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Palo Alto Networks (PANW) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Palo Alto Networks logo
$333.26 +1.32 (+0.40%)
As of 09/4/2026 04:00 PM Eastern

Palo Alto Networks - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Sell
0
Hold
9
Buy
40

Based on 49 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 49 analysts, 9 have given a hold rating, and 40 have given a buy rating for PANW.

Consensus Price Target

$385.67
15.73% Upside
According to the 49 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Palo Alto Networks, the average price target is $385.67. 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 15.73% from the current price of $333.26.
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
9/6/25 to 9/6/26
1 Month Ago
8/7/25 to 8/7/26
3 Months Ago
6/8/25 to 6/8/26
1 Year Ago
9/6/24 to 9/6/25
Strong Buy
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
2 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
40 Buy rating(s)
40 Buy rating(s)
37 Buy rating(s)
28 Buy rating(s)
Hold
9 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$385.67$333.76$306.59$211.68
Forecasted Upside15.73% Upside-8.27% Downside15.12% Upside8.85% 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
2.82
2.23
2.53
Consensus RatingModerate BuyHoldModerate Buy
Predicted Upside15.73% Upside411.35% Upside14.03% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent PANW News
Positive News
Positive News
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
9/3/2026
Argus logo
Argus
3 of 5 stars
Joseph Bonner
Not Rated
Reiterated RatingBuy$425.00+30.43%
9/2/2026 Reiterated RatingBuy$390.00+18.73%
9/2/2026
Truist Financial Corporation logo
Truist Financial
3 of 5 stars
Set Target$400.00+21.44%
9/2/2026 Reiterated RatingBuy$430.00+29.31%
9/2/2026Set Target$400.00+21.44%
9/2/2026 Set Target$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 Target$420.00+15.99%
9/2/2026Reiterated RatingBuy
9/2/2026Reiterated RatingOverweight$370.00 ➝ $375.00+3.57%
9/2/2026Reiterated RatingNeutral
9/2/2026Reiterated RatingMarket Outperform
9/2/2026DowngradeSector OutperformHold
9/2/2026 Reiterated RatingOutperform$253.00-30.13%
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 RatingOverweight$425.00+17.37%
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%
8/20/2026Reiterated 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%
8/17/2026Reiterated RatingOverweight$420.00 ➝ $475.00+23.61%
8/12/2026Boost TargetMarket Outperform$320.00 ➝ $415.00+8.88%
7/16/2026 Set TargetEqual WeightOverweight$421.00+18.92%
7/15/2026Boost TargetBuy$245.00 ➝ $430.00+19.97%
7/1/2026Reiterated RatingOutperform
7/1/2026Boost TargetOutperform$330.00 ➝ $380.00+11.43%
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6/29/2026 Boost TargetBuy$185.00 ➝ $433.00+42.34%
6/16/2026 Reiterated RatingOutperform
6/4/2026 Boost Target$114.00 ➝ $207.00-26.18%
6/3/2026 Reiterated RatingOutperform$320.00+7.68%
6/3/2026Boost TargetOutperform$300.00 ➝ $340.00+21.88%
6/3/2026Boost TargetBuy$290.00 ➝ $360.00+21.14%
6/3/2026Boost TargetHold$160.00 ➝ $290.00-2.42%
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 Sunday at 06:33 AM 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 Saturday, September 5, 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 demonstrated strong financial momentum by beating consensus estimates in its latest quarterly report, posting earnings per share of $1.02 against an expected $0.98 and generating revenue of $3.41 billion, which exceeded the $3.35 billion forecast. This performance highlights the company's ability to drive growth, with year-over-year revenue growth accelerating to 34.5% in the most recent period, signaling robust demand for its cybersecurity solutions.
  • Wall Street analysts have shown increasing confidence in the company's future earnings potential, with Northland Securities recently raising its full-year 2027 earnings per share estimate to $2.30, up from a previous forecast of $1.77. This significant upward revision suggests that institutional investors expect the company's profitability to expand substantially over the next year, reinforcing the long-term investment thesis.
  • Palo Alto Networks, Inc. is currently trading at a stock price of $333.26, which is well above its 200-day simple moving average of $254.82. This technical positioning indicates that the stock is in a strong long-term uptrend, as the current price is significantly higher than the average trading price over the past six months, reflecting sustained investor interest and positive market sentiment.
  • The company has provided optimistic guidance for the upcoming fiscal year, projecting full-year 2027 revenue between $14.1 billion and $14.2 billion. This guidance exceeds the consensus estimate of $13.8 billion, indicating that management expects continued strong growth in its core business areas, such as firewall appliances, cloud security, and threat intelligence services.
  • Institutional investors are actively increasing their exposure to the company, as evidenced by NBH Bank acquiring a new position of 5,139 shares valued at approximately $1.75 million in the second quarter. This move, along with similar actions by other institutional investors, suggests that professional money managers are confident in the company's strategic direction and financial health.

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 stock is trading at a very high valuation, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 653.46. This metric indicates that investors are paying a significant premium for each dollar of earnings, which can be risky if the company fails to sustain its high growth rates or if market sentiment shifts, potentially leading to a sharp decline in the stock price.
  • There is a notable pattern of insider selling, with several company executives and directors, including CAO Josh D. Paul and Director Aparna Bawa, selling shares in recent months. For instance, Josh D. Paul sold 900 shares at an average price of $373.68 in September 2026. While insider sales can be due to personal financial needs, a consistent trend of selling may signal that insiders are taking advantage of the current high stock price.
  • The company's short interest has been increasing, with the number of shares shorted rising to 22,414,335 in the most recent reporting period, up from 21,000,807 in the previous month. This increase in short interest suggests that some investors are betting against the stock, potentially due to concerns about its high valuation or competitive pressures in the cybersecurity market.
  • Palo Alto Networks, Inc. does not pay a dividend, as indicated by a dividend yield of 0.00%. This means that investors are relying solely on capital appreciation for returns, which can be more volatile and uncertain compared to stocks that provide regular income through dividends, especially in a market environment where growth stocks may face increased scrutiny.
  • The company's net margin is relatively low at 2.67%, despite its high revenue growth. This suggests that a significant portion of its revenue is being consumed by operating expenses, research and development, or other costs, which could limit its ability to convert top-line growth into substantial bottom-line profits, especially if competition intensifies or pricing pressures emerge.

PANW Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 49 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Palo Alto Networks is $385.67, with a high forecast of $475.00 and a low forecast of $175.00.

49 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Palo Alto Networks in the last year. There are currently 9 hold ratings and 40 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" PANW shares.

According to analysts, Palo Alto Networks's stock has a predicted upside of 15.73% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Palo Alto Networks's stock had 1 upgrade and 1 downgrade 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 9/3/2026.
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