Palo Alto Networks, Inc. $PANW Shares Sold by Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd.

Key Points

• Nomura Asset Management reduced its Palo Alto Networks stake by 9.4% in Q4, selling 43,380 shares and leaving it with 420,272 shares worth about $77.4 million.
• Institutional ownership remains high, with hedge funds and other institutional investors holding about 79.82% of the stock, and several firms also added to positions during the quarter.
• Analyst sentiment is still broadly positive: multiple firms recently raised or reiterated price targets, and MarketBeat reports a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with a $235.09 average price target.

Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. lessened its position in Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW - Free Report) by 9.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 420,272 shares of the network technology company's stock after selling 43,380 shares during the period. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned about 0.06% of Palo Alto Networks worth $77,414,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Rockline Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Palo Alto Networks by 7.6% in the fourth quarter. Rockline Wealth Management LLC now owns 28,353 shares of the network technology company's stock valued at $5,223,000 after purchasing an additional 2,006 shares during the period. AXS Investments LLC grew its holdings in Palo Alto Networks by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. AXS Investments LLC now owns 13,178 shares of the network technology company's stock valued at $2,427,000 after purchasing an additional 173 shares during the period. Essex Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings in Palo Alto Networks by 3.8% in the fourth quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. now owns 4,373 shares of the network technology company's stock valued at $806,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares during the period. Railway Pension Investments Ltd grew its holdings in Palo Alto Networks by 13.5% in the fourth quarter. Railway Pension Investments Ltd now owns 1,045,756 shares of the network technology company's stock valued at $192,628,000 after purchasing an additional 124,250 shares during the period. Finally, Founders Financial Securities LLC grew its holdings in Palo Alto Networks by 5.3% in the fourth quarter. Founders Financial Securities LLC now owns 8,580 shares of the network technology company's stock valued at $1,580,000 after purchasing an additional 428 shares during the period. 79.82% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on PANW. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $285.00 target price on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Needham & Company LLC lowered their target price on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $230.00 to $200.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $220.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Loop Capital lowered their target price on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $190.00 to $160.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group dropped their price objective on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $212.00 to $175.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-five have assigned a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $235.09.

More Palo Alto Networks News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several Wall Street firms lifted their price targets on Palo Alto Networks, including Morgan Stanley, Evercore, Wedbush, Benchmark, Wells Fargo, BTIG, and Mizuho, reinforcing expectations for continued growth and keeping sentiment constructive. Morgan Stanley raises price target
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage continues to highlight Palo Alto Networks’ strong platform momentum and growing ARR, suggesting investors see room for further upside if upcoming earnings confirm the trend. ARR growth article
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and media are also debating whether the company’s AI security leadership is a durable competitive advantage or mostly a narrative, which adds uncertainty but does not appear to be the main driver today. AI security narrative article
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Lee Klarich sold 62,904 shares, a move some investors may interpret cautiously, although he still retains a meaningful stake in the company. Insider sale article
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts remain cautious on near-term fundamentals, pointing to rising acquisition costs, share dilution, and a mixed outlook heading into Q3 earnings. Q3 earnings outlook article

Palo Alto Networks Stock Up 9.3%

Palo Alto Networks stock opened at $281.69 on Friday. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. has a 52-week low of $139.57 and a 52-week high of $283.71. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $192.58 and a 200-day moving average of $183.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $229.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 155.63, a PEG ratio of 10.16 and a beta of 0.77.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director John P. Key sold 1,572 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.32, for a total value of $272,459.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 20,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,466,400. This represents a 7.29% 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 Lee Klarich sold 62,904 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 235,983 shares of the company's stock, valued at $61,037,002.95. This trade represents a 21.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over 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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