The growing adoption of AI within the cybersecurity industry is setting this company up for stronger growth.Artificial intelligence (AI) is making its mark in several industries. The cybersecurity industry is one of them, as the deployment of AI tools in this space allows organizations and customers to bolster their defenses against bad actors.Grand View Research estimates that the adoption of AI in the cybersecurity market could increase at an annual rate of more than 24% through 2030. The firm estimates t ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue for Q4 was $2,540,000,000, growing 16% year over year, exceeding the high end of guidance [50][51] - Product revenue grew 19%, driven by software form factors, while total services revenue increased by 15% [51] - Remaining performance obligation (RPO) grew 24% to $15,800,000,000, marking the highest RPO growth in seven quarters [53] - Total gross margin was 75.8%, with product gross margin at 76.8% [55][56] - Operating margins expanded by 340 basis points, reaching above 30% for the first time in company history [58] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Next generation security annual recurring revenue (NGS ARR) reached $5,580,000,000, growing 32% [54] - AI ARR increased to approximately $545,000,000, up over two and a half times year over year [54] - Software firewall business had ARR up nearly 20% year on year, contributing significantly to product revenue growth [25][51] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Americas grew 15%, EMEA up 19%, and JPEG growing 13%, indicating double-digit growth across all regions [52] - SASE ARR grew 35% year over year, more than twice as fast as the overall market [29] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to achieve $15,000,000,000 in next generation security ARR by FY30, focusing on platformization and integrated solutions [18][39] - The acquisition of CyberArk is seen as a strategic move to enhance identity security capabilities and expand market presence [44][45] - The company is transitioning to a model that emphasizes real-time security and AI integration, moving away from traditional security paradigms [35][41] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the strong demand for cybersecurity solutions, particularly in the context of AI and cloud transformations [10][11] - The company anticipates continued growth driven by software firewalls and SASE, with expectations for product revenue growth in the low teens for FY26 [64][40] - Management highlighted the importance of consolidating security solutions to improve customer outcomes and reduce response times to threats [72][74] Other Important Information - The company has a billion dollars in share buyback authorization remaining through December 2025 [59] - The transition to a contract manufacturing facility in Texas is expected to provide benefits from scale and innovation [57] Q&A Session Summary Question: Strategic view on security consolidation - Management discussed the fragmented nature of the security market and the importance of platformization to consolidate security spend, aiming for increased market share over time [69][70][72] Question: Underlying drivers of strong bookings - Management attributed the strong bookings to platformization, execution, and customer conviction in the company's ability to provide innovative solutions [79][82]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue for Q4 2025 was $2,540,000,000, growing 16% year-over-year, exceeding guidance [51] - Product revenue grew 19%, driven by software form factors, while total services revenue increased by 15% [51] - Remaining performance obligation (RPO) grew 24% year-over-year to $15,800,000,000, marking the highest RPO growth in seven quarters [53] - Total gross margin was 75.8%, with product gross margin at 76.8% [56] - Operating margins expanded by 340 basis points, reaching above 30% for the first time in company history [59] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Next generation security annual recurring revenue (ARR) reached $5,580,000,000, growing 32% year-over-year [55] - Software firewalls and SASE were notable growth drivers, with software firewalls ARR up nearly 20% year-over-year [25][55] - The software firewall market share is nearly 50%, with significant contributions from cloud service providers [26] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Americas grew 15%, EMEA up 19%, and JPEG up 13% [52] - AI ARR reached approximately $545,000,000 in Q4, up over two and a half times year-over-year [55] - SASE ARR grew 35% year-over-year, more than twice as fast as the overall market [30] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to achieve $15,000,000,000 in next generation security ARR by FY 2030, focusing on platformization and integrated solutions [19] - The strategy includes leveraging AI to enhance security offerings and address the evolving cybersecurity landscape [12][41] - The company is pursuing the acquisition of CyberArk to enhance its identity security capabilities and expand its market presence [46][67] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the strong demand for cybersecurity solutions, particularly in cloud and AI transformations [11] - The company anticipates continued growth driven by software firewalls and SASE, with expectations for double-digit product revenue growth in FY 2026 [41][66] - Management highlighted the importance of platformization as a key driver for customer commitment and improved security outcomes [39] Other Important Information - The company completed the acquisition of ProtectAI, enhancing its AI security capabilities [12] - A leadership transition was announced, with Lee Klarich appointed as Chief Product and Technology Officer [49][50] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on security consolidation and market dynamics - Management emphasized that consolidation in the security market is a gradual process, with potential for significant growth in market share as customers recognize the value of platformization [69][72] Question: Drivers behind strong bookings and execution - Management attributed the strong bookings to effective execution and the benefits of platformization, while noting that macroeconomic conditions remain stable [80][84] Question: Network security ARR and software firewall market share - Management discussed the shift towards software firewalls driven by cloud transformation, highlighting the company's competitive position in the software segment [90]

Core Insights - Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW) shares have declined by 14.5% over the past six months, underperforming the Zacks Security industry's decline of 10% and its peers like CyberArk, CrowdStrike, and Zscaler [1][2] Sales Growth Concerns - The company is experiencing a slowdown in sales growth, with revenue growth rates in the mid-teens percentage range over the past year, down from mid-20s in fiscal 2023 [3][4] - Full-year revenue growth for fiscal 2025 is forecasted at just 14%, with revenues expected to be in the range of $9.17-$9.19 billion [4] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates revenue growth will remain in the mid-teen percentage range for fiscal 2025 and 2026 [4] Next-Generation Security (NGS) Growth - NGS annual recurring revenue (ARR) growth has decelerated for five consecutive quarters, with projections for fiscal 2025 suggesting a slowdown to 31-32% growth compared to over 45% in previous years [7][8] - The shift from multi-year payments to annual payments for $1 million-plus deals is affecting top-line stability [9] Industry Opportunities - The global cybersecurity market is projected to grow from $193.73 billion in 2024 to $562.77 billion by 2032, indicating a significant addressable market for Palo Alto Networks [10] - The company is well-positioned to capitalize on the demand for advanced cybersecurity solutions, particularly through its AI-driven platforms like Cortex XSIAM and Prisma AIRS [11] Financial Stability and Valuation - Palo Alto Networks is transitioning to a platform-based model, generating recurring revenue streams and enhancing customer retention [14] - The company is currently trading at a lower price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 10.62X compared to the industry average of 11.51X and peers like CyberArk, CrowdStrike, and Zscaler [17][20] Conclusion - Despite slowing revenues and NGS ARR growth rates, Palo Alto Networks remains a leader in cybersecurity with continued innovation and a shift towards a predictable recurring revenue model [21][22] - The discounted valuation offers some downside protection, making PANW an attractive long-term hold for investors seeking exposure to cybersecurity growth [22]

Extends AI security leadership with comprehensive protection for the entire AI lifecycleSANTA CLARA, Calif., July 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Palo Alto Networks® (NASDAQ: PANW), the global cybersecurity leader, today announced it has completed its acquisition of Protect AI, an innovative leader in securing Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications and models. The acquisition accelerates Palo Alto Networks' commitment to securing the next generation of technology infrastructure, a landscape increasingly defined ...

Core Viewpoint - Palo Alto Networks is leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance its cybersecurity offerings and has reported accelerated revenue growth in its fiscal 2025 third quarter, indicating a successful shift in business strategy [2][8]. Group 1: AI-Powered Product Portfolio - Palo Alto Networks has a diverse range of cybersecurity products across three main platforms: Cloud security, network security, and security operations, with a strong emphasis on integrating AI to improve threat detection and response [4]. - The Cortex XSIAM solution exemplifies this strategy, allowing organizations to automate cybersecurity processes, significantly reducing the median time to remediate incidents from days to under 10 minutes for 60% of its users [5][6]. - The company has also introduced Prisma AIRS, a new platform aimed at securing sensitive data in AI applications, with an estimated addressable market of $15 billion [7]. Group 2: Financial Performance and Growth - In the fiscal 2025 third quarter, Palo Alto generated $2.3 billion in total revenue, reflecting a 15% year-over-year increase, which is an acceleration from the previous quarter's 14% growth [8]. - The next-generation security (NGS) segment, which includes AI products, saw its annual recurring revenue (ARR) rise by 34% to a record $5.1 billion during the same quarter [9]. - The company is focusing on "platformization" to consolidate its offerings, with 1,250 of its top 5,000 customers officially platformed, marking a nearly 39% increase year-over-year [10][11]. Group 3: Market Position and Valuation - Despite its leadership in the cybersecurity sector, Palo Alto's stock trades at a significant discount compared to its competitor CrowdStrike, with a price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 14.9, which is 45% lower than CrowdStrike's 27.3 [13]. - Palo Alto aims to nearly triple its NGS ARR to $15 billion by 2030, supported by extensive platformization efforts, indicating substantial growth potential [16]. - The addressable market for Cortex XSIAM is valued at $40 billion, significantly higher than its current annual bookings, further extending the company's growth runway [16].

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue for Q3 was $2,290,000,000, representing a 15% year-over-year growth, at the high end of the guided range [36] - Product revenue grew by 16%, while total services revenue increased by 15% [36] - Next Generation Security ARR surpassed $5,000,000,000, ending the quarter at $5,090,000,000, a growth of 34% year-over-year [39] - Adjusted free cash flow generated in Q3 was $578,000,000 [44] - Total gross margin was 76%, with product gross margin at 78.4% [42] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Subscription revenue within total services grew by 18%, while support revenue rose by 10% [36] - Software firewall ARR grew approximately 20% year-over-year, driven by public cloud deployments [26] - SASE ARR grew 36% year-over-year, with 40% of SASE customers being net new to the company [28] - AI ARR reached approximately $400,000,000 in Q3, up over 2.5 times year-over-year [39] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Americas region grew by 12%, EMEA by 20%, and JPEG by 23% [37] - The average duration of new contracts remained at approximately three years, with a slight decrease year-over-year [37] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on a platformization strategy, which is resonating with customers and resulting in larger deals [6][8] - The urgency to adopt AI is becoming a strategic imperative for customers, leading to increased investments in technology transformation [10][12] - The company aims to reach a target of $15,000,000,000 in ARR by FY30 [8] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in achieving adjusted free cash flow margin targets over the next few years [9] - The geopolitical environment has caused some uncertainty, but the company has executed well despite challenges [84] - There is strong momentum heading into the fiscal year-end, with expectations for a robust Q4 pipeline [33] Other Important Information - The company announced its intention to acquire Protect.ai for $700,000,000 to enhance its AI security capabilities [45] - The transition to a contract manufacturing facility in Texas is expected to benefit from scale and innovation [42] Q&A Session Questions and Answers Question: How are customers thinking about the upgrade from QRadar on-premise? - Management highlighted a strong partnership with IBM to facilitate the transition from on-premise SOC to cloud-delivered SOC, indicating a significant ARR opportunity [50][51] Question: Can you unpack the details behind the product revenue growth? - Management noted that product revenue growth is driven by both hardware and software, with a notable inflection in the software firewall business due to increased AI adoption [62][66] Question: What does the AI imperative mean for Palo Alto Networks? - Management indicated that securing AI implementations is becoming a priority, leading to faster adoption of cloud firewalls and a shift from hardware to software [76][77] Question: How is the company navigating geopolitical volatility? - Management acknowledged that April was an anomalous month but expressed pride in the team's execution during a challenging quarter [84][85] Question: How does the company plan to evolve its AI product portfolio? - Management emphasized the importance of runtime security in AI and the acquisition of Protect.ai to enhance capabilities in this area [89][95]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue for Q3 2025 was $2,290,000,000, representing a 15% year-over-year growth, at the high end of the guided range [34] - Product revenue grew by 16%, while total services revenue increased by 15% [34] - Next Generation Security ARR surpassed $5,000,000,000, ending the quarter at $5,090,000,000, a growth of 34% year-over-year [37] - Adjusted free cash flow generated in Q3 was $578,000,000 [42] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Subscription revenue within total services grew by 18%, and support revenue rose by 10% [34] - Software firewall ARR grew approximately 20% year-over-year, driven by public cloud deployments [25] - SASE ARR grew 36% year-over-year, with 40% of SASE customers being net new to Palo Alto Networks in Q3 [26] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Americas grew by 12%, EMEA by 20%, and JPEG by 23% [35] - The average duration of new contracts remained at approximately three years, with a slight decrease year-over-year [35] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on a platformization strategy, which is resonating with customers and resulting in larger deals [5] - There is a strong emphasis on AI integration, with the urgency for customers to adopt AI becoming a strategic imperative [8] - The company aims to reach a $15,000,000,000 ARR target for FY30 [6] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in achieving adjusted free cash flow margin targets over the next few years [7] - The geopolitical environment has caused some uncertainty, but the company has executed well despite challenges [82] - There is optimism about strong momentum heading into Q4, driven by continued transformation and a robust pipeline [32] Other Important Information - The company announced its intention to acquire Protect.ai for $700,000,000 to enhance its AI security capabilities [43] - The company is transitioning to a contract manufacturing facility in Texas to benefit from scale and mitigate tariffs [40] Q&A Session Summary Question: How are customers thinking about upgrading from QRadar on-premise? - Management highlighted the significant ARR uplift from transitioning customers from on-premise SOC to cloud-delivered SOC, emphasizing the potential for large deals [49][50] Question: Can you unpack the details behind product revenue growth? - Management noted that product revenue growth is driven by both hardware and software, with a notable inflection in the software firewall business due to increased AI adoption [60][66] Question: What does the AI opportunity mean for Palo Alto Networks? - Management indicated that securing AI implementations is becoming a priority for customers, leading to faster adoption of cloud firewalls and a shift from hardware to software [72][76] Question: How is the company navigating geopolitical volatility? - Management acknowledged that April was an anomalous month due to geopolitical tensions but expressed pride in the team's execution during that period [82] Question: How does the company plan to evolve its AI product portfolio? - Management discussed the importance of runtime security in AI and the acquisition of Protect.ai to enhance capabilities in this area [88][94]

Core Viewpoint - Palo Alto Networks has launched Prisma AIRS™, a comprehensive AI security platform aimed at protecting the entire AI ecosystem, including applications, agents, models, and data, in response to the rapid adoption of AI across enterprises [1][2]. Group 1: AI Adoption and Security Needs - Enterprises are increasingly deploying AI applications and large language models (LLMs) across various functions, which drives innovation but also creates security vulnerabilities [2]. - There is a critical need for a comprehensive AI security platform to effectively protect AI initiatives and prevent security incidents [2]. Group 2: Features and Capabilities of Prisma AIRS - Prisma AIRS offers capabilities such as AI model scanning for vulnerabilities, posture management for security risks, AI red teaming for automated penetration testing, runtime security against various threats, and AI agent security against new threats [6]. - The platform is designed to provide continuous visibility and real-time insights into AI usage, helping organizations identify potential security issues [4]. Group 3: Strategic Enhancements and Future Plans - Palo Alto Networks plans to enhance Prisma AIRS through the acquisition of Protect AI, a leader in securing AI usage, which is expected to close by the first quarter of fiscal 2026 [4].