Core Insights - Palo Alto Networks (PANW) and CrowdStrike (CRWD) are leading companies in the cybersecurity sector, focusing on different aspects of security solutions [1][2] - The cybersecurity market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.45% from 2025 to 2030, driven by increasing cyber threats [2] - A comparison of fundamentals, growth prospects, market challenges, and valuations is necessary to determine which stock presents a better investment opportunity [3] Palo Alto Networks Overview - Palo Alto Networks is recognized for its comprehensive cybersecurity solutions, including next-generation firewalls and advanced threat detection technologies [4] - The company is experiencing growth in areas like Zero Trust, Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), and private 5G security, which supports its long-term growth potential [5] - In Q4 of fiscal 2025, SASE saw a 35% year-over-year increase in annual recurring revenues, and the company secured a $60 million contract for SASE services [6] - However, PANW faces challenges such as shortened contract durations and a slowdown in transitioning to cloud-based platforms, which may impact revenue growth [7][8] - The revenue growth rate has declined from mid-20s percentage in fiscal 2023 to mid-teens percentage recently, with Q4 fiscal 2025 sales and non-GAAP EPS growing 16% and 27% year-over-year, respectively [8] CrowdStrike Overview - CrowdStrike's Falcon platform is a cloud-native security solution that secures various environments and endpoints [11] - The share of subscription-based sales has increased significantly from 72% in fiscal 2017 to 95% in fiscal 2025, indicating strong customer adoption [12] - The Falcon Flex subscription model has driven customer growth, with 48% of subscription customers using six or more cloud modules by the end of Q2 fiscal 2026 [13] - In Q2, CrowdStrike added $221 million in net new annual recurring revenue (ARR), bringing total ARR to $4.66 billion, a 20% increase year-over-year [14] - The company’s sales and non-GAAP EPS grew 21% and 5.7% year-over-year, respectively, with revenue growth estimates for fiscal 2026 and 2027 around 21% [16] Price Performance and Valuation - Year-to-date, CrowdStrike shares have increased by 23.9%, while Palo Alto Networks shares have risen by 4.7% [18] - CrowdStrike is trading at a forward sales multiple of 19.68X, while Palo Alto Networks is at 12.04X, reflecting higher growth expectations for CrowdStrike [20] Conclusion - Despite both companies being key players in cybersecurity, Palo Alto Networks is currently facing challenges that may hinder its growth, while CrowdStrike is better positioned for future growth due to its innovative solutions and strong customer adoption [24][25]

Core Insights - Palo Alto Networks (PANW) demonstrated strong growth in its Next-Generation Security (NGS) business, with annual recurring revenue (ARR) increasing by 32% year over year to $5.58 billion, adding approximately $490 million in new NGS ARR during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 [1][9]. Growth Drivers - The growth in NGS ARR was driven by three main areas: 1. The Security Access Service Edge (SASE) business saw a 35% year-over-year growth, highlighted by a $60 million contract with a global professional services firm covering 200,000 users. Additionally, the Prisma Access Browser gained over three million new licenses in the fourth quarter, doubling its sequential growth and surpassing six million total licenses [2][9]. 2. Software firewalls experienced nearly 20% year-over-year growth, with Palo Alto Networks capturing about 50% of the market share, making its products available across all major public clouds [3]. 3. The AI-based Security Operations Centre platform, XSIAM, continued to gain traction with around 400 customers, most generating over $1 million in ARR, and approximately 25% of these customers being Global 2000 companies [3]. AI Security Impact - AI security is becoming increasingly important for revenue growth, with AI-related ARR reaching $545 million, more than 2.5 times higher than the previous year. This growth was supported by new product launches, including Prisma AIRS and the acquisition of Protect AI, aimed at securing AI applications, models, and data [4]. Competitive Landscape - Competitors such as CrowdStrike and Zscaler are also expanding their platforms and innovating with AI. CrowdStrike reported $4.66 billion in ARR, reflecting a 20% year-over-year growth, while Zscaler achieved $2.9 billion in ARR, with a 23% year-over-year growth [5][6]. Valuation and Earnings Estimates - Palo Alto Networks trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 12.05X, slightly below the industry average of 12.23X [11]. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 and 2027 earnings indicates year-over-year growth of 12.9% and 13.6%, respectively, with upward revisions in estimates over the past 30 days [14].

Group 1: Palo Alto Networks (PANW.US) - Palo Alto Networks reported better-than-expected Q4 results for FY2025 and provided an optimistic outlook for Q1 and the full year [2] - RBC Capital analyst Matthew Hedberg reiterated a "buy" rating with a target price of $232, highlighting the strength of the proposed acquisition of CyberArk [2] - The growth momentum is driven by strong performance in XSIAM products, increased demand for AI-driven software firewalls, and growth in SASE solutions [2] Group 2: MongoDB (MDB.US) - MongoDB's Q2 results for FY2026 exceeded expectations, leading to a stock price increase [3] - Stifel analyst Brad Reback maintained a "buy" rating and raised the target price from $275 to $325, noting it was one of the company's strongest quarters ever [3] - MongoDB's revenue surpassed consensus estimates by approximately 7%, with strong performance in both its cloud database service Atlas and enterprise-level offerings [4] Group 3: International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF.US) - IFF announced the divestiture of its soybean crushing, concentrates, and lecithin businesses as part of its strategy to focus on high-return operations [4] - Tigress Financial analyst Ivan Feinseth reiterated a "buy" rating with a target price of $105, emphasizing the company's progress in high-margin product innovation [4] - IFF is creating significant shareholder value through strategic initiatives, including a $102 million dividend payment and a new $500 million stock buyback authorization [5]

Group 1: Palo Alto Networks (PANW.US) - Palo Alto Networks reported better-than-expected Q4 results for FY2025 and provided an optimistic outlook for Q1 and the full year [1] - RBC Capital analyst Matthew Hedberg reiterated a "buy" rating with a target price of $232, citing strong performance and outlook as a sign of robust positioning ahead of the proposed acquisition of CyberArk [1] - The growth momentum is attributed to strong performance from XSIAM products, increased demand for AI-driven software firewalls, and growth in Security Access Service Edge (SASE) solutions [1] Group 2: MongoDB (MDB.US) - MongoDB's Q2 results for FY2026 exceeded expectations, leading to a stock price increase [2] - Stifel analyst Brad Reback maintained a "buy" rating and raised the target price from $275 to $325, noting it was one of the strongest quarters in the company's history [2] - MongoDB's Q2 revenue surpassed consensus estimates by approximately 7%, with strong performance from its cloud database service Atlas and enterprise-level offerings [2][3] Group 3: International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF.US) - IFF announced the divestiture of its soybean crushing, concentrates, and lecithin businesses as part of a strategy focused on high-return operations [3] - Tigress Financial analyst Ivan Feinseth reiterated a "buy" rating with a target price of $105, highlighting the company's focus on high-margin product innovation and optimizing its portfolio [3] - IFF is positioned to leverage long-term growth trends in the food and nutrition sectors due to its strong functional ingredients product line and deep relationships with global brands [4]

Group 1 - The REIT Forum offers exclusive investment ideas and access to subscriber-only portfolios [1] - Amrita leads a family office fund in Vancouver, focusing on sustainable, growth-driven companies to maximize shareholder equity [2] - The Pragmatic Optimist newsletter, co-founded by Amrita, emphasizes portfolio strategy, valuation, and macroeconomics [2] Group 2 - Amrita has experience in high-growth supply-chain start-ups and has worked with venture capital firms to enhance user acquisition [2] - The newsletter has been recognized as a top finance newsletter and aims to simplify financial literacy and macroeconomic concepts [2]

Table of Contents UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 _____________________ FORM 10-K (Mark One) ☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2025 or ☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to Commission File Number 001-35594 Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) (State or o ...

Core Insights - Palo Alto Networks has been recognized as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Hybrid Mesh Firewalls, highlighting its innovative approach to network security [1][4] - The Strata Cloud Manager unifies security management across various environments, reducing operational complexity and addressing security gaps [2][4] Company Overview - Palo Alto Networks is a global leader in AI and cybersecurity, trusted by over 70,000 organizations worldwide [8][9] - The company focuses on continuous innovation in security solutions across network, cloud, and security operations, enhanced by threat intelligence [9] Product Features - The Hybrid Mesh Firewall, managed by Strata Cloud Manager, integrates security across hardware, virtual, cloud-native, and container deployments through a single platform [2][3] - The platform utilizes deep learning and GenAI to assess threat severity and enforce intelligent security policies, enabling organizations to respond swiftly to threats [3][4] Market Context - Organizations are increasingly facing intelligent security threats due to the rise of hybrid work and multicloud environments, necessitating a unified security approach [4] - The recognition in the Gartner Magic Quadrant underscores the effectiveness of Palo Alto Networks' AI-powered platform in addressing modern security challenges [1][4]

Rick is a Wall Street Journal best-selling author with over 20 years of experience trading stocks and options. The most authoritative publications, including Good Morning America, Washington Post, Yahoo Finance, MSN, Business Insider, NBC, FOX, CBS, and ABC News, cover his work. His passion is business, and he works tirelessly to deliver content in an easy-to-understand manner. In 2018, Rick wrote The Financially Independent Millennial to inspire his readers with his story about becoming financially indepen ...

Core Insights - Palo Alto Networks' Extended Security Intelligence and Automation Management (XSIAM) is experiencing significant growth and is expected to be a key driver of future growth for the company [1][5] - The company reported a strong customer base for XSIAM, with approximately 400 customers and an average annual recurring revenue (ARR) exceeding $1 million per customer [2][10] - New modules, such as Exposure Management, have been added to XSIAM, enhancing its capabilities and supporting the company's strategy of offering multiple security tools on a single platform [3] Customer Adoption and Performance - About 25% of XSIAM customers are Global 2000 companies, indicating robust adoption among large enterprises [2][10] - A notable deal was closed with a leading European bank for over $60 million, which included the adoption of XSIAM, reflecting demand for integrated security solutions [4][10] - More than 60% of XSIAM customers reported a mean time to respond of under 10 minutes, showcasing the platform's effectiveness [5] Financial Outlook - The company has a net retention rate of approximately 120% for platform customers, with minimal churn, providing a solid foundation for upselling [3] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate predicts revenue growth of around 13% for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 [5] - Palo Alto Networks trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 11.7X, slightly below the industry average of 12.11X [11] Competitive Landscape - Competitors like CrowdStrike and SentinelOne are also expanding their platforms and innovating with AI, with CrowdStrike reporting over 100% year-over-year growth in its Next-Gen SIEM ARR [6][7]

Core Insights - The adoption of AI in the cybersecurity industry is expected to drive significant growth, with projections indicating an annual growth rate of over 24% through 2030, potentially adding nearly $70 billion to the industry's revenue over the next five years [2]. Company Performance - Palo Alto Networks reported a 16% year-over-year increase in revenue to $2.5 billion for its fiscal 2025 fourth quarter, with adjusted earnings rising by 27% [5]. - The company's remaining performance obligations (RPO) grew by 24% year-over-year to $15.8 billion, indicating a faster acquisition of new contracts compared to revenue fulfillment [6]. AI Integration and Product Development - The integration of AI tools into Palo Alto's platform is expected to enhance growth, with CEO Nikesh Arora noting a rapid adoption of Generative AI, which saw a traffic increase of over 890% in 2024 [6]. - Palo Alto completed the acquisition of Protect AI for $500 million, which will enhance its AI-native Prisma AIRS platform, providing comprehensive security for enterprise AI applications [7]. Customer Engagement and Market Strategy - The company has seen a 40% year-over-year increase in the number of platformizations, reaching 1,400 customers among its top 5,000 accounts, with expectations to grow this number to between 2,500 and 3,000 in the next five years [8]. - Palo Alto's bundling strategy categorizes its products into network security, cloud security, and AI-driven security, attracting more customers and increasing deal sizes [9]. Future Outlook - The company is likely to maintain its position as a leading cybersecurity player due to its focus on an end-to-end, AI-driven platform, which is expected to result in stronger revenue and earnings growth [11]. - Analysts project a 12-month median price target of $220 for Palo Alto's stock, suggesting an 18% potential increase from current levels, with the possibility of exceeding this target through ongoing product development and acquisitions [14].