PANW

Palo Alto Networks (PANW) closed down 1.92% and has fallen 6.67% over the past month, underperforming the S&P 500. While the company is expected to post strong earnings growth of 4.3% EPS and 33.62% revenue growth in the upcoming quarter, the stock trades at a Forward P/E of 83.03—significantly above its industry average of 49.76—and carries a PEG ratio of 5.52 versus the industry average of 2.89. The stock holds a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Zacks Market Edge podcast episode #503 features five stock picks for investors seeking opportunities amid market volatility. The selections span growth stocks (Palantir, Palo Alto Networks), value plays (BP), consistent performers (Visa), and pharmaceuticals (AbbVie), offering diverse investment strategies across different market conditions.

Zacks stock strategist Tracey Ryniec highlights five stocks breaking out to new highs despite October market volatility. The picks span growth and value categories: Palantir Technologies (strong revenue growth but expensive valuation), BP (cheap energy play with high dividend yield), Palo Alto Networks (cybersecurity leader with consistent earnings), Visa (payments leader with perfect earnings track record), and AbbVie (pharma company with growth potential but recent estimate cuts).

Palo Alto Networks stock declined 5.54% on October 14, 2026, underperforming the S&P 500's 1.11% loss. Despite strong expected earnings growth of 4.3% and revenue growth of 33.62% for the upcoming quarter, the stock trades at a premium valuation with a Forward P/E of 95.02 versus the industry average of 57.68. The company holds a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) with a PEG ratio of 6.31, significantly above the industry average of 3.2.

Palo Alto Networks (PANW) is positioned as a more attractive investment than CrowdStrike (CRWD) due to stronger platform growth, particularly in SASE with 40% bookings growth, and a more favorable valuation at 22.24X forward sales compared to CRWD's 38.55X. While both are cybersecurity leaders, CRWD is experiencing decelerating growth, with revenue growth slowing from 35% in FY24 to 22% in FY26, whereas PANW maintains momentum across multiple security platforms.

Palo Alto Networks (PANW) has been trending on Zacks.com with shares returning +8% over the past month, outperforming the S&P 500's +2.1% gain. The company shows strong revenue growth forecasts (+23.4% for current fiscal year) and has consistently beaten earnings and revenue estimates. However, PANW is rated Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and receives an F valuation grade, indicating it trades at a premium to peers, suggesting near-term performance in line with the broader market.

Zscaler faces a growth slowdown with FY27 revenue expected to increase only 17% compared to 25% in FY26. However, the company's AI security products show promise, with Security for AI bookings surging over 50% sequentially in Q4.

The key question is whether AI security offerings can generate sufficient revenue to offset the broader growth deceleration. Competitors Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet are also capitalizing on strong AI security demand.

CNBC's Jim Cramer recommends focusing on established technology companies with multiple AI monetization pathways rather than speculative plays. He highlights Meta and Microsoft as preferred AI investments, favors cybersecurity stocks like CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks, and sees semiconductor opportunities in AMD, Intel, and Marvell Technology. Cramer emphasizes diversification through ETFs to mitigate valuation risks while capitalizing on AI-driven growth.

Palo Alto Networks (PANW) declined 1.76% on October 8, 2026, underperforming the S&P 500's 0.47% loss. Despite a strong 21.03% monthly gain, the stock trades at a premium valuation with a Forward P/E of 97.06 versus the industry average of 55.51. The company is expected to report EPS growth of 4.3% and revenue growth of 33.62% for the upcoming quarter, with a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Zscaler (ZS) shares surged 45.1% in three months, outperforming peers like Fortinet, CrowdStrike, and Palo Alto Networks. The rally is supported by strong Q4 FY26 results with 24.9% revenue growth and AI security bookings up 50% sequentially.

However, revenue growth is expected to slow to 17% in FY27, capital spending is rising, and free cash flow margins are declining. The stock trades at a reasonable 8.60x forward P/S ratio, but existing shareholders should hold while new investors should wait for a better entry point.

CrowdStrike (CRWD) has surged 34.1% in three months, driven by strong AI security demand and Falcon Flex adoption. However, the stock's premium valuation (41.29X P/S ratio) and decelerating revenue growth (from 35% to 22%) raise concerns. Intensifying competition from Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, and Qualys, combined with slowing sales momentum, make the stock less attractive despite strong fundamentals.

Zacks equity research analysts featured four stocks in their daily blog on October 8, 2026. AMD benefits from AI infrastructure demand but faces supply constraints.

Palo Alto Networks experiences gross-margin pressure and competition despite enterprise security consolidation trends. ConocoPhillips outperforms its industry with a strong portfolio but faces commodity-price volatility risks. Iveda Solutions struggles with customer concentration and limited commercial traction despite its AI video analytics platform.

Zacks Research Daily presents hand-picked analysis of 16 major stocks on October 7, 2026. AMD benefits from AI infrastructure demand but faces supply constraints.

Palo Alto Networks struggles with margin pressure and competition despite enterprise security consolidation trends. ConocoPhillips outperforms its industry with strong portfolio and LNG expansion, though commodity volatility poses risks. Additional coverage includes Danaher, Constellation Energy, Robinhood, and others with mixed outlooks.

Cloudflare launched Basin, a serverless data platform built on Apache Iceberg and Cloudflare R2, to help customers collect, store, and analyze data without managing dedicated servers. The platform aims to simplify data management and reduce infrastructure costs, particularly for AI and cloud applications.

However, Cloudflare faces intense competition from Palo Alto Networks and Zscaler, who are also expanding their platforms with AI capabilities. Despite strong year-to-date stock performance (+80%), Cloudflare trades at a significantly elevated valuation (P/S ratio of 35.81 vs. industry average of 4.44) and carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) rating.

The article highlights two computer and technology stocks with positive Earnings Surprise Prediction (ESP) metrics that may deliver positive earnings surprises: Paycom Software (PAYC) with a +4.01% ESP ahead of its November 4, 2026 earnings report, and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) with a +0.82% ESP before its November 18, 2026 earnings release. Both stocks carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) rating.

The Motley Fool compares two cybersecurity companies, Fortinet and Palo Alto Networks, to determine which is the better investment. The article highlights that there is one big difference between these two companies currently, though the specific details of the comparison are not fully provided in the available text.

The article discusses how the increasing demand for agentic AI is driving growth in the cybersecurity sector. Fortinet is highlighted as a potential investment opportunity, with cybersecurity stocks performing well in 2026. The article compares Fortinet with Palo Alto Networks as investment options in this growing market.

CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks are well-positioned to capitalize on growing cybersecurity spending, projected to reach $244 billion globally by 2026. Both companies benefit from expanding AI security markets, strong recurring revenue growth, and customer consolidation trends.

CrowdStrike's Falcon platform covers 34 security modules with 51% of customers using at least six, while Palo Alto is expanding through acquisitions. However, both stocks are expensive and face intense competition from tech giants and specialized competitors.

Palo Alto Networks stock has been surging alongside other cybersecurity stocks due to the proliferation of agentic AI. The author, who has been bullish on the stock for several years, discusses whether it's still a good time to invest at current valuations.

Palo Alto Networks (PANW) closed at $403.24, up 1.76%, outperforming the S&P 500. The stock has gained 19.37% over the past month.

The company is expected to report EPS of $0.97 (up 4.3% YoY) and revenue of $3.31 billion (up 33.62% YoY). However, PANW trades at a Forward P/E of 94.83, significantly above its industry average of 54.15, and holds a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) rating despite recent positive estimate revisions.