pressure, though it is modest relative to the company’s recent strength. Article Title

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.