Despite Q3 earnings beat, Palo Alto Networks stock dips on margin pressure and contract shifts. However, promising long-term prospects make the stock worth holding.
I'm doubling down on my buy rating for Palo Alto Networks, Inc. after the post-earnings pullback, and I see this as an attractive long-term entry point. Platform adoption, especially in software and AI-driven security, is accelerating, making me more confident in my long-term thesis. Despite minor misses in subscription growth, overall results beat expectations, and management raised EPS guidance, reinforcing my confidence in FY26 outperformance.
Palo Alto Networks' NASDAQ: PANW stock price plunged following the Q3 release and guidance update because the results and update were as expected. News, as expected, is not a catalyst for higher share prices but can sustain an uptrend if positive.
Palo Alto Networks' Q3 results were solid but not compelling enough to change my neutral stance; the stock could go either way from here. Revenue growth is stabilizing around 15% annually, which doesn't justify a premium valuation or excite me as an investor seeking higher inflection. Valuation at 30x next year's free cash flow is reasonable, but growth uncertainty keeps me on the sidelines despite strong free cash flow margins.
Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW ) Q3 2025 Earnings Conference Call May 20, 2025 4:30 PM ET Company Participants Hamza Fodderwala - Senior Vice President, Investor Relations & Strategic Finance Nikesh Arora - Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Dipak Golechha - Chief Financial Officer Lee Klarich - Chief Product Officer Conference Call Participants Saket Kalia - Barclays Brian Essex - JPMorgan Keith Weiss - Morgan Stanley Joe Gallo - Jefferies Gabriela Borges - Goldman Sachs Matt Hedberg - RBC Shaul Eyal - Cowen Jonathan Ho - William Blair Joel Fishbein - Truist Andy Nowinski - Wells Fargo Operator Good day, everyone, and welcome to Palo Alto Networks Fiscal Third Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call. I am Hamza Fodderwala, Senior Vice President of Investor Relations and Strategic Finance.
Palo Alto Networks Chairman and CEO Nikesh Arora joins 'Mad Money' host Jim Cramer to talk quarterly results.
Palo Alto Networks Chairman and CEO Nikesh Arora joins 'Mad Money' host Jim Cramer to talk quarterly results.
While the top- and bottom-line numbers for Palo Alto (PANW) give a sense of how the business performed in the quarter ended April 2025, it could be worth looking at how some of its key metrics compare to Wall Street estimates and year-ago values.
Palo Alto Networks (PANW) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.80 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.77 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.66 per share a year ago.
The cybersecurity company also saw a growth slowdown in remaining performance obligations, a metric that measures future revenue expected from current contracts.
Palo Alto Networks (PANW) reported fiscal third-quarter revenue and profit that beat analysts' expectations, thanks in part to growth in its next-generation security business.
The Santa Clara, Calif., cybersecurity company logged higher revenue in its fiscal third quarter, though profit slipped as expenses increased.