Key Points
- EVP Lee Klarich sold 62,904 shares of Palo Alto Networks on May 22 at an average price of $258.65, for total proceeds of about $16.27 million. After the sale, he still owned 235,983 shares, though the transaction reduced his stake by 21.05%.
- Wall Street sentiment remains broadly bullish, with several firms recently raising price targets, including Benchmark to $270, Wedbush to $300, and Wells Fargo reiterating a Buy with a $285 target. The consensus rating is still "Moderate Buy," with an average target of $234.28.
- PANW has been trading near its highs, opening at $248.47 and sitting close to its 52-week high of $261.41, supported by strong institutional ownership at 79.82%. The company’s stock also remains a major focus as analysts point to AI-driven cybersecurity demand as a long-term growth driver.
Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW - Get Free Report) EVP Lee Klarich sold 62,904 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $258.65, for a total value of $16,270,119.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 235,983 shares in the company, valued at approximately $61,037,002.95. The trade was a 21.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.
Palo Alto Networks Stock Performance
Shares of NASDAQ PANW opened at $248.47 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $202.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 137.28, a PEG ratio of 9.26 and a beta of 0.77. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $188.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $182.95. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. has a 52-week low of $139.57 and a 52-week high of $261.41.
More Palo Alto Networks News
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
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Palo Alto Networks
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 147.7% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,761 shares of the network technology company's stock valued at $1,230,000 after purchasing an additional 4,031 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC raised its stake in Palo Alto Networks by 169.1% in the fourth quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 5,212 shares of the network technology company's stock valued at $948,000 after buying an additional 3,275 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in Palo Alto Networks by 66.3% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,484 shares of the network technology company's stock valued at $713,000 after buying an additional 1,389 shares during the last quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Palo Alto Networks by 11,100.0% in the second quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 560 shares of the network technology company's stock valued at $115,000 after buying an additional 555 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Main Street Financial Solutions LLC raised its stake in Palo Alto Networks by 6.0% in the second quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 4,398 shares of the network technology company's stock valued at $900,000 after buying an additional 249 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.82% of the company's stock.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Evercore lifted their price objective on Palo Alto Networks from $250.00 to $320.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Palo Alto Networks from $220.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Guggenheim downgraded Palo Alto Networks from a "neutral" rating to a "reduce" rating in a report on Wednesday. BTIG Research lifted their price objective on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $216.00 to $268.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $200.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-five have given a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $234.28.
View Our Latest Stock Report on Palo Alto Networks
About Palo Alto Networks
(
Get Free Report)
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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