Is Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW) A Good Stock To Buy Now?

Is PANW a good stock to buy? We came across a bullish thesis on Palo Alto Networks, Inc. on Value & Momentum Portfolio’s Substack. In this article, we will summarize the bulls’ thesis on PANW. Palo Alto Networks, Inc.’s share was trading at $260.52 as of June 9th. PANW’s trailing and forward P/E were 226.54 and 63.69 respectively according to Yahoo Finance.

Palo Alto Networks (PANW) is positioned as one of the leading cybersecurity platforms globally, providing cloud, network, endpoint, and AI-driven security solutions across enterprises, governments, healthcare, financial services, and telecommunications industries. The company has steadily expanded its ecosystem through platforms such as Prisma Access, Cortex XDR, Cortex XSIAM, and Prisma AIRS, reinforcing its strategy of platformization that integrates multiple cybersecurity functions into a unified solution.

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Recent developments have strengthened the long-term investment case, particularly as rising AI adoption is expected to increase the sophistication of cyberattacks, creating stronger demand for advanced cybersecurity solutions. Despite a broad sector sell-off following concerns around AI-enabled threats tied to Anthropic-related news, Palo Alto Networks appears to be benefiting from a market overreaction rather than any deterioration in fundamentals.

This was highlighted by CEO Nikesh Arora’s significant $10 million open-market purchase near recent lows, signaling strong internal confidence in the company’s long-term outlook. Operationally, the business continues to execute well, consistently delivering earnings beats alongside stable revenue growth of approximately 15% year-over-year.

Margin expansion has also improved materially, with the company’s EV/EBITDA multiple compressing from 106x to 73x, reflecting improving profitability as the business matures. Additional positives include a newly authorized $1 billion share repurchase program and strategic partnerships such as its industrial 5G cybersecurity deal with Siemens. While the stock remains below prior highs, the combination of strong earnings momentum, expanding AI security opportunities, improving margins, and insider conviction creates a compelling bullish setup for long-term investors.

Previously, we covered a bullish thesis on Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW) by Magnus Ofstad in October 2024, which highlighted the company’s platformization strategy, AI-driven cybersecurity offerings, and rising demand for integrated security solutions. PANW’s stock price has depreciated by 28.54% since our coverage. Value & Momentum Portfolio shares a similar view but emphasizes on improving margins, CEO Nikesh Arora’s $10 million insider purchase, and expanding AI-driven cybersecurity opportunities.

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. is not on our list of the 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 87 hedge fund portfolios held PANW at the end of the first quarter which was 86 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of PANW as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than PANW and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

Disclosure: None. 

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