4,494 Shares in Palo Alto Networks, Inc. $PANW Purchased by Capstone Capital Management Ltd

Key Points

• Capstone Capital Management Ltd opened a new position in Palo Alto Networks during the fourth quarter, buying 4,494 shares worth about $828,000.
• Palo Alto Networks reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.03 versus $0.94 expected and revenue of $2.59 billion, up 14.9% year over year.
• Wall Street sentiment remains broadly positive, with several firms raising price targets and the stock holding an average “Moderate Buy” rating with a consensus target price of $217.59.

Capstone Capital Management Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 4,494 shares of the network technology company's stock, valued at approximately $828,000.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of PANW. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Palo Alto Networks in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Knuff & Co LLC bought a new position in shares of Palo Alto Networks during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Steph & Co. raised its holdings in Palo Alto Networks by 88.2% during the fourth quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 143 shares of the network technology company's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in Palo Alto Networks by 96.1% in the 3rd quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 149 shares of the network technology company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WHI TRUST Co LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. 79.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Palo Alto Networks Price Performance

Shares of PANW opened at $247.55 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $202.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 136.77, a PEG ratio of 8.75 and a beta of 0.77. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. has a one year low of $139.57 and a one year high of $248.85. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $176.50 and its 200-day simple moving average is $181.18.

Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The network technology company reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $2.59 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.58 billion. Palo Alto Networks had a return on equity of 17.60% and a net margin of 12.96%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 14.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.81 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Palo Alto Networks, Inc. will post 2.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently weighed in on PANW. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $265.00 price objective on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $223.00 price objective (down from $245.00) on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $275.00 price objective (up from $245.00) on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a report on Friday. Guggenheim reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities increased their target price on Palo Alto Networks from $225.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-six have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $217.59.

Palo Alto Networks News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho raised its price target on Palo Alto Networks to $265 from $200 and reiterated an Outperform rating, signaling confidence in further upside for the stock. Mizuho Adjusts Price Target on Palo Alto Networks to 265 from 200
• Positive Sentiment: Rosenblatt Securities raised its price target to $275 from $225 and maintained a Buy rating, adding to the bullish outlook from Wall Street. Rosenblatt Securities Adjusts Palo Alto Networks Price Target to 275 from 225
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks noted PANW was advancing even as the broader market declined, suggesting relative strength and continued investor demand for the shares. Palo Alto Networks Advances While Market Declines: Some Information for Investors
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary from Jim Cramer highlighted why Palo Alto Networks is drawing attention, reinforcing the stock’s momentum but without a clear new fundamental catalyst. Jim Cramer Shares Why Palo Alto Is Having The Last Laugh
• Neutral Sentiment: A Zacks comparison piece said CrowdStrike currently has an edge over PANW based on growth and ARR trends, but it appeared more like sector comparison than a direct negative catalyst for Palo Alto Networks. CRWD vs. PANW Which Cybersecurity Stock Has an Edge Right Now

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director James J. Goetz sold 22,684 shares of Palo Alto Networks stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.41, for a total value of $3,729,476.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 52,500 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,631,525. The trade was a 30.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director John P. Key sold 1,572 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.32, for a total transaction of $272,459.04. Following the transaction, the director owned 20,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,466,400. This trade represents a 7.29% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 30,356 shares of company stock valued at $4,981,575 in the last 90 days. 1.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.

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