Palo Alto Networks stock falls 2.71 percent while target trails price

Palo Alto Networks stock (ISIN US6974351057) was down 2.71 percent in Nasdaq trading on October 7, 2026, as the latest analyst consensus placed its average 12-month target below the current share price. The valuation question follows a fiscal fourth quarter in which revenue rose 34 percent year over year.

Nasdaq trading turns lower

The stock was trading at USD 408.54 on October 7, 2026, at 10:47 a.m. ET, compared with a prior close of USD 419.91. The session range ran from USD 406.66 to USD 416.60, while volume reached 976,413 shares.

Palo Alto Networks stock remained below its 52-week high of USD 432.33 and above its 52-week low of USD 139.57 on the same date. Its market capitalization was USD 333.0 billion, putting the current price alongside a large-cap valuation that leaves less room for execution misses.

Consensus target trails the price

According to MarketBeat on October 7, 2026, 50 ratings firms gave Palo Alto Networks a Moderate Buy consensus. Thirty-eight analysts rated the stock Buy and 12 rated it Hold, while the average 12-month target stood at USD 391.32.

The same MarketBeat report lists Piper Sandler at an Overweight rating with a USD 410.00 target, raised from USD 345.00 on September 2, 2026. Susquehanna raised its target from USD 350.00 to USD 415.00 on the same date and assigned a Positive rating.

Revenue growth meets a profit test

Last10K reported that fiscal Q4 2026 revenue reached USD 3.41 billion on September 1, 2026, up 34 percent from the year-earlier quarter. Next-Generation Security ARR rose 63 percent to USD 9.10 billion, while remaining performance obligations increased 34 percent to USD 21.2 billion.

The growth came with a sharper GAAP cost profile. Yahoo Finance reported a fiscal Q4 GAAP net loss of USD 282 million, compared with GAAP net income of USD 254 million a year earlier, while GAAP operating margin fell to 5.0 percent from 19.6 percent. That gap makes acquisition integration and stock-based compensation important counters to the revenue story.

November results set the next test

Investing.com lists November 12, 2026, as the next Palo Alto Networks earnings date. Management guided fiscal 2027 revenue to USD 14.10 billion to USD 14.20 billion, a 23 percent to 24 percent increase, and guided adjusted EPS to USD 4.16 to USD 4.19.

For investors, the central comparison is clear: Palo Alto Networks is delivering double-digit revenue and ARR growth, while the current share price stands above the published consensus target and GAAP margins remain under pressure.

Stock trades below its yearly high

Palo Alto Networks stock was last at USD 408.54 on Nasdaq on October 7, 2026, with the 52-week high at USD 432.33 and market capitalization at USD 333.0 billion.

Upcoming dates for Palo Alto Networks stock

• November 12, 2026: Fiscal first-quarter earnings

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