Palo Alto Networks (PANW, $235.55) rallies on higher-than-expected fiscal Q2 earnings and $1 billion stock buyback plan
Palo Alto Networks reported better-than-expected earnings for the fiscal second quarter, and also announced a stock buyback program - leading to its shares jumping +11% in after-hours trading Tuesday.
The cybersecurity company raked in adjusted earnings of $1.51 per share in the three months ending January, beating analysts’ estimates of $1.22 per share (based on Refinitiv data). Quarterly revenue of $711.2 million came in higher compared to analysts’ expected $682 million ((based on Refinitiv data). That marks a +30% year-over-year surge in revenue for the quarter. Product revenues, grew +33% to $271.6 million, while those from services increased +29% to $439.6 million.
Palo Alto also announced that its board authorized up to $1 billion in share repurchases, and introduced its Cortex AI-based security platform.
The company is apparently gung-ho in bolstering its cloud solutions and cyber security business. Last week, it announced its $560 million acquisition of Demisto, a startup specializing in security orchestration, incident management and interactive investigation.
For the fiscal third quarter, Palo Alto projects adjusted earnings in the range of $1.23 to $1.25 per share. It expects revenue to be in the range of $697 million to $707 million for the quarter - that puts the midpoint at $702 million, which is higher than the $696.7 million FactSet estimate.
PANW in upward trend: 10-day moving average moved above 50-day moving average on May 02, 2025
The 10-day moving average for PANW crossed bullishly above the 50-day moving average on May 02, 2025. This indicates that the trend has shifted higher and could be considered a buy signal. In of 16 past instances when the 10-day crossed above the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The RSI Indicator points to a transition from a downward trend to an upward trend -- in cases where PANW's RSI Indicator exited the oversold zone, of 22 resulted in an increase in price. Tickeron's analysis proposes that the odds of a continued upward trend are .
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on April 17, 2025. You may want to consider a long position or call options on PANW as a result. In of 79 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for PANW just turned positive on April 14, 2025. Looking at past instances where PANW's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in of 42 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
PANW moved above its 50-day moving average on April 28, 2025 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend.
Following a 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where PANW advanced for three days, in of 358 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In of 270 cases where PANW Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are .
Bearish Trend Analysis
The Stochastic Oscillator demonstrated that the ticker has stayed in the overbought zone for 9 days. The longer the ticker stays in the overbought zone, the sooner a price pull-back is expected.
The 50-day moving average for PANW moved below the 200-day moving average on April 24, 2025. This could be a long-term bearish signal for the stock as the stock shifts to an downward trend.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where PANW declined for three days, the price rose further in of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
PANW broke above its upper Bollinger Band on April 29, 2025. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to outstanding earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 87, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating steady price growth. PANW’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (20.704) is normal, around the industry mean (30.917). P/E Ratio (43.226) is within average values for comparable stocks, (160.020). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (1.117) is also within normal values, averaging (2.714). Dividend Yield (0.000) settles around the average of (0.029) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (13.038) is also within normal values, averaging (59.831).
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
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a provider of network security solutions
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