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Palo Alto Networks (PANW) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Palo Alto Networks logo
$375.06 -0.59 (-0.16%)
Closing price 04:00 PM Eastern
Extended Trading
$374.22 -0.83 (-0.22%)
As of 07:00 PM Eastern
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Palo Alto Networks - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Sell
0
Hold
12
Buy
38

Based on 50 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Palo Alto Networks in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy." Out of the 50 analysts, 12 have given a hold rating, and 38 have given a buy rating for PANW.

Consensus Price Target

$389.68
3.90% Upside
According to the 50 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Palo Alto Networks, the average price target is $389.68. The highest price target for PANW is $475.00, while the lowest price target for PANW is $175.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 3.90% from the current price of $375.06.
MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.
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PANW Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
9/17/25 to 9/17/26
1 Month Ago
8/18/25 to 8/18/26
3 Months Ago
6/19/25 to 6/19/26
1 Year Ago
9/17/24 to 9/17/25
Strong Buy
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
38 Buy rating(s)
41 Buy rating(s)
38 Buy rating(s)
29 Buy rating(s)
Hold
12 Hold rating(s)
6 Hold rating(s)
8 Hold rating(s)
10 Hold rating(s)
Sell
0 Sell rating(s)
1 Sell rating(s)
1 Sell rating(s)
2 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$389.68$342.61$306.59$212.39
Forecasted Upside3.90% Upside-8.43% Downside6.54% Upside4.56% Upside
Consensus RatingModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate Buy

PANW Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.
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PANW Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.
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Palo Alto Networks Stock vs. The Competition

TypePalo Alto NetworksTechnology CompaniesBroader Market
Consensus Rating Score
2.78
2.23
2.53
Consensus RatingModerate BuyHoldModerate Buy
Predicted Upside3.18% Upside431.06% Upside18.17% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent PANW News
Positive News
Positive News
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
9/11/2026
Wedbush logo
Wedbush
5 of 5 stars
Initiated CoverageOutperform$400.00+18.17%
9/8/2026
Cantor Fitzgerald logo
Cantor Fitzgerald
5 of 5 stars
Jonathan Ruykhaver
Jonathan Ruykhaver
4 of 5 stars
Reiterated RatingOverweight$425.00+27.53%
9/7/2026
Citigroup Inc. logo
Citigroup
4 of 5 stars
Fatima Boolani
Fatima Boolani
2 of 5 stars
DowngradeBuyNeutral
9/7/2026 DowngradeModerate BuyHold$320.00 ➝ $346.00+2.68%
9/3/2026 Lower Target$201.00 ➝ $190.00-43.19%
9/3/2026Reiterated RatingBuy$425.00+30.43%
9/2/2026 Reiterated RatingBuy$371.00 ➝ $390.00+18.73%
9/2/2026Set Target$400.00+21.44%
9/2/2026 Reiterated RatingBuy$350.00 ➝ $430.00+29.31%
9/2/2026Set TargetEqual Weight$370.00 ➝ $400.00+21.44%
9/2/2026 Set TargetMarket Perform$302.00 ➝ $360.00+9.30%
9/2/2026Reiterated RatingNeutral$210.00 ➝ $300.00-8.72%
9/2/2026Reiterated RatingOutperform$400.00 ➝ $450.00+24.28%
9/2/2026Reiterated RatingOverweight$345.00 ➝ $410.00+13.23%
9/2/2026Reiterated RatingOverweight$387.00 ➝ $394.00+8.81%
9/2/2026Set TargetOutperform$400.00 ➝ $420.00+15.99%
9/2/2026Reiterated RatingBuy
9/2/2026Reiterated RatingOverweight$370.00 ➝ $375.00+3.57%
9/2/2026Reiterated RatingNeutral
9/2/2026DowngradeSector OutperformHold
9/2/2026 Reiterated RatingOutperform$253.00-30.13%
9/2/2026Boost TargetOutperform$380.00 ➝ $400.00+19.60%
9/2/2026 Boost TargetOverweight$421.00 ➝ $428.00+27.97%
9/2/2026Boost TargetBuy$345.00 ➝ $420.00+27.81%
9/2/2026Boost TargetOutperform$434.00 ➝ $475.00+31.18%
9/2/2026Boost TargetPositive$350.00 ➝ $415.00+14.61%
9/2/2026Boost TargetBuy$380.00 ➝ $404.00+11.57%
9/2/2026Reiterated RatingBuy$425.00+17.37%
9/2/2026Boost TargetBuy$355.00 ➝ $415.00+14.61%
9/1/2026 Reiterated RatingHold (C-)
8/31/2026Reiterated RatingOutperform
8/28/2026Reiterated RatingBuy$335.00 ➝ $450.00+17.54%
8/25/2026Boost TargetOverweight$326.00 ➝ $384.00+9.43%
8/24/2026Boost TargetBuy$340.00 ➝ $400.00+11.72%
8/21/2026Boost TargetHold$290.00 ➝ $350.00+4.66%
8/20/2026Reiterated RatingOutperform$335.00 ➝ $415.00+15.57%
8/19/2026Reiterated RatingNeutral$300.00 ➝ $390.00+8.32%
8/19/2026Set TargetOutperform$305.00 ➝ $415.00+15.26%
8/19/2026Set TargetBuy$330.00 ➝ $415.00+10.92%
8/18/2026 Set Target$415.00+10.44%
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8/17/2026Reiterated RatingOverweight$420.00 ➝ $475.00+23.61%
8/12/2026Boost TargetMarket Outperform$320.00 ➝ $415.00+8.88%
7/15/2026Boost TargetBuy$245.00 ➝ $430.00+19.97%
7/1/2026Reiterated RatingOutperform
6/29/2026 Boost TargetBuy$185.00 ➝ $433.00+42.34%
6/16/2026 Reiterated RatingOutperform
6/3/2026 Reiterated RatingOutperform$320.00+7.68%
6/3/2026Boost TargetBuy$290.00 ➝ $360.00+21.14%
2/24/2026 Lower TargetOutperform$212.00 ➝ $175.00+21.41%
11/20/2025Reiterated RatingHold
10/20/2025Boost TargetBuy$215.00 ➝ $240.00+12.86%
7/31/2025DowngradeOverweightSector Weight
5/21/2025Reiterated RatingBuy$230.00 ➝ $230.00+18.26%
11/7/2024 Reiterated RatingMixedNegative

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Thursday at 06:49 PM ET.


Should I Buy Palo Alto Networks Stock? PANW Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Sunday, September 13, 2026. Please send any questions or comments about these Palo Alto Networks pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Palo Alto Networks
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Palo Alto Networks, Inc.:

  • The company recently reported strong financial performance for the quarter ended September 1, 2026, with revenue of $3.41 billion, which exceeded the consensus estimate of $3.35 billion and represented a 34.5% year-over-year increase. This significant growth in revenue demonstrates the company's ability to expand its customer base and increase spending per customer, a key driver for long-term shareholder value.
  • CEO Nikesh Arora has identified an estimated $1 trillion cybersecurity modernization opportunity driven by artificial intelligence, arguing that legacy systems are not designed to defend against machine-speed attacks. This strategic positioning suggests that Palo Alto Networks, Inc. is well-placed to capture a substantial portion of this new market demand as enterprises rush to upgrade their security infrastructure to handle AI-driven threats.
  • The stock currently trades at $330.65, which is below the average 1-year price objective of $387.59 set by fifty brokerages. This discrepancy between the current market price and the analyst consensus suggests that there may be significant upside potential for investors, as the market has not yet fully priced in the company's recent earnings beats and growth trajectory.
  • Palo Alto Networks, Inc. has earned a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from analysts, with thirty-nine issuing a buy rating and only eleven issuing a hold rating. This strong institutional support indicates that professional investors view the company as a compelling investment, likely due to its dominant market position and consistent delivery of results that exceed expectations.
  • The company's earnings per share for the most recent quarter was $1.02, topping the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.04. This beat in EPS, combined with the revenue growth, signals improving profitability and operational efficiency, which are critical factors for investors seeking companies that can convert top-line growth into bottom-line earnings.

Palo Alto Networks
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

Investors should be bearish about investing in Palo Alto Networks, Inc. for these reasons:

  • The company's P/E ratio stands at 648.35, which is extremely high compared to traditional valuation metrics. This suggests that the stock is priced for perfection, meaning that any future disappointment in earnings or growth could lead to a significant decline in the share price, as the current valuation leaves little room for error.
  • Palo Alto Networks, Inc. published a security advisory addressing a critical buffer overflow vulnerability in its PAN-OS software, cataloged as CVE-2026-0310 with a CVSSv4 base score of 9.2. This high-severity vulnerability enables unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code with root privileges, which could erode customer trust and potentially lead to increased scrutiny or regulatory pressure on the company's security posture.
  • PhillipCapital downgraded Palo Alto Networks, Inc. to Neutral from Accumulate on September 7, 2026, citing that the company's AI growth faces a higher valuation bar. This downgrade reflects a growing sentiment among some analysts that the stock's current price may not be justified by its growth prospects, particularly as investors demand more from the cybersecurity company after its recent rally.
  • The stock has experienced recent volatility, including a 2.3% decline on September 11, 2026, and a gap down of $16.09 on September 2, 2026. This price action indicates that the market is sensitive to news and analyst actions, and investors may face significant short-term fluctuations that could impact their returns, especially given the high valuation.
  • Short interest in Palo Alto Networks, Inc. has been relatively high, with 21,411,706 shares shorted as of August 31, 2026, representing 2.66% of the float. While this is not an extreme level, it indicates that a portion of the market is betting against the stock, which could contribute to downward pressure on the share price if negative news emerges or if short sellers increase their positions.

PANW Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 50 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Palo Alto Networks is $389.68, with a high forecast of $475.00 and a low forecast of $175.00.

50 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Palo Alto Networks in the last year. There are currently 12 hold ratings and 38 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" PANW shares.

According to analysts, Palo Alto Networks's stock has a predicted upside of 3.90% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Palo Alto Networks's stock had 4 downgrades and 1 upgrade by analysts.

Analysts like Palo Alto Networks more than other "technology" companies. The consensus rating for Palo Alto Networks is Moderate Buy while the average consensus rating for "technology" companies is Hold. Learn more on how PANW compares to other companies.


MarketBeat monitors more than a dozen sources for Palo Alto Networks analyst ratings, with the most recent rating issued on 9/17/2026.
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