287,116 Shares in Palo Alto Networks, Inc. $PANW Acquired by Nykredit A S

Key Points

• Nykredit A S acquired 287,116 Palo Alto Networks shares worth approximately $97.9 million in the second quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 79.82% of PANW.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $389.68, although Citigroup downgraded the stock to “Neutral.”
• Palo Alto Networks exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, with revenue rising 34.5% year over year, but its exceptionally high P/E ratio of 735.43 and recent insider selling present valuation and confidence risks.

Nykredit A S acquired a new position in shares of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 287,116 shares of the network technology company's stock, valued at approximately $97,912,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of PANW. Solstein Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Palo Alto Networks in the second quarter worth $26,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Palo Alto Networks during the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Principia Wealth Advisory LLC raised its stake in Palo Alto Networks by 125.0% in the 2nd quarter. Principia Wealth Advisory LLC now owns 81 shares of the network technology company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EMC Capital Management acquired a new position in Palo Alto Networks in the 2nd quarter valued at about $34,000. 79.82% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Susquehanna upped their price objective on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $350.00 to $415.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. Citigroup downgraded Palo Alto Networks from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, September 7th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "buy" rating and set a $425.00 price target on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. FBN Securities restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $415.00 price objective on Palo Alto Networks and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Thirty-eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $389.68.

Insider Buying and Selling at Palo Alto Networks

In other news, Director Aparna Bawa sold 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $373.61, for a total value of $373,610.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 5,437 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,031,317.57. This represents a 15.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Dipak Golechha sold 5,000 shares of Palo Alto Networks stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $289.56, for a total transaction of $1,447,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 145,250 shares in the company, valued at $42,058,590. This trade represents a 3.33% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 13,667 shares of company stock valued at $4,560,718. 1.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Palo Alto Networks News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Palo Alto Networks’ secure access service edge (SASE) bookings reportedly increased 40% in fiscal 2026. Growing platform consolidation and rising AI-related network traffic could help PANW compete more effectively with Fortinet and Zscaler, supporting future growth. Can Palo Alto Networks' SASE Push Help It Challenge FTNT and ZS?
• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank raised its fiscal 2027 earnings-per-share estimate for PANW to $2.30 from $2.11, in line with consensus expectations. The higher forecast indicates confidence in improving earnings, although the firm maintained a “Hold” rating. What is Scotiabank's Estimate for PANW FY2027 Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: PANW’s latest reported quarter showed revenue growth of 34.5% year over year and earnings above analyst expectations. However, the shares trade at an exceptionally high earnings multiple, leaving the stock sensitive to any slowdown in growth or deterioration in profitability.
• Negative Sentiment: Directors disclosed multiple sales. Aparna Bawa sold 1,500 shares on September 14–15 for approximately $562,200, while John P. Key sold 2,500 shares for about $940,075. The transactions reduced their holdings by roughly 9% to 20% and may create a modest confidence overhang, even though insider sales do not necessarily signal a change in the company’s outlook. Palo Alto Networks insider filings

Palo Alto Networks Price Performance

Palo Alto Networks stock opened at $375.06 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $352.18 and a 200-day moving average of $268.33. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. has a 52-week low of $139.57 and a 52-week high of $398.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $306.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 735.43, a PEG ratio of 10.84 and a beta of 0.91.

Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 1st. The network technology company reported $1.02 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $3.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.35 billion. Palo Alto Networks had a return on equity of 8.50% and a net margin of 2.67%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 34.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $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, analysts predict that Palo Alto Networks, Inc. will post 2.3 EPS for the current year.

About Palo Alto Networks

Palo Alto Networks, Inc is a cybersecurity company that provides security products and services to businesses, governments and other organizations worldwide. The company helps customers protect networks, cloud environments, endpoints, applications and connected devices from cyber threats.

Its portfolio includes next-generation firewalls and network security technologies, as well as cloud-delivered security solutions such as Prisma Access and Prisma Cloud. Palo Alto Networks also offers Cortex products for endpoint protection, security operations, threat detection and response, and automation.

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).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.