Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW – Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2027 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 4.160-4.190 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 2.010. The company issued revenue guidance of $14.1 billion-$14.2 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $13.8 billion. Palo Alto Networks also updated its Q1 2027 guidance to 0.960-0.980 EPS.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several brokerages have recently weighed in on PANW. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $330.00 target price on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Benchmark lifted their price target on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $340.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 24th. Arete Research raised their price objective on Palo Alto Networks from $185.00 to $433.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. Stephens boosted their target price on Palo Alto Networks from $180.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $320.00 price target on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $370.87.
Read Our Latest Research Report on PANW
Palo Alto Networks Stock Down 5.2%
Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 1st. The network technology company reported $1.02 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $3.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.35 billion. Palo Alto Networks had a net margin of 7.95% and a return on equity of 10.53%. The firm’s revenue was up 34.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.95 earnings per share. 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. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Palo Alto Networks will post 2.01 earnings per share for the current year.
Insider Activity at Palo Alto Networks
In related news, Director Aparna Bawa sold 290 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $348.74, for a total value of $101,134.60. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 6,437 shares in the company, valued at $2,244,839.38. This trade represents a 4.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CAO Josh D. Paul sold 900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $353.77, for a total transaction of $318,393.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 73,354 shares in the company, valued at $25,950,444.58. The trade was a 1.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 37,735 shares of company stock worth $10,814,266. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Key Palo Alto Networks News
Here are the key news stories impacting Palo Alto Networks this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results exceeded expectations. Revenue rose 34.5% year over year to $3.41 billion, ahead of the $3.35 billion consensus estimate, while adjusted earnings of $1.02 per share topped expectations of $0.98 and increased from $0.95 a year earlier. Palo Alto Networks beats quarterly earnings estimates, acquires AI platform Console
- Positive Sentiment: Management issued above-consensus guidance. Fiscal 2027 revenue is projected at $14.1 billion to $14.2 billion, representing approximately 23%–24% growth and exceeding the $13.8 billion analyst estimate. First-quarter revenue guidance of about $3.3 billion also came in above expectations. Palo Alto Projects Double-Digit Growth as AI Drives Cybersecurity Spending
- Positive Sentiment: AI is supporting long-term demand. CEO Nikesh Arora said roughly $1 trillion of aging cybersecurity infrastructure is not ready for AI-driven attacks, potentially extending the company’s growth runway. Palo Alto also acquired Console, an AI-native platform intended to strengthen agentic security workflows. Palo Alto CEO says $1 trillion of cybersecurity infrastructure isn’t ready for AI
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment improved. Scotiabank raised its price target to $430 from $320 and assigned a “sector outperform” rating, implying meaningful upside based on the cited reference price. Scotiabank Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Palo Alto Networks Stock
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Palo Alto Networks
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of PANW. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 66.3% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,484 shares of the network technology company’s stock worth $713,000 after buying an additional 1,389 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 169.1% in 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. Strive Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $103,000. Front Row Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks in the third quarter valued at approximately $86,000. Finally, Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Palo Alto Networks during the 4th quarter worth approximately $80,000. 79.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
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.
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