Apella Capital LLC Buys 8,867 Shares of Arista Networks, Inc. $ANET

Key Points

• Apella Capital increased its Arista Networks position by 584.9% in the third quarter, adding 8,867 shares for a total holding worth approximately $2.1 million. Institutional investors collectively own 82.47% of the company.
• Arista reported strong quarterly results, with revenue up 37.7% year over year to $3.04 billion and EPS of $1.02 versus the $0.89 consensus estimate. Shares opened at $216.63, near their 12-month high of $217.41.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and a $235.45 average price target, although insiders sold more than $706 million in stock over the past 90 days and the elevated valuation creates downside risk.

Apella Capital LLC grew its position in Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET - Free Report) by 584.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 10,383 shares of the technology company's stock after purchasing an additional 8,867 shares during the period. Apella Capital LLC's holdings in Arista Networks were worth $2,114,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in ANET. Main Street Group LTD acquired a new position in Arista Networks in the first quarter worth $26,000. Sankala Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Arista Networks during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. ABS Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Arista Networks in the second quarter valued at $29,000. ABS Direct Equity Fund LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Arista Networks in the second quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Arista Networks by 184.9% in the first quarter. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC now owns 245 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 159 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.47% of the company's stock.

Arista Networks Stock Up 2.7%

Shares of NYSE:ANET opened at $216.63 on Friday. Arista Networks, Inc. has a 12-month low of $114.52 and a 12-month high of $217.41. The company's 50 day moving average price is $198.12 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $172.05. The firm has a market cap of $273.22 billion, a PE ratio of 68.34, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.60.

Arista Networks (NYSE:ANET - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The technology company reported $1.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.89 by $0.13. Arista Networks had a return on equity of 30.65% and a net margin of 38.37%. The business had revenue of $3.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.83 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.73 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 37.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Arista Networks has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.060-1.080 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Arista Networks, Inc. will post 3.74 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Arista Networks

In other news, major shareholder Andreas Bechtolsheim sold 300,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.30, for a total transaction of $60,990,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 181,143,048 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $36,826,381,658.40. This represents a 0.17% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Jayshree Ullal sold 767,029 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.22, for a total transaction of $154,341,575.38. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 16,387,981 shares in the company, valued at $3,297,589,536.82. This represents a 4.47% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 3,468,906 shares of company stock valued at $706,366,437 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 2.70% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently issued reports on ANET shares. Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $240.00 price target (up from $181.00) on shares of Arista Networks in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $260.00 target price (up from $200.00) on shares of Arista Networks in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $220.00 target price (up from $190.00) on shares of Arista Networks in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating and set a $248.00 price target (up from $215.00) on shares of Arista Networks in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Arista Networks from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Tuesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $235.45.

Trending Headlines about Arista Networks

Here are the key news stories impacting Arista Networks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: The rack-scale launch could broaden Arista’s addressable market as hyperscalers seek flexible, interoperable Ethernet alternatives for AI clusters. Can Arista's New Rack-Scale Ethernet Solutions for AI Stoke Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Investor commentary continues to identify ANET as a potential beneficiary of the AI infrastructure boom, with growing Ethernet demand from large cloud customers supporting the bullish outlook. Arista Networks Could Be a Key Winner From the AI Infrastructure Boom
• Positive Sentiment: Arista’s strong fundamentals reinforce the growth narrative: recent revenue rose 37.7% year over year to $3.04 billion, while quarterly EPS of $1.02 exceeded the $0.89 consensus estimate. Management has raised its 2026 sales outlook three times, citing AI customers.
• Neutral Sentiment: Options-market commentary describes the stock as being in a bullish trend and highlights spread trades for investors seeking shorter-term exposure, but this reflects trading sentiment rather than a change in Arista’s fundamentals. Arista Networks Stock In A Bull Trend Offers Spread Trade With A Fast Return
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a key risk. Arista trades at roughly 66 times earnings versus about 21 times for the S&P 500, leaving the stock vulnerable if AI-related growth slows, customer concentration weighs on results or margins come under pressure. Arista Stock Rises 64.7% YTD: Is There More Upside Ahead?
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Jayshree Ullal sold 460,374 shares worth approximately $97.6 million, while CFO Chantelle Breithaupt sold 1,224 shares. Both transactions were made under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans, reducing their significance as discretionary bearish signals but still adding selling pressure.

Arista Networks Profile

Arista Networks, Inc develops and sells cloud networking solutions for data centers, campus environments and high-performance computing applications. Its products include Ethernet switches, routers, wireless access points and related networking equipment designed to support cloud computing, artificial intelligence, enterprise and service-provider networks.

The company's software portfolio includes Arista EOS, its network operating system, and CloudVision, a platform that helps customers manage, automate and monitor network infrastructure.

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