Key Takeaways Palo Alto Networks faces slower growth and shorter contract durations, impacting revenue stability.Qualys posts solid gains with rising VMDR adoption and expanding partner-driven revenue streams.QLYS trades at a lower valuation than Palo Alto Networks, making it the more attractive buy right now.Palo Alto Networks (PANW) and Qualys (QLYS) are both at the forefront of the cybersecurity space, playing key roles in guarding organizations from extensive cyberattacks. While Palo Alto Networks focus ...

Core Insights - Palo Alto Networks announced Prisma SASE 4.0, an advanced AI-driven secure access service edge solution that addresses critical security gaps in traditional web protection [1][2][3] - The new solution is designed to neutralize sophisticated web threats in real-time, particularly those that target the browser, which is increasingly becoming the primary interface for enterprise applications [2][3] Company Developments - Prisma SASE 4.0 includes innovations such as in-browser advanced web protection that identifies and neutralizes malware before it can cause harm, providing a critical layer of defense [2][3] - The company reported a significant growth in SASE annual recurring revenue (ARR), reaching $1.3 billion in fiscal year 2025, which represents a 35% year-over-year increase, outpacing the overall market growth [3][6] - Palo Alto Networks has been recognized as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for SASE Platforms for three consecutive years, indicating strong market leadership and innovation [3][10] Industry Context - The shift towards browser-based applications necessitates enhanced security measures, as traditional consumer-grade browsers lack the necessary controls to combat rising cyber threats [2][3] - The introduction of AI-augmented data classification in Prisma SASE 4.0 aims to reduce false positives significantly, achieving 10 times fewer than traditional methods, which is crucial for protecting sensitive corporate data [7] - The new Private App Security feature adapts to protect dynamic applications, addressing the limitations of older static rule-based web application firewalls [7]

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].

Core Viewpoint - Palo Alto Networks reported strong fiscal Q4 results and optimistic guidance, but the stock remains relatively stagnant, indicating potential for future growth if the upward momentum continues [1]. Group 1: Financial Performance - Fiscal Q4 revenue increased by 16% year over year to $2.54 billion, surpassing the company's forecast of $2.49 billion to $2.51 billion [6]. - Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) rose by 27% year over year to $0.95, exceeding guidance of $0.87 to $0.89 [9]. - Remaining performance obligations (RPO) grew by 24% year over year to $15.8 billion, above the forecast of $15.2 billion to $1.3 billion [8]. Group 2: Platformization Strategy - Palo Alto's "platformization" strategy, initiated 18 months ago, aims to transition customers from point solutions to integrated cybersecurity platforms, with a focus on the Strata network security platform [3][4]. - The number of platformization customers increased to 1,400 in fiscal Q4, up from 1,250 in fiscal Q3 and 900 a year ago, with a target of 2,500 to 3,500 customers by fiscal year 2030 [5]. - The strategy is expected to lead to larger deals and is now showing positive results as the initial revenue impact is diminishing [4][5]. Group 3: Growth Drivers - Next-generation security remains the primary growth driver, with annual recurring revenue (ARR) increasing by 32% to $5.58 billion [7]. - Artificial intelligence ARR surged by 2.5 times to $545 million, indicating strong demand for AI-driven security solutions [7]. - SASE ARR, part of the Prisma platform, climbed 35%, reflecting the growing importance of integrated networking and security solutions [8]. Group 4: Future Outlook - The company provided robust guidance for fiscal 2026, projecting revenue between $10.475 billion and $10.525 billion, with a revenue growth rate of 14% [10]. - Next-generation security ARR is expected to reach between $7 billion and $7.1 billion, with growth rates of 26% to 27% [10]. - The acquisition of CyberArk is anticipated to enhance Palo Alto's identity security offerings, although the market initially reacted negatively to the deal [11]. Group 5: Valuation Considerations - The stock trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 11.7 times fiscal 2026 estimates, which is considered high given the company's mid-teens revenue growth forecast [12]. - Concerns about the current valuation may hinder stock performance despite the company's operational strengths [13].

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]

Core Insights - Palo Alto Networks (PANW) is focusing on secure browsing to enhance its Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) business, with SASE being the fastest-growing segment in Q3 of fiscal 2025, showing a 36% year-over-year increase in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) [1][9] Group 1: Product and Growth - The Prisma Access Browser, a product from the acquisition of Talon, has sold 3 million licenses, growing over 10 times from the previous year, and accounted for one-third of all Prisma Access seats sold in Q3 [2][9] - PANW ended Q3 with approximately 6,000 SASE customers, a 22% increase year over year, with around 40% of new customers being net new to the company [4] Group 2: Partnerships and Integrations - PANW expanded its partnership with Okta by integrating Prisma Access Browser with Okta's Workforce Identity solution, enhancing secure browsing for employees using work applications [3] Group 3: Competitive Landscape - Zscaler and Fortinet are key competitors in the SASE space, with Zscaler focusing on browser-based security and Fortinet's Unified SASE billings growing 18% year over year [5][6] Group 4: Financial Performance and Valuation - PANW shares have gained 12.4% year to date, compared to the Security industry's growth of 21.2%, and the company trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 12.98X, lower than the industry's average of 14.42X [7][11] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PANW's fiscal 2025 and 2026 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 15.1% and 11.3%, respectively, with estimates for fiscal 2025 remaining unchanged [14]

Core Insights - Palo Alto Networks (PANW) is experiencing significant growth in its Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) business, with annual recurring revenue (ARR) increasing by 36% year-over-year in Q3 FY25, outpacing the overall market growth by more than double [1][9] Group 1: SASE Business Performance - SASE is the fastest-growing segment for Palo Alto Networks, driven by the success of Prisma Access Browser, which accounted for one-third of all Prisma Access seats sold during the quarter [2][9] - Since acquiring Talon 18 months ago, Palo Alto Networks has sold three million license seats, representing over a tenfold increase from the previous year [2] - The company now has approximately 6,000 SASE customers, reflecting a 22% year-over-year increase, with 40% of new customers in Q3 being net new to the company [3][9] Group 2: Market Trends and Competitive Landscape - The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is pushing more applications and data into the cloud, positioning the browser as a new interface for work, which aligns with Palo Alto Networks' SASE strategy [4] - Key competitors in the SASE space include Zscaler and Fortinet, both of which are expanding their offerings in browser-based security and SASE solutions [5][6] Group 3: Financial Performance and Valuation - Palo Alto Networks shares have gained 8.9% year-to-date, compared to a 20.2% growth in the security industry [7] - The company trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 12.69X, which is lower than the industry's average of 14.52X [11] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2026 earnings indicates year-over-year growth of 15.14% and 11.19%, respectively, with upward revisions in estimates over the past 30 days [14]

Core Insights - Zscaler (ZS) is experiencing strong momentum in its Data Security Everywhere strategy, which is becoming essential across all industries due to the rise of GenAI and security-as-a-service (SaaS) usage [1][4] Group 1: Data Security Expansion - In Q3 FY25, Zscaler's data security capabilities now encompass structured and unstructured data, both in motion and at rest, across various channels including web, email, SaaS, endpoints, and GenAI applications [2][9] - A Fortune 50 automotive customer signed a seven-figure Annual Contract Value (ACV) deal, increasing their annual spend with Zscaler by over 50% to well above $10 million after adopting six out of eight data security modules [3][9] - Zscaler secured another seven-figure ACV deal with a new Fortune 100 food and beverage company, further demonstrating the traction of its data security strategy beyond regulated sectors [4][9] Group 2: Competitive Landscape - Competitors like Palo Alto Networks (PANW) and CrowdStrike (CRWD) are also adapting their platforms to meet enterprise security demands, with PANW highlighting the growing traction of its Prisma Access Browser [5] - CrowdStrike is leveraging its Charlotte AI to enhance automated and scalable cybersecurity, positioning it as a key differentiator in the market [6] Group 3: Financial Performance and Valuation - Zscaler's shares have surged 69.1% year to date, significantly outperforming the Security industry's growth of 20.2% [7] - Zscaler trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 15.1X, slightly above the industry average of 14.52X [11] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Zscaler's fiscal 2025 earnings indicates a year-over-year decline of 0.31%, while fiscal 2026 earnings are expected to grow by 12.13% [14]

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]