Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) Updates Q4 2026 Earnings Guidance

Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) issued an update on its fourth quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 0.960-0.980 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 0.530. The company issued revenue guidance of $3.3 billion-$3.4 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $3.3 billion. Palo Alto Networks also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 3.770-3.790 EPS.

Palo Alto Networks Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of NASDAQ PANW traded down $3.42 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $297.06. The stock had a trading volume of 13,667,928 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,217,452. The firm has a market cap of $242.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 164.12, a P/E/G ratio of 10.16 and a beta of 0.94. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $195.20 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $184.31. Palo Alto Networks has a 52-week low of $139.57 and a 52-week high of $302.95.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Scotiabank reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and set a $275.00 price target (up from $245.00) on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research note on Friday, May 15th. BTIG Research lifted their price objective on Palo Alto Networks from $216.00 to $268.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $223.00 to $253.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities increased their target price on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $225.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-five have issued a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $238.23.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Nikesh Arora purchased 68,085 shares of Palo Alto Networks stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $146.87 per share, with a total value of $9,999,643.95. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 343,394 shares in the company, valued at approximately $50,434,276.78. The trade was a 24.73% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Dipak Golechha sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 owned 150,250 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $24,103,105. This trade represents a 3.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 94,760 shares of company stock worth $21,660,063. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Palo Alto Networks News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Palo Alto Networks beat analyst estimates with fiscal Q3 EPS of $0.85 versus $0.81 expected, and revenue of $3.0 billion versus $2.94 billion anticipated, which supports the stock’s move higher. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s latest results add credibility to the company’s position as a leading cybersecurity platform, with strong profitability metrics including a 12.96% net margin and 17.60% return on equity. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Several pre-earnings reports and analyst notes were bullish, including price-target hikes from JPMorgan and Baird to $300, signaling confidence that the stock can sustain its premium valuation. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: News flow around AI-driven cybersecurity demand and Palo Alto’s acquisition of Portkey have reinforced the investment case that the company can benefit as enterprises spend more on securing AI infrastructure. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market commentary has highlighted cybersecurity as a strong theme into earnings, but this backdrop is more of a supportive industry trend than a direct company-specific catalyst. Article Title

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of PANW. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks during the second quarter worth $25,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Palo Alto Networks in the 3rd quarter valued at $33,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Palo Alto Networks in the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. McIlrath & Eck LLC raised its stake in Palo Alto Networks by 127.7% in the 2nd quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 214 shares of the network technology company’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp acquired a new stake in Palo Alto Networks during the 4th quarter worth about $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.82% of the company’s stock.

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.