Core Viewpoint - Palo Alto Networks reported strong fourth-quarter results, exceeding revenue and adjusted earnings per share expectations, leading to a stock price increase of over 7% [1] Financial Performance - Fourth-quarter revenue increased by 16% year-over-year to $2.54 billion, surpassing the expected $2.5 billion [1] - Net profit decreased by 31% year-over-year to approximately $254 million [1] - Adjusted earnings per share were $0.95, exceeding the forecast of $0.88 [1] Future Guidance - For the first quarter, the company provided optimistic guidance, expecting earnings per share between $0.88 and $0.90, above the analyst estimate of $0.85 [1] - For the entire fiscal year, the company anticipates adjusted earnings per share in the range of $3.75 to $3.85 and revenue between $10.48 billion and $10.53 billion, both exceeding expectations [1]

Group 1 - The US ADP employment increased by 104,000 in July, and the preliminary annualized GDP growth rate for Q2 recorded at 3%, both exceeding expectations [1] - US stock markets opened higher, with the Nasdaq up 0.2%, S&P 500 up 0.1%, and Dow Jones up 0.05% [1] Group 2 - Starbucks shares rose by 6.1% as Q3 revenue surpassed expectations, marking the first sales growth in the Chinese market since the end of 2023 [1] - HSBC Holdings fell by 3.1%, reporting a 27% year-on-year decline in pre-tax profit to $15.81 billion for the interim period [1] - Palo Alto Networks shares dropped by 7.5% after announcing a $25 billion acquisition of cybersecurity software company CyberArk [1]

Group 1 - CrowdStrike plans to lay off 500 employees, approximately 5% of its total workforce, as part of a strategy to focus on AI technology development [1][2] - CEO George Kurtz emphasized that AI is a cornerstone of the company's operations, enhancing recruitment, product development, and customer service [1] - The company reaffirmed its revenue expectations for the fiscal year ending in January and plans to continue hiring in key strategic areas [1] Group 2 - CrowdStrike aims to achieve an annual revenue target of $10 billion and is expanding its marketing and customer success teams [2] - The company reported a 25% revenue growth to $1.06 billion, but has recorded net losses for two consecutive quarters [2] - The layoff plan is expected to incur costs between $36 million and $53 million, and the layoffs will be completed by the end of the second quarter of the fiscal year [2]