Is Most-Watched Stock Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW) Worth Betting on Now?

Core Viewpoint - Palo Alto Networks (PANW) has experienced a stock decline of -14.3% over the past month, contrasting with the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.6% change, and the Zacks Security industry has lost 8.5% during the same period, raising questions about the stock's near-term direction [1] Earnings Estimates - For the current quarter, Palo Alto is expected to post earnings of $0.88 per share, reflecting a year-over-year increase of +17.3%, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate remaining unchanged over the last 30 days [4] - The consensus earnings estimate for the current fiscal year is $3.27, indicating a +15.1% change from the previous year, also unchanged over the last 30 days [4] - For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate is $3.65, suggesting an +11.4% change from the prior year, with a slight increase of +0.1% over the past month [5] Revenue Growth - The consensus sales estimate for the current quarter is $2.5 billion, representing a year-over-year change of +14.2% [10] - For the current fiscal year, the revenue estimate is $9.19 billion, indicating a +14.4% change, while the next fiscal year's estimate of $10.45 billion reflects a +13.8% change [10] Last Reported Results - In the last reported quarter, Palo Alto generated revenues of $2.29 billion, a year-over-year increase of +15.3%, with an EPS of $0.8 compared to $0.66 a year ago [11] - The reported revenues exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.28 billion by +0.57%, and the EPS surprise was +3.9% [11] - The company has consistently beaten consensus EPS and revenue estimates in the trailing four quarters [12] Valuation - Palo Alto is graded F in the Zacks Value Style Score, indicating it is trading at a premium compared to its peers [16] - Valuation multiples such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF) are essential for assessing whether the stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or undervalued [14][15] Conclusion - The Zacks Rank 3 suggests that Palo Alto may perform in line with the broader market in the near term, despite the current market buzz [17]