Palo Alto Networks, Inc. $PANW Shares Bought by Cercano Management LLC

Cercano Management LLC raised its holdings in Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW) by 98.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 190,830 shares of the network technology company’s stock after buying an additional 94,740 shares during the period. Palo Alto Networks comprises about 1.3% of Cercano Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 14th largest position. Cercano Management LLC’s holdings in Palo Alto Networks were worth $35,151,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Palo Alto Networks during the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Knuff & Co LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Steph & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 88.2% during the 4th quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 143 shares of the network technology company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in Palo Alto Networks by 96.1% in the 3rd quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 149 shares of the network technology company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Finally, WHI TRUST Co LLC purchased a new stake in Palo Alto Networks in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 79.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Palo Alto Networks Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:PANW opened at $300.48 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $245.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 166.01, a PEG ratio of 10.16 and a beta of 0.94. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. has a 1-year low of $139.57 and a 1-year high of $302.95. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $195.20 and a 200 day moving average price of $184.31.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PANW has been the subject of several analyst reports. BTIG Research boosted their price target on Palo Alto Networks from $216.00 to $268.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. New Street Research lowered their price target on Palo Alto Networks from $240.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $275.00 price target (up from $245.00) on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a report on Friday, May 15th. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $265.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Susquehanna reduced their price target on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $230.00 to $200.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-five have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $238.23.

Palo Alto Networks News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on Palo Alto Networks to $300 from $200 and kept an overweight rating, signaling continued optimism about the company’s growth outlook. JPMorgan price target update
• Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird also lifted its price target to $300 from $265 and reiterated an outperform rating, reinforcing the view that PANW can sustain momentum into earnings. Baird price target update
• Positive Sentiment: Palo Alto Networks completed its acquisition of Portkey, an AI gateway provider, which should strengthen its Prisma AIRS platform and expand its AI-security offerings. Portkey acquisition article
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple articles note that PANW is approaching its earnings release, with traders expecting a meaningful post-earnings move; that keeps attention on the stock but does not by itself confirm direction. Earnings watch article
• Neutral Sentiment: Jim Cramer said the stock “tends to run into the quarter,” reflecting a seasonal trading thesis rather than a new fundamental catalyst. Jim Cramer commentary

Insider Activity at Palo Alto Networks

In other Palo Alto Networks news, CEO Nikesh Arora purchased 68,085 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 27th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $146.87 per share, for a total transaction of $9,999,643.95. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 343,394 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $50,434,276.78. This trade represents a 24.73% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director John P. Key sold 1,572 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.32, for a total transaction of $272,459.04. Following the transaction, the director owned 20,000 shares in the company, valued at $3,466,400. This represents a 7.29% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 93,660 shares of company stock worth $21,346,475. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Palo Alto Networks Company Profile

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.