Palo Alto Networks, Inc. $PANW Shares Acquired by Huntington National Bank

Key Points

• Huntington National Bank increased its position in Palo Alto Networks by 2.9% in the fourth quarter, buying 16,775 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 588,541 shares valued at about $108.4 million.
• Institutional ownership remains very high, with several large funds such as Vanguard, State Street, and Geode also adding to their stakes; overall, institutions and hedge funds own 79.82% of PANW shares.
• Analyst sentiment stays broadly bullish, with multiple firms raising price targets recently and the consensus rating sitting at “Moderate Buy” with an average target of $234.28, though some executives have also sold shares recently.

Huntington National Bank boosted its stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW - Free Report) by 2.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 588,541 shares of the network technology company's stock after buying an additional 16,775 shares during the quarter. Huntington National Bank owned 0.08% of Palo Alto Networks worth $108,409,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Palo Alto Networks by 4.1% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 67,929,063 shares of the network technology company's stock worth $12,512,533,000 after buying an additional 2,659,100 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its position in Palo Alto Networks by 1.7% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 29,736,916 shares of the network technology company's stock worth $6,055,031,000 after buying an additional 505,924 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Palo Alto Networks by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 15,989,257 shares of the network technology company's stock worth $2,934,935,000 after buying an additional 540,756 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp grew its position in Palo Alto Networks by 0.5% during the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,528,248 shares of the network technology company's stock worth $1,532,902,000 after buying an additional 36,511 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP grew its position in Palo Alto Networks by 11.5% during the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 5,906,963 shares of the network technology company's stock worth $1,202,776,000 after buying an additional 611,375 shares during the period. 79.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Palo Alto Networks Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ PANW opened at $248.47 on Thursday. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. has a 12-month low of $139.57 and a 12-month high of $261.41. The company has a market capitalization of $202.75 billion, a PE ratio of 137.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 9.26 and a beta of 0.77. The firm's 50-day moving average is $188.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $182.95.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on PANW. Rosenblatt Securities upped their target price on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $225.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $209.00 target price on shares of Palo Alto Networks and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. New Street Research lowered their target price on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $240.00 to $220.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. HSBC reduced their price target on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $157.00 to $114.00 in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reduced their price target on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $230.00 to $200.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-five have assigned a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $234.28.

Trending Headlines about Palo Alto Networks

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

• Positive Sentiment: Benchmark raised its price target on Palo Alto Networks to $270 from $200 and kept a Buy rating, reinforcing the view that the stock still has meaningful upside. Benchmark price target increase
• Positive Sentiment: Wedbush also lifted its target sharply, to $300 from $225, while reiterating an Outperform rating, signaling continued confidence in Palo Alto Networks’ growth outlook. Wedbush price target increase
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reiterated a Buy rating with a $285 target, and earlier coverage from other firms also pointed to higher targets, adding to the bullish analyst momentum around PANW. Wells Fargo reiterates Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Media coverage continues to frame Palo Alto Networks as a potential beneficiary of AI-driven cybersecurity demand, which supports the long-term investment story but is not an immediate catalyst. AI security supercycle article
• Negative Sentiment: Shares have also faced some sector-wide selling after weak guidance from a peer, Zscaler, which dragged on sentiment across cybersecurity stocks. Cybersecurity gloom article
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Lee Klarich sold 62,904 shares at an average price of $258.65, a transaction investors may view cautiously, although the executive still retains a sizable stake. Insider sale filing

Insider Buying and Selling at Palo Alto Networks

In related news, EVP Dipak Golechha sold 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.42, for a total transaction of $802,100.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 150,250 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $24,103,105. This represents a 3.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Lee Klarich sold 62,904 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $258.65, for a total transaction of $16,270,119.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 235,983 shares in the company, valued at $61,037,002.95. The trade was a 21.05% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 93,660 shares of company stock valued at $21,346,475. 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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