Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the forty-two analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and thirty-three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $212.5122.

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $220.00 target price on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Wolfe Research lifted their price objective on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Evercore boosted their price objective on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $220.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Finally, Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a report on Wednesday, February 18th.

Palo Alto Networks Stock Down 3.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:PANW opened at $144.14 on Tuesday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $177.77 and its 200 day moving average is $191.61. The stock has a market cap of $117.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 79.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.38 and a beta of 0.75. Palo Alto Networks has a 52-week low of $143.30 and a 52-week high of $223.61.

Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The network technology company reported $1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.09. Palo Alto Networks had a return on equity of 17.60% and a net margin of 12.96%.The business had revenue of $2.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.58 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.81 EPS. Palo Alto Networks’s revenue was up 14.9% on a year-over-year basis. Palo Alto Networks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.650-3.700 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.780-0.800 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Palo Alto Networks will post 1.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Headlines Impacting Palo Alto Networks

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

• Positive Sentiment: An analyst raised Palo Alto’s FY2026 EPS estimate, signaling higher expected profitability for next fiscal year. FY2026 EPS Estimate for Palo Alto Networks Raised by Analyst
• Positive Sentiment: Investor-facing coverage highlights PANW as a strong AI/security play, praising its comprehensive product portfolio and positioning against AI-driven threats — supportive narrative for longer-term demand. 1 No-Brainer Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock to Buy With $160 and Hold for the Long Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks notes PANW is a trending stock among its users and summarizes factors investors should review before taking a position; this increases attention but doesn’t by itself change fundamentals. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: The Motley Fool asks whether PANW is a buy on the dip: it notes solid fiscal Q2 growth but warns recent acquisitions will pressure near-term EPS — a mixed view that supports longer-term conviction but flags short-term dilution. Is It Time to Buy Palo Alto Networks Stock on the Dip?
• Negative Sentiment: Sector weakness: CNBC reports cybersecurity stocks fell after Anthropic launched an AI tool that can scan code for vulnerabilities, stoking fears AI could automate tasks currently sold by security vendors — a direct headwind to valuation multiples. Cybersecurity stocks drop for a second day as new Anthropic tool fuels AI disruption fears
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and price-target cuts pressured the stock: reports show PANW trading down after at least one downgrade, and HSBC slashed its price target to $114 — a steep cut that likely weighs on sentiment and selling. Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) Trading Down 1.5% Following Analyst Downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple firms adjusted targets lower: HSBC’s $114 target is highly negative, while New Street trimmed its target to $220 — mixed magnitude but overall adds downward pressure on consensus expectations. HSBC Cuts Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) Price Target to $114.00 New Street Research Cuts Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) Price Target to $220.00

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director James J. Goetz sold 12,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.33, for a total transaction of $2,441,625.00. Following the sale, the director owned 75,184 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,685,690.72. This trade represents a 14.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CAO Josh D. Paul sold 800 shares of Palo Alto Networks stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $184.81, for a total value of $147,848.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 46,005 shares in the company, valued at $8,502,184.05. This trade represents a 1.71% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 260,542 shares of company stock valued at $49,910,995. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of PANW. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC boosted its stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 29.4% in the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 32,155 shares of the network technology company’s stock valued at $6,547,000 after purchasing an additional 7,301 shares during the last quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated boosted its stake in Palo Alto Networks by 240.1% in the third quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 11,732 shares of the network technology company’s stock valued at $2,389,000 after acquiring an additional 8,282 shares during the last quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC grew its holdings in Palo Alto Networks by 1,248.9% during the 3rd quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 10,899 shares of the network technology company’s stock worth $2,219,000 after acquiring an additional 10,091 shares during the period. Schroder Investment Management Group raised its position in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 7.9% during the 2nd quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 2,234,551 shares of the network technology company’s stock valued at $457,279,000 after acquiring an additional 163,718 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Richmond Investment Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 87.2% in the 2nd quarter. Richmond Investment Services LLC now owns 3,286 shares of the network technology company’s stock valued at $672,000 after purchasing an additional 1,531 shares during the period. 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.